Scott Martin joins the WRC Commission

Elfyn Evans' co-driver at Toyota will participate in the meetings to give the crews' point of view on the various subjects which will contribute to the future of the WRC.

Published on 25/09/2023 à 10:01

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Scott Martin will try to bring the voices of competitors to the WRC Commission (Photo Nikos Katikis/DPPI)

It's still not much, but it's a small step forward. It is even surprising that we had to wait for the WRC is at a crossroads so that the main actors can (finally) make their voices heard. Navigator of Elfyn Evans since January 2019 after having been that of Craig Breen or Matthew Wilson, Scott Martin has great experience in this environment where he made his baptism in 2004. Aged 41, he now has 172 participations (8^e in the list of most capped) for 6 victories with the Welshman.

The arrival of the native of Haven in the Commission follows a request from the FIA and the WRC promoter. After the criticisms expressed by various members of the elite of this sport and the repeated fears of the team representatives of seeing this championship lose its interest, the authorities considered it appropriate for a person to be in a cockpit to represent this corporation. Scott Martin will thus be able to convey the opinions and ideas of his colleagues during meetings where changes will be discussed in particular which should be made next year in the format and conduct of the events.

New role for Scott Martin

Scott Martin is already familiar with the workings of federal operations since he participates in the FIA Closed Roads Commission. “ This will definitely give me confidence., declares the Englishman. We thought it would be good to have one of us present at the WRC Commission. There was a vote and my name emerged from this consultation perhaps because of my experience. It’s an honor and I’m happy to accept this role. I know how important this can be, but at the same time we must not forget that there are a lot of people involved in this sport. I will pass on the feedback from my colleagues with whom we discuss a lot. I have a good vision of what we would like to make the WRC more exciting. It started immediately since there had already been a meeting during which I mainly observed how it was going and I met new people. »

Even if we should not imagine that the presence of a single co-driver could lead to the changes that the WRC urgently needs, it is a first signal that things are happening, that awareness exists. Concrete actions are now needed.

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