Is the WRC slowly dying?

Facts

While persistent doubts surround the long-term involvement of Hyundai at the top of rally world, that the number of entrants is shrinking like a skin, that the new hybrid regulations are struggling to attract new manufacturers, and that the WRC suffers from a certain media confidentiality, we wonder if the discipline is not quietly dying a beautiful death.

YES, by Julien Billiotte

Child of the car, I am not the best placed observer, nor the most objective, when it comes to discussing the future of the WRC. Still, the premier category of world rallying gives me the impression of going through a deep existential crisis for years.

By adopting hybrid regulations for the first time in its history in 2022, the World Rally Championship hoped to attract new players, or at least convince old manufacturers to take the plunge again.

With only two and a half official manufacturers involved (Toyota, Hyundai with an official program, Ford via M-Sport), the account is not there. And it is not the persistent rumors of an imminent withdrawal of the Korean brand that are likely to reassure lovers of the discipline...

Are other manufacturers waiting for a switch to all-electric before taking the plunge? A popular and old-school discipline, wouldn't rallying lose part of its soul by turning its back on thermals?

On the Driver side, the advent of Kalle Rovanperä, the youngest driver to win a WRC title, is to be welcomed. But isn't the 22-year-old Finn the tree that hides the forest when we see old veterans like our two national Sébastiens, Loeb et Ogier, alternate victorious freelances and sabbaticals? Without wishing to denigrate their exceptional talent, does their ability to come back every 3-4 months to freelance other competitors not betray a cruel lack of new blood?

Finally, what can we say about the relative confidentiality in which the WRC finds itself today on the media scene? Certainly, the discipline continues to enjoy great popularity with a hard core of aficionados, but it is increasingly struggling to go beyond the boundaries of these die-hard fans.

Unless there is a salutary shock, the WRC seems condemned to becoming a niche sport.

NO, by Loïc Rocci

Passion makes you blind, but since a former world champion teammate (in 2001) affirms that “ the house does not burn " and that'" a two-manufacturer championship once existed and the WRC survived ", why not believe it?

Robert Reid is the deputy for sport at the FIA ​​and he must know what he is talking about. The young grumps who predict the death of the WRC probably don't realize it, but this prospect has been announced many times in the past...and events are still organized with real official cars in them.

They did not experience 1986/1987 when, after the accidents, it was necessary to reinvent this discipline by starting almost from scratch on a technical level. Wouldn't it be time to finally understand that the WRC is not the F1 and never will be? We should change the disc and stop absolutely wanting what is done on the circuit to work in rallying. The promotion of these sports is completely different.

In this area, the WRC has made enormous progress in recent years. Who would have imagined that it would one day be possible to follow all the times live? Is it enough to attract people who are not fans? Of course not, but you only need to walk around a service park or go to the side of the stages to be reassured.

While track races in so-called “World” championships take place in front of no one, the WRC still fascinates. The level of the competitors is criticized, but what is the relevance of a comparison with magicians like our two national Sébastien, Ott Tänak ou Thierry Neuville ?

A Kalle Rovanperä is not hidden behind every driver and we should not expect such a phenomenon to emerge every year! During the 13 rallies of 2022, weren't there 5 different winners? What is the outcome elsewhere with many more races scheduled? The spectacle offered remains enormous with cars that are still just as fast and now greener.

This certainly still requires progress, but the implementation has been far from the predicted fiasco. If, unfortunately, the birds of ill omen were nevertheless to be right and one or even two belligerents withdraw their marbles, we would have to trust in the leaders to have the courage to put everything back on track and thus start again on new, less serious bases. expensive, more relevant to the market and likely to attract more brands. When passion takes over...