WRC main class in 2025

[WRCStan]

They are just in a comfort zones and maybe afraid that citroen or skoda would knock on the door with new regs..

He's probably also taking into account the extra zeros they sink into the series which Citroen and Skoda make buck from.

[Fast Eddie WRC]

I dont believe Rally1 Detuned or Rally2 Plus will ever happen and compete with each other.

Until 2027, the compromise has to be cheaper access to the Rally1 cars to enable more cars & (local) drivers in the WRC1 top level.

[Fast Eddie WRC]

Not sure if posted here before, Evan's test prior to Croatia with footage of the Rally1 Yaris in 2025-spec...

https://youtu.be/ALLO7rds-yI?si=FRdZ5LDkRZcxMPOV

[Morte66]

Not sure if posted here before, Evan's test prior to Croatia with footage of the Rally1 Yaris in 2025-spec...

https://youtu.be/ALLO7rds-yI?si=FRdZ5LDkRZcxMPOV

I watched that without reading your description and thought "it seems a bit restrained, not quite as savage as it might be". Then I read about the "2025 spec" and thought "oh".

I find this whole 2025 question depressing because my head says "Just go to WRC2 because the economics work" and my heart wants very fast cars like the current R1 which are thrilling to watch.

Perhaps simpler cars with more power might be a way to reconcile "spectacular" with "cheaper" -- 2-litre turbos without the hybrids, torque vectoring, big aero, complex gearboxes and so on. But that would be a 2027 thing, not a 2025 thing.

No easy answer to this.

[becher]

I watched that without reading your description and thought "it seems a bit restrained, not quite as savage as it might be". Then I read about the "2025 spec" and thought "oh".

I find this whole 2025 question depressing because my head says "Just go to WRC2 because the economics work" and my heart wants very fast cars like the current R1 which are thrilling to watch.

Perhaps simpler cars with more power might be a way to reconcile "spectacular" with "cheaper" -- 2-litre turbos without the hybrids, torque vectoring, big aero, complex gearboxes and so on. But that would be a 2027 thing, not a 2025 thing.

No easy answer to this.

You can hardly go simpler than current Rally1 in most of the mentioned areas. Sure the engines could be based on a roadcar block and the aero could be made even smaller (it's already pretty simple/lazy) but other than that, the cars don't have overly fancy front and rear differentials, no center differentials, simple gearbox and form what I've heard very Rally2 like suspension components.

Where could costs been saved? Who knows.

[Mirek]

The stock-based engine is becoming a disadvantage of Rally2 not an advantage. Less and less stock units are suitable for racing use and I'm quite sure that no other manufactruer will build a special stock car for turning it into a Rally2 like Toyota did.

[TypeR]

So WRC and WRC2 are done.
Last few cars will race till it's end and then good night.

No other suggestions needed.


E: about Toyota... Latvala has complaining for many years, but they are the only ones publicly testing new cars and new regulations..

They were already testing a totallly new wrc car and then suddenly cancelled it..
Most likely it would have been even better than Polo WRC had been..

Aaaand now we are talking about just taking this HY system out and slower the cars..
Wonderful idea from the Manus.. just afraid of new teams/drivers.

[Mirek]

Aaaand now we are talking about just taking this HY system out and slower the cars..
Wonderful idea from the Manus.. just afraid of new teams/drivers.

Not only. It is WAY cheaper to run the current cars than developing new ones. It's normal that they don't want to develop something new. On the other hand without that no new manufacturers will join...

[WRCStan]

Aaaand now we are talking about just taking this HY system out and slower the cars..
Wonderful idea from the Manus.. just afraid of new teams/drivers.

That isn't the Manus idea nor is it to attract new ones, what do you mean?

[NaBUru38]

Not only. It is WAY cheaper to run the current cars than developing new ones. It's normal that they don't want to develop something new. On the other hand without that no new manufacturers will join...

Cheaper for manufacturers, but there won't be any privateers.

Rally2-based regulations are a must to draw more entries.