WRC main class in 2025

[Mirek]

What I see is that all succesfull series have some sort of cap, be it financial or performance, to ensure an interesting championship. I think that the "old" fully open model of development is dead because the current technologies are at a point of diminishing returns (big spend for small gain). Either you embrace new technologies or you put some cap and aim for entartainment. WRC is as usual behind the times so it's a big question what they will do in the future.

Having a budget cap is for sure sensible but it's not a thing which would make new manufacturers join and that's been the main issue.

An option, go the WEC route: put any car in the windtunnel and put a maximum limit on downforce/drag, put the engine on the dyno and put a maximum limit on power and torque, allow any bodywork and any engine configuration. Set a target maximum limit, this helps any new manufacturer analyse costs/return and know that it won't end up in a spending war. Then it's a business case, otherwise the budget is always open, Hyundai probably spends 10x or 20x to advertise in footbal compared to WRC so if the value rises costs can easily rise too with the current setup. The future of motorsport does not lie in formulas that worked in the past.

This type of thinking about the rules is what I'd prefer as well.

[Mirek]

I have not read the thread, but my suggestion:

Plus kit for current Wrc2 cars: larger restrictor, and other means to create more noise, maybe some bodykit and that is it. Possibility for national/erc drivers to buy the kit if they want to participate in main class WRC on some events

First of all what you suggest is more difficult than it sounds. Everything about Rally2 cars was designed for the power they have. Using larger restrictor will automatically lead either to low reliability or a need to redesign the drivetrain. Larger restrictor also needs new gearing because the peak power moves to higher RPM. All that is not not that cheap. Same goes for more aero which would require quite expensive changes to suspension and differentials (at least completely different setup options). For sure a top factory Rally2+ car at the end of the season would have little common with a standard customer Rally2 car.

You can be also sure that nobody will bother to rebuild the cars from Rally2 to Rally2+ from weekend to weekend. That idea completely failed with RRC and it will fail again. As Albert Einstein once said doing the same thing and expecting a different result is a sign of insanity.

The Rally2+ idea is a short term short-sighted fix to the current WRC. It would probably make one or two seasons more interesting but for a cost. The cost is very real potential damage to the national and regional rallying by rising cost of running the Rally2. I say don't fix what is not broken and the Rally2/R5 worked fantastic for what they were designed - for national and regional championships.

The other problem with this idea is that instead of focusing on bringing real new competitors it aims on taking some away from the WRC2/ERC and bringing them to WRC. Is that what we want or need? I say no.

[denkimi]

How do you create areas out of traffic in let's say Rallye Monte Carlo where everyone has to use the very same mountain narrow roads because there are no alternative routes?

You can ask anyone who actually organizes rallies and I think he would send you to hell with your idea, sorry.

Say they have about 10 minutes after every stage max. With 2 minute intervals that's 5 rally cars and 5 service vans. Even when you take in delays, there's still plenty of places where there is enough space to park 30 cars or more. Even in the mountains there are carparks, townsquares and most importantly companies that have space outdoors or even indoors.
Remember they only do 4 different stages a day, so that's only 3 places you need to have.

And about rally2+. We all need to consider that people are really bad are estimating speed. So cars don't have to be fast, they have to look and mostly sound fast. If we were to put a porsche 6 cilinder or something simmilar in a rc2 that would probably make them look faster than rc1.

[Sal yet again]

The more I see debate around the various formulas the more I think Colin was ahead of the curve:

https://www.djm-motorsport.co.uk/McRaeR4.html

[Kenneth]

Again, with the budgets the WRC teams have (think about Hyundai's 80M), in less than 2 years you'll be at the start point: almost the same costs. They'll spend them over useless small wings and aero around the mirrors or on the roof.

And btw things like panels are just 1-2% of the whole budget needed for building the car.

With some adjustments, Rally2 will be more than fun.

So what are these 98 %?

[becher]

The more I see debate around the various formulas the more I think Colin was ahead of the curve:

https://www.djm-motorsport.co.uk/McRaeR4.html

Isn't it basically a Rally1 with a simpler drivetrain and suspension?

[becher]

How would one implement Hypercar style regulations into the WRC? The engines are fairly equal anyway?

Most of a rally cars performance comes from the chassis suspension no? Aero is hardly what makes a winning car isn't it?

[typhoon]

So what are these 98 %?

Redesigning chassis components, appendix for suspensions, suspension itself, more elaborated bumpers, more aero sessions to get more speed, new wheels design to get more air and optimize braking, new braking system and solutions, new air intakes to better funnel air to manage engine and overall car temperature, specific setups for flat tarmac, etc.

There's still loads of room in the regulations to let them spend millions and millions on things that help them to get 0.1s/km advantages. Opting for cheaper panels doesn't have any big influence on a team budget.

[PLuto]

Say they have about 10 minutes after every stage max. With 2 minute intervals that's 5 rally cars and 5 service vans. Even when you take in delays, there's still plenty of places where there is enough space to park 30 cars or more. Even in the mountains there are carparks, townsquares and most importantly companies that have space outdoors or even indoors.
Remember they only do 4 different stages a day, so that's only 3 places you need to have.

They have cancelled morning services on gravel to "save" working time for mechanics. And you want that teams will suddenly change their mind and make their "working hours" much longer for whole day?

[COD]

Was just looking at Swedish rally 2002 entry list, 28 WRC cars. Oh those times…..