WRC main class in 2025

[Mirek]

If confirmed it's no surprise whatsoever as the current Manufacturers have all the power.

For them, finding other ways of getting extra Rally1 cars running was way more attractive than changing the Regs mid-cycle.

And let's be fair, any extra Rally1 cars aren't likely to be super-competitive as there just aren't the drivers to compete with the current elite drivers anyway.

IMO any radical change without being announced at least 2 years ahead logically can not bring any new manufacturers anyway and doing a change just for the sake of change isn't a strategy.

[EstWRC]

IMO any radical change without being announced at least 2 years ahead logically can not bring any new manufacturers anyway and doing a change just for the sake of change isn't a strategy.

This!!!!

Mirek speaks pure gold here all the time.

[Eli]

IMO any radical change without being announced at least 2 years ahead logically can not bring any new manufacturers anyway and doing a change just for the sake of change isn't a strategy.

Honestly they really should be getting them 2027 regs. out before the end of this season.

[macebig]

FIA got scared dead by Hyundai. Just Ben Sulayem didn't have the guts to challenge them, so they let WRC rot and focus on F1's golden goose... They could have at least killed the hybrids and replace carbon parts with plastic to bring costs down, but no... Same old shit... For maybe 2 extra cars here or there... Disappointing... Would be funny if Hyundai still insists on jumping elsewhere, Toyota gets wooed by another F1 shot and M-Sport/Ford dilute resources into WEC/Dakar and F1...

[saco0o]

That would be a disaster for regional and national championships ERC included. There's a reason why nobody voted for that.

but it would be just a two year solution. the manufacturers would not ramp up the costs, they would more likely run costumer programs like in tcr.
but anyway, manufacturers won the battle. two more years of the same stuff, that its not exaaactly awesome right now imo

[Mirek]

but it would be just a two year solution. the manufacturers would not ramp up the costs, they would more likely run costumer programs like in tcr.
but anyway, manufacturers won the battle. two more years of the same stuff, that its not exaaactly awesome right now imo

The cost would never go back again and the damage to the regional and national championship would be permanent while the benefit for the WRC would be just temporary. R5/Rally2 worked perfectly for what it was designed and only a fool would destroy it.

[becher]

How is a one-shot drive of an old retired driver supposed to make the championship more exciting?

+10

[PLuto]

but it would be just a two year solution. the manufacturers would not ramp up the costs, they would more likely run costumer programs like in tcr.
but anyway, manufacturers won the battle. two more years of the same stuff, that its not exaaactly awesome right now imo

But in reality, NOBODY wants this solution. No Rally1 manufacturers, no Rally2 manufacturers. And mostly also no drivers. It was only that commission who presented their ideas who wanted to make changes like this...

[saco0o]

so let me get this straight:

- wrc is in a pretty shitty moment with only 6 full-time entries, with msport not having money to hire drivers, with hyundai and toyota running 3rd cars for the same guys forever, audience dropping...
- then fia/wrc thought: "well this is bad, we need to change, even if the decisions are rough",
- everybody on the planet agreed with that.
- then after months of 'talking', meeting, fan surveys (!!), they even presented those weird concept.... they decided that nothing is going to change,
- then suddenly everybody thinks thats the right thing to do... and wrc will continue in the same shitty moment with only 6 full-time entries, with msport not having money to hire drivers, with hyundai and toyota running 3rd cars for the same guys forever, audience dropping.

...like... wtf? why this talk even started? if "this is the obvious thing to do" the whole time? haha this is madness

[djip]

so let me get this straight:

- wrc is in a pretty shitty moment with only 6 full-time entries, with msport not having money to hire drivers, with hyundai and toyota running 3rd cars for the same guys forever, audience dropping...
- then fia/wrc thought: "well this is bad, we need to change, even if the decisions are rough",
- everybody on the planet agreed with that.
- then after months of 'talking', meeting, fan surveys (!!), they even presented those weird concept.... they decided that nothing is going to change,
- then suddenly everybody thinks thats the right thing to do... and wrc will continue in the same shitty moment with only 6 full-time entries, with msport not having money to hire drivers, with hyundai and toyota running 3rd cars for the same guys forever, audience dropping.

...like... wtf? why this talk even started? if "this is the obvious thing to do" the whole time? haha this is madness

Spot on ! Well at least let's hope (i) that all the "side changes discussed (promotion, different formats etc....) are implemented next year, together with a revamp of the point system and (ii) that they come up with something smart for 2027