But the rules haven't changed as far as I know. And furthermore two MINI teams ran as private M2 teams some 3-4 ago before BMW stopped the whole Prodrive MINI project. (I think it was Araujo and that Brazilian nutcase).
Agree, I miss those times when there were many seats available in manufacturer cars and then besides them many privateers who actually show some promising times.
That's why we need cheaper cars and more teams. Only elite factory drivers and those with super-rich backers can get a seat in a Rally1.
But no-one should be 'sitting at home'. A Raĺly2 Car is a...
https://www.subaru.co.jp/en/alliance/
WRC mainclass from 2027