2023 WRC News & Rumours

[AndyRAC]

The WEC had years of stagnation when manufacturers pulled out; I don't recall any panic, and mad ideas/ gimmicks to improve the show. Whereas the WRC does the opposite....panics and wants to change the DNA of the sport......and it very rarely works. And then we're left with a watered down product, which offers very little to manufacturers.......

So, the WEC has been rewarded by attracting lots of new manufacturers, the WRC is still groping around not knowing what to do....and coming up with bizarre, short term ideas. It won't end well......

[rallyfiend]

Why not do what the BTCC and some other race championships do and make it three events in the weekend? Give championship points for the classification on Friday night. Start a new event with a fresh set of points for Saturday and do the same again on Sunday. You wouldn't need a power stage and your restart lists could be the championship positions based on the points at the end of the last leg. You also wouldn't need SupeRally or Rally2 penalties as anyone who doesn't finish one of the legs wouldn't get any points for that leg but could start the next one just the same as everyone else.
It might be a bit crazy, but sometimes the wild ideas morph into something good.

Some of regional rally championships use day points and have for many years.

It's not at all a foreign concept.

[Fast Eddie WRC]

Three events over a weekend, or points given for each leg, cant be done if we want to keep the endurance element of the sport which has always been fundamental.

WRC and other rallies have already been watered down enough, becoming more and more like rally-sprints.

[Duvel]

Three events over a weekend, or points given for each leg, cant be done if we want to keep the endurance element of the sport which has always been fundamental.

WRC and other rallies have already been watered down enough, becoming more and more like rally-sprints.

Combine the two, points for each day, but also for whole rally?

[wyler]

Three events over a weekend, or points given for each leg, cant be done if we want to keep the endurance element of the sport which has always been fundamental.

WRC and other rallies have already been watered down enough, becoming more and more like rally-sprints.

why impossible? it's enough to mix it up... just keep the actual ystem + 5point for leg. it's just colliding with power stage.

[Eli]

https://www.autosport.com/wrc/news/f...2025/10500280/

Hopefully Michelin will get it back, 15th of September is the deadline and they’ll announce it on the 19th of October.

[AMSS]

https://www.autosport.com/wrc/news/f...2025/10500280/

Hopefully Michelin will get it back, 15th of September is the deadline and they’ll announce it on the 19th of October.

I somehow doubt Michelin are interested due to the current state of the WRC especially rally 1, also the tender should just say : the ones who pay us the most will get the tender and nothing else..

[Andre Oliveira]

Stupid rule. Open the competition to all tyres.

[Eli]

Stupid rule. Open the competition to all tyres.

It’s like AMSS said, it’s all about the money.

[doubled1978]

The WEC had years of stagnation when manufacturers pulled out; I don't recall any panic, and mad ideas/ gimmicks to improve the show. Whereas the WRC does the opposite....panics and wants to change the DNA of the sport......and it very rarely works. And then we're left with a watered down product, which offers very little to manufacturers.......

So, the WEC has been rewarded by attracting lots of new manufacturers, the WRC is still groping around not knowing what to do....and coming up with bizarre, short term ideas. It won't end well......

Exactly, the WEC listened to the manufactures and worked together with IMSA to come up with an affordable and transferable rule set and they have been rewarded with huge manufacture interest and participation.
They have benefitted from the ACO (Le Mans Organsiers) being far more open to thinking about the wider Sportscar family rather than just their own event, previously they used the fact the LM24 was the reason most manufactures even bothered with sportscars to wield their power over the WEC and IMSA which in turn made the series unsustainable.
They haven’t changed the format of their races to suit the ‘modern’ viewer, they have just created a cost effective rule set.

I believe the WRC has the same ability, there are brands that will come if they can settle on a sensible way forward that is cost effective. I don’t believe there is much fundamentally wrong with the WRC, it’s just too expensive to compete for its value in the market place.
If the stakeholders can come up with a technical rule set that is relevant enough and cost effective, I’m sure it will succeed. If the WRC has 4 active brands with a mandate to provide customer cars, very quickly there will be 20+ cars competing and then they have something to sell.