WRC future

**Fast Eddie WRC** · 24th September 2020, 18:35

Absolute Rally podcast ft. Hayden Paddon on his EV rally car and the future:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0TW...TeSVkCd1_xWUWg

**Fast Eddie WRC** · 2nd October 2020, 16:34

Not sounding good !

https://dirtfish.com/rally/wrc/delay...eadline-moves/

**AndyRAC** · 2nd October 2020, 17:30

To be honest, the WRC should have gone hybrid a while ago; all seems 'too little too late'. The WRC is in danger of being left behind.

And the news today from Honda is going to leave many manufacturers in motorsport wondering their next move. How longer is ICE relevant for manufacturers? I'm not sure it is.

**Francis44** · 2nd October 2020, 18:39

Go full electric already then.... And instead of 2 or 3 manus at the start in 2022 be ready to have the incredible amount of ZERO.

**Fast Eddie WRC** · 3rd October 2020, 11:27

The hybrid issue with Hyundai and also the fact they are freezing their workers wages looks like there may a problem for them to stay in the WRC.

However they wont want to leave their biggest car sales rivals, Toyota, an open goal to win the Championship for years...

**mknight** · 3rd October 2020, 21:50

Both VW and Citroen said it out loud already 2 years ago. WRC should have gone hybrid already for 2020-2021. Could probably have been done with some very mild hybrid/electric turbo just attached to the 2017 cars. Perhaps it would be possible not to increase the cost too much then ( since most of the car was already paid for). Then this hybrid could have been refined for next 2 years while getting ready for electric.
Instead they now have to invest more money on making completely new hybrids which probably won't last long.

I'll keep repeating that it's a bit of a tradition for WRC to be behind the trend in automotive industry. (turbos, downsizing...)

**pantealex** · 5th October 2020, 08:29

Some people still think that allowing 4WD was biggest mistake ever

**AnttiL** · 5th October 2020, 09:31

Originally Posted by pantealex

Some people still think that allowing 4WD was biggest mistake ever

or banning Group B....or introducing WRC instead of Group A...

**Fast Eddie WRC** · 5th October 2020, 12:14

Hindsight is a wonderful thing... but for 2017 they focussed on more power and aero when they could've seen hybrid was already the way road cars were going.

The 17-spec WRC cars have been great for the fans but not for the long-term health of the sport at the top level.

**AnttiL** · 5th October 2020, 13:05

Originally Posted by Fast Eddie WRC

Hindsight is a wonderful thing... but for 2017 they focussed on more power and aero when they could've seen hybrid was already the way road cars were going.

Global warming was a thing already before 2017 but the IPCC report in 2018 made a big impact and probably changed the strategies of car manufacturers (and possibly also FIA / WRC Promoter)

The 17-spec WRC cars have been great for the fans but not for the long-term health of the sport at the top level.

Again, you can only guess what would have happened had they kept the 2016 regulations or went to something completely different, but I know a couple of people in addition to myself who returned to follow the sport because the new cars were like the new Group B.

Of course, it also helped to increase the popularity of the series because the dominant team quit and the title fight(s) became more interesting. And to top that with All Live...yeah, difficult to say how much the car regulations made an effect.