The next WRC technical regulations revealed in Greece?

After a few weeks of break, the WRC regains its rights in Greece. While the title seemed promised to Kalle Rovanperä, her spectacular roll in Finland somewhat reignited the suspense. If the competition is undecided, the future of the discipline appears even more uncertain. In fact, for months the various players have been worried about not seeing anything move and have been waiting for prospects to arise for this sport. On several occasions this season, Andrew Wheatley, the FIA ​​rally boss, assured that it was imminent that he would soon detail the technical regulations, but Croatia was visited, then Portugal, Sardinia… Nothing was It's not being produced in Finland either, but the process should finally get underway in Athens. For the occasion, it even seems that Mohamed Ben Sulayem, the president of the FIA, will be present on Thursday at the start ceremony. Beyond the protocol side, what is especially important is to know what the Emirati leader and his teams ultimately decided for the future of the WRC.

With or without hybrid?

Although it seemed imperative, the transition to hybrid cars turned out to be a bitter failure. First of all, it did not encourage any manufacturer to join the WRC. This did not result in a spectacular renewed interest in this championship in the media and above all it led to a sharp increase in costs. The use of Rally1 could well lead to the departure of M-Sport while Hyundai et Toyota do not have enough budget to line up more than 3 and 4 copies. While the managers assured that the manufacturers would be able to offer seats for young people or team 2s, the field was reduced to 8 or 9 cars this season with the main criticism of the disproportionate amounts compared to the benefits. Not very popular at the time of its introduction, does hybrid technology still have a future in the WRC? Discussions with Compact Dynamics have long been at the heart of the problem. The price requested by the company was considered too high, especially as reliability concerns persist. How will this aspect be resolved? In the next regulations, will Compact Dynamics still be the exclusive supplier of the WRC? Has a replacement been found for January? In the extreme, is it possible to envisage cars losing the hybrid and becoming only thermal for 24 months? Wouldn’t that be a huge cover-up for the WRC? The use of a fuel without fallout would allow the WRC to maintain a “green” label that the hybrid cannot give it without making people smile. Given the very short deadlines before the start of the next season and the impasse in which the championship finds itself, what will the FIA ​​decide? A status quo that keeps appearances, but can be devastating? Agree to wipe the slate clean in order to rebuild? In any case, this should only concern two years, 2024 and 2025. In fact, from 2026 another regulation should come into force. With what orientation?

A new technology in 2 years?

It would be very easy to criticize the work of the FIA ​​and point out its slowness. The automobile market is, however, in such a process of change that it is very complicated to predict what is the best solution to follow for the years to come. The WRC had chosen the hybrid, but it appears that this path is outdated today and it is urgent to imagine another. Will the WRC become electric like the WRX? Will this result in a transformation of the discipline to adapt to the constraints of batteries? Can it be electric part-time, on certain special stages? Should we move towards something more radical by introducing, why not, hydrogen? Can the thinking heads go even further and offer replacements for the Rally1 based on the Rally2 equipped with a small, inexpensive electric motor? The delay in making these announcements is destabilizing, but understandable, because it is the future of the WRC that is taking shape. This 2026-2028 (or more?) regulation must encourage current players to remain involved. At the same time, it must imperatively encourage new manufacturers to come to the world stage. It is absolutely forbidden to fail, because otherwise, in two years, there will only be ashes left. Expectations are immense and it is to be hoped that the rally of the Acropolis, the one nicknamed Rally of the Gods, offers a favorable setting for the launch of a radiant future.