Yves Matton: “It is urgent not to get too far ahead of ourselves”

Will there be other rounds of the WRC this season ?

(Smile) In pure theory, yes. The biggest problem is that we are tied to government decisions. They fall regularly, but with medium-term visions which are always subject to reconsideration or which can be adapted according to the evolution of the crisis. The championship should restart between summer and September but, today, I cannot say what the first event will be.

Taking the specific case of the next two rounds, what should we expect?

For Kenya, we will not have a final position before May 15. As for Finland, the government announced that after July 31, there should be a liberalization of sporting events. This means that the rally could take place, but this remains subject to review in the event of a second wave in particular.

What about Argentina, Portugal and Sardinia which have been postponed?

What is certain is that we will not do all the rounds that have been postponed and that there will probably be other cancellations.

Why?

There are several problems. For overseas events, it is difficult to allocate new slots for logistical reasons. We have an incompressible deadline to transport the material. Then, even if some rallies can change their dates, they have very little latitude. They are subject to infrastructure constraints which are not available all year round or must deal with weather conditions to take place correctly. There is also a financial and budgetary aspect which is linked to their partners, their sponsors and to the municipalities or regions which help them. The Covid-19 crisis will result in expenses which may have a direct influence on the organization of certain events. This could lead to the cancellation of some in 2020 in order to be present in 2021.

Has an organizer ever warned you that, for financial reasons, they could not be there this year?

Not definitively. Some told us that for all contributors, it will be complicated or impossible to plan two rallies in 7 months (between 2020 and 2021. Editor’s note). Even if everyone tries to find solutions, it is complex to know what the challenges will be in the second part of the season. This is all the more true as we must take into account the closure of borders, the availability of flights to travel and the existence in certain countries of quarantine measures. If you leave Germany, when you return, you must complete two weeks of isolation. This creates a set of elements for organizers, manufacturers and teams in general that make things complicated.

Would you go so far as to say impossible?

No, it is still possible. We communicate very regularly with the promoter and we are confident that we will still have rallies in 2020. We are discussing with the teams to find out how long it will take for them to be operational again. We have to consider approximately 2 months between the moment they reopen and when we can do the first test. This is why the decision must be taken on May 15 for Kenya (July 16-19. Editor’s note). Similarly, we have until the beginning of June for Finland (August 6-9, editor’s note). Currently, nothing has been decided, because there are too many different situations depending on the country. From a sporting point of view, it is urgent not to get too far ahead because, day by day, there is new information, other constraints... Certain things will be inevitable such as the reduction in the number of rounds in the support championships (WRC2, WRC3, Junior. Ed.), but that will come later.

Should we expect a total overhaul of the calendar?

The idea is that organizers who have not yet changed their dates keep them. The staggered rounds must be inserted when possible or if others are not able to appear in the program. We are considering changing the format of some postponed rallies to facilitate logistics. Some teams struggle to do two events in 15 days because they cannot move their equipment as quickly. This crisis has the merit of making us think about the future.

For the format, what would that mean?

The rounds would be shorter, but perhaps with longer days and maintaining a significant special mileage. This would save a few days. Given their constraints, organizers may also be interested in holding a compact event.

Are you going to extend the season into December?

It's not impossible. The FIA ​​awards ceremony was moved back a week to allow for additional events. For the moment, no organizer has shown their attraction to dates at the beginning of December. Maybe in a few days they will have another vision...

Are you still planning to release the 2021 calendar in June? Will it include as many overseas rounds or do you need to be less ambitious in order to contain costs?

We could do it, but there is no point in revealing one that is just theory. It must be based on the reality of each organizer and I very much doubt that in June, they will all be able to assure us of their presence in 2021. I do not know today when it will be reasonable to present it, nor with whom since I think that the crisis will have a very significant impact and not only on manufacturers.

What feedback do you have regarding the teams fielded in the supporting championships?

We have had very little feedback. The reality is that to continue to exist, these teams need competition. Once again the question arises of the partners available to do this. So far, announcements of program termination remain anecdotal. Regarding crowds, it is difficult to assess the consequences of this crisis. How will people react? When it is possible to run again, there may be some who want to change their minds! After such confinement, everyone will have their own way of expressing this constraint.

How many rounds does it take to award a world title?

There is no minimum for the WRC. However, giving it after the first three dates would not really have any sporting value.

Do you think you will postpone the entry into force of the hybrid?

Unlike the F1 or the WRX, we are in a rather different picture. Our constraint is that manufacturers want this marketing tool that is hybridization to extend their involvement in the WRC. The current teams continue to support this project and say that the introduction of the new car must take place in 2022.