WRC main class in 2025

[Kenneth]

The point is, it's extremely easy to get into indurance racing. You either build cheap car based on one of four spec chassis with spec hybrid, or if you really want to win, you have good engineers and facilities, you spend more money and build LMH.. But it's easy and it's cheap, just look how many privateers start in WEC and IMSA. There are even privateers that build their own cars.

And Rally1 isn't that far from LMDh. There are spec safety cell and spec hybrid unit. Space frame is easy to make and it's also cheap. Then there are the expensive and useless engines, which are all pretty same, and it's imo major gatekeeper for teams that would like to get into WRC.

So why not allow build Rally1 car in similar way to LMDh? Choose 4 companies that would build spec chassis and allow competitors to buy them. Choose 4 part makers for every parts that will be spec. Make engines based on road cars again and let everyone to convert the engine. Or force manus to sell these engines like it's in F1. And then just let anyone build Rally1 like a lego.

Well I wouldn't be mad at all if Rally1 would become semi spec series. After all now it's not that far from spec series with how much strict ruleset is there.

[becher]

The point is, it's extremely easy to get into indurance racing. You either build cheap car based on one of four spec chassis with spec hybrid, or if you really want to win, you have good engineers and facilities, you spend more money and build LMH.. But it's easy and it's cheap, just look how many privateers start in WEC and IMSA. There are even privateers that build their own cars.

And Rally1 isn't that far from LMDh. There are spec safety cell and spec hybrid unit. Space frame is easy to make and it's also cheap. Then there are the expensive and useless engines, which are all pretty same, and it's imo major gatekeeper for teams that would like to get into WRC.

So why not allow build Rally1 car in similar way to LMDh? Choose 4 companies that would build spec chassis and allow competitors to buy them. Choose 4 part makers for every parts that will be spec. Make engines based on road cars again and let everyone to convert the engine. Or force manus to sell these engines like it's in F1. And then just let anyone build Rally1 like a lego.

Well I wouldn't be mad at all if Rally1 would become semi spec series. After all now it's not that far from spec series with how much strict ruleset is there.

I get your point, my the anti spec thinking is very much ideological. I don't mind a few things here and there, but a spec chassis from third party suppliers is big no no for a top class. I'm even against the spec electrical unit, but of course I'm not dumb enough to think it would be feasible to have each develop their own.

The one thing that is a big difference from sportscar racing to rallying is the big interest by rich gentleman drivers and the classic race car market, plenty of chassis (even some works cars) are owned (maybe even funded to a degree) by speculative investors with an eye on selling them in a few years time when they won some big endurance races. Even the gentleman drivers are not like Serderidis, they often fund their professional co drivers and even the teams or construction of whole cars sometimes. In general there seems to be more loose money in sportscar racing than rallying and I'm not sure a change in ruleset magically changes that.

[fiscorpun]

https://dirtfish.com/rally/wrc/david...me-in-the-wrc/

I love David's writting style and hes great on videos and podcast.... but DirtFish trying to be a CONTENT MACHINE keeps having these articles that say NOTHING. Its an Incredible hability haha

[steve.mandzij]

The point is, it's extremely easy to get into indurance racing. You either build cheap car based on one of four spec chassis with spec hybrid, or if you really want to win, you have good engineers and facilities, you spend more money and build LMH.. But it's easy and it's cheap, just look how many privateers start in WEC and IMSA. There are even privateers that build their own cars.

And Rally1 isn't that far from LMDh. There are spec safety cell and spec hybrid unit. Space frame is easy to make and it's also cheap. Then there are the expensive and useless engines, which are all pretty same, and it's imo major gatekeeper for teams that would like to get into WRC.

So why not allow build Rally1 car in similar way to LMDh? Choose 4 companies that would build spec chassis and allow competitors to buy them. Choose 4 part makers for every parts that will be spec. Make engines based on road cars again and let everyone to convert the engine. Or force manus to sell these engines like it's in F1. And then just let anyone build Rally1 like a lego.

Well I wouldn't be mad at all if Rally1 would become semi spec series. After all now it's not that far from spec series with how much strict ruleset is there.

I agree with this take. For sure the WRC has to take notes from the mega successful Hypercar/LMDh reg change. Just look how many new manufacturers have joined or will join — even without full ev regulations!

[NaBUru38]

The point is, it's extremely easy to get into indurance racing. You either build cheap car based on one of four spec chassis with spec hybrid, or if you really want to win, you have good engineers and facilities, you spend more money and build LMH.. But it's easy and it's cheap, just look how many privateers start in WEC and IMSA. There are even privateers that build their own cars.

A LMDh is much cheaper than a Hypercar, but it's still quite expensive.

A 963 costs 2.5 million euros, and a season costs 10 million euros.

[NaBUru38]

I don't think that the WRC is the most reasonable place to spend tens of millions to race in the top class.

TCR is a good example of how to produce cheap racecars with good performance.

[becher]

A LMDh is much cheaper than a Hypercar, but it's still quite expensive.

A 963 costs 2.5 million euros, and a season costs 10 million euros.

And a Rally1 is not even half of that, yet teams spend significantly more in the WRC than they do in WEC. Granted, WRC gives more exposure than WEC but still, the car cost is not the defining factor.

[AndyRAC]

Granted, WRC gives more exposure than WEC but still, the car cost is not the defining factor.

That's debatable....and hard to believe - but if it's true it's even more damning on those running the WRC.

[Tauri_J]

Le Mans win is greater than any WRC title by a long shot.

[becher]

Le Mans win is greater than any WRC title by a long shot.

A Le Mans win is greater than anything, nothing offers more marketing potential. It is the biggest sporting event in the world full stop.

But the overall reach of WEC is way smaller than WRC. WRC is still the second biggest FIA championship by a long shot and by that metric one of the only international series with significant reach. Granted, WEC is doing a very good job promoting its product at the moment whereas WRC is doing a bad job since like forever.