The WRC was working towards Tuesday's meeting of the World Motor Sport Council, where answers to several questions are expected.

The highlight of the agenda is the technical regulations for next yr and 2026, which have sparked much heated debate because the FIA ​​presented its proposals for the longer term of the WRC in February.

It is widely expected that the present Rally1 regulations will remain in force until the tip of 2026.

It would mark a retreat from an FIA proposal made in February by a working group of motorsport's governing body, arrange in December to “assess and recommend the future direction of rallying”.

February's proposal was to phase out hybrid powertrains from Rally1 cars from next yr as a part of a plan to narrow the performance gap with Rally2 cars through reduced aerodynamics, a modified rear wing and a smaller air restrictor.

This coincided with a proposal addressed to manufacturers to supply an optional modernization kit for Rally2 cars to extend their performance and enable some competitors to fight within the sharp end of rallies.

The idea was met with strong opposition from the present Rally1 teams and WRC2 manufacturers, which resulted in a letter being sent to the FIA ​​in April asking to take care of the present regulations.

The teams' most important concerns concerned the short time to revamp, test and approve changes to next season's cars and the incontrovertible fact that investment had already been made in the present cars to compete within the five-year homologation cycle [2022-2026].

The FIA ​​was enthusiastic about increasing the variety of entries and ensuring a smooth transition until 2027, when it plans to introduce latest regulations based on the present Rally1 concept.

These 330-horsepower vehicles will use a standard safety bay to scale back costs and permit manufacturers and tuners to develop custom-bodied cars based on production models.

Ott Tänak, Martin Järveoja, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1

Photo: Vincent Thuillier / Hyundai Motorsport

Various meetings have been held since February with stakeholders and the WRC Commission to seek out an extra solution, with the outcomes expected on Tuesday. Documentation has been prepared and can be submitted to the WMSC, where a call can be made.

While the FIA ​​stays coy on what can be announced, speaking on the Rally of Sardinia, the governing body's director of road sport, Andrew Wheatley, says a “smooth transition” to 2027 might be expected.

“I think an incredible amount of work has been done over the last three months and I think we're probably 50% of it done,” Wheatley told Motorsport.com when asked in regards to the upcoming World Motor Sport Council meeting.

“We have strayed thus far from the discussion we had, but that’s partly because these were quite extensive discussions that took place over a protracted time frame.

“I think you will see that we will be able to make a smooth transition to 2027, and the concepts they have generated, the positive energy and the hard work put in are proof that everyone believes the World Rally Championship has delivered a successful, strong future.”

Time will tell what exactly this “smooth transition” means on paper, but WRC teams have already given hints that Rally1 as we all know it’ll proceed next yr.

In Croatia, Toyota team principal Jari-Matti Latvala suggested he wasn't expecting too many changes while in Sardinia earlier this month and said: “There have been rumors within the media that the present cars will stay for what I assume is the following two years.

“I imagine that is the suitable path since the investment has already been accomplished and there is no such thing as a point in making a big investment in a short while.

“We should deal with the 2027 regulations and all of the teams agree on that, so I hope so. For me, a automobile with or with out a hybrid doesn't make much of a difference overall. No additional investment in these current cars, I feel it might be best to avoid wasting the budget for everybody.”

Hyundai has made its position clear, with boss Cyril Abiteboul revealing that uncertainty has forced the team to leave a major update of the present i20 N scheduled for 2025.

The former Renault Formula 1 boss believes the changes proposed to the Rally1 cars would create a product “not up to the standards” of the WRC.

As a result, the Frenchman told his team to take their probabilities with the present rules, and his design team continued working on improvements to the team's current i20 N for next yr.

Elfyn Evans, Scott Martin, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1

Photo: Red Bull Content Pool

“It's high time that we have clarity about the future, especially for the team and our design office, because it is very difficult to determine what cars and what regulations to work on,” Abiteboul told Motorsport.com.

“We anticipated this and made some assumptions in regards to the conclusions of the World Motor Sport Council and hopefully our assumptions can be confirmed. This is essential in order that we will report back to headquarters on what 20205 and 2026 appear to be.”

M-Sport-Ford is committed to regulatory stability for next yr as well, with a powerful deal with securing one of the best possible championship position with a purpose to attract latest brands for 2027.

“We don't have any solid results [yet] but from all the pieces I hear, I feel stability is the important thing and we’re specializing in 2027, which is what we would like,” Millener told Motorsport.com in Sardinia.

“All manufacturers are very aligned and really positive about trying to seek out a way forward for 2027. We are considering different powertrains and options, so there is no such thing as a excuse for any manufacturer to enter the race, whether that happens or not, that's one other story.

“We need a final signature and then we can move on. I think we had a difficult few months of instability, which wasn't really necessary.”

As previously reported, it was widely expected that the FIA ​​would reverse its February proposal to phase out Rally1 cars of their current form. The decision was ratified at today's WMSC meeting held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

The February proposal presented by the FIA ​​working group was to phase out hybrid powertrains from Rally1 cars from next 12 months as a part of a plan to scale back the performance gap with Rally2 cars through reduced aerodynamics, a modified rear wing and a smaller air restrictor.

This coincided with a proposal addressed to manufacturers to supply an optional modernization kit for Rally2 cars to extend their performance and enable some competitors to fight within the sharp end of rallies.

It was expected that this might increase the variety of notifications and ensure a smooth transition to the completely latest technical regulations in 2027.

Teams and manufacturers were strongly against changes to Rally 1 and Rally 2, which resulted in a letter being sent to the FIA ​​in April asking for the present regulations to be maintained.

The teams' principal concerns were the short time to revamp, test and approve changes to next season's cars and the indisputable fact that investment had already been made in the present cars to compete within the five-year homologation cycle [2022-2026].

“All stakeholders have agreed on the technical stability of the 2025 and 2026 FIA World Rally Championship seasons. The World Council has confirmed that, after extensive feedback and discussions, the WRC Technical Regulations for Rally1/2 cars will remain unchanged for the coming two years,” an FIA statement read.

Ott Tänak, Martin Järveoja, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1

Photo: McKlein / Motorsport images

“All stakeholders are working positively together on the direction of the regulations for 2027 and beyond, and there may be good consensus between World Council members and manufacturers on the important thing objectives, that are aimed primarily at increasing participation at the best level, as previously agreed by the FIA.

“The World Council strongly expects existing manufacturers to commit well prematurely to the long-term way forward for the game. These regulations will likely be submitted for approval on the December meeting of the World Council, allowing greater than two years for producers to comply.

“Following a transparent commitment of investment from the WRC Organizer, the FIA ​​will strengthen its team within the industrial and communications departments to increase its support to the Organizer and key stakeholders within the Promotion Working Group.

“Following the establishment of the WRC Sports Working Group, there will be a strong focus on sporting regulation management, with a key focus on increasing media activation opportunities and reducing costs for competitors. The final versions of these Sports Regulations are to be proposed at the October session of the WMSC.”

FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem added: “The WRC is amazingly necessary to the FIA, it’s the head of rallying and I actually have had many conversations with manufacturers over recent weeks about its future direction.

“It is now clear that we all need technical stability for the next two years, but at the same time it is important for the FIA ​​that in ensuring this stability we receive the same positive commitment from the manufacturers.”

How did the teams and the WRC react to this decision?

Unsurprisingly, the response to the choice was positive from each the WRC promoter and the teams, with the previous describing the move as an “extremely important moment”.

“As a promoter of the WRC, that is a particularly necessary moment for us because from a technical perspective we are able to move forward with unity and consistency over the following two years, while investing heavily in latest and exciting ways to grow the game's following and deliver for our fans, said Jona Siebel , managing director of the WRC promoter.

Toyota believes this can be a move that can save teams money and provides them more time to deal with the 2027 regulations.

“This is very good news because if we think about this cycle, the investments made make sense to go through a cycle that usually lasts five years,” said Toyota team principal Jari-Matti Latvala. “If we made changes now we would have to make a big investment, so it is a very wise choice to focus on stability and then introduce new regulations for 2027.”

Hyundai has been hit hardest by the turmoil, having had to leave plans to deliver an all-new automotive in 2025 under current regulations as a result of the uncertainty.

“We have been working closely with the FIA ​​over recent months and while all of us imagine that stability within the technical regulations for 2025 and 2026 is the appropriate thing to do, the very necessary governance steps taken will ensure a more unified and positive approach to short-term improvements and long-term breakthroughs that all of us agree on meets the needs of the game,” said team principal Cyril Abiteboul.

M-Sport Ford boss Malcolm Wison, pleased with the vote for regulatory stability, says it’s time to implement proposals geared toward improving promotion of the championship.

“This is a really positive step for us in the coming years,” Wilson said. “We have seen some good proposals in terms of promotion, marketing and event operations plans, and now the work needs to start to make these things a reality, and with a coherent proposal on the technical side, I think the scope is there to achieve our ambitious WRC goals.”

The FIA ​​also confirmed plans to increase its exclusive contract for the provision of Junior WRC cars with M-Sport Poland for the Ford Fiesta Rally3 EVO until 2025.

During this era, the WRC got here full circle. There was an idea to completely abandon Rally1 cars with hybrid drive and install Rally2 as the highest class. There was an idea to create a Rally2 plus category by lowering the category of Rally1 cars and modernizing the present Rally2 cars. However, overall, the soundness of the technical regulations for Rally 1 and Rally 2 for the following two years is essentially the most reasonable and logical solution.

It is vital to notice that, normally, WRC stakeholders want changes to enhance the championship; from manufacturer involvement to raised promotion.

That's why the FIA ​​initially took motion, first establishing a working group to evaluate the longer term direction of rallying, which resulted in a lot of proposals, including a move submitted in February to alter the technical regulations for 2025.

As FIA director of road sport Andrew Wheatley explained in April, there are a lot of the reason why the FIA ​​has taken motion to assist the WRC achieve its potential.

“There were three key elements. The first was Pirelli's lack of commitment [to a new tyre deal]Wheatley said.

“Secondly, drivers don't want to do it [full] championship [Kalle Rovanpera going part-time] and three, and we always have this discussion about Ford whether they come in or not, but there was an extra layer and it was about Hyundai continuing [in the WRC]. This is a fundamental change in the ongoing discussion.”

Bands and producers are literally customers and if a customer doesn't like what’s presented, they simply won't buy it. This is the situation within the WRC in a nutshell. The FIA ​​recommend a radical vision that was resoundingly rejected when the WRC teams united and in April wrote a letter to the FIA ​​asking for the technical regulations to be left unchanged.

In hindsight, if the reforms were pushed through, the change could have risked losing one in every of the three current Rally1 brands, given their concerns about investing more resources into changing current cars in a race against time for a two-year period before latest rules in 2027. manufacturer would put the championship in a way more difficult situation.

This shall be seen as a victory for the teams and the WRC organizer, which was also not in favor of the changes. Rolling out the changes for 2025 and 2026 was all the time unlikely to draw a brand new brand and will shake carmakers' confidence if the five-year approval cycle were reduced to a few years.

Testing of Toyota's 2025 prototype also showed that a top-end product wouldn’t be as exciting as the present hybrid formula, which has thus far produced five different winners in six rounds. After such rejection from manufacturers, leaving the technical regulations unchanged was really the one logical option.

Adrien Fourmaux, Alexandre Coria, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team Ford Puma Rally1

Photo: M-Sport

It also suggests that following the pattern of the World Endurance Championship, which has fastidiously and methodically moved from the demise of LMP1 to the hugely successful Hypercar formula, might be best practice, relatively than trying to instantly patch the formula to resolve its problems.

It is argued that this debate has wasted loads of time and energy that might have been focused on ensuring that the 2027 regulations are the most effective possible and most tasty to potential producers.

But in point of fact, all this upheaval has its upside. Over the past six months, every aspect of the WRC has been fastidiously scrutinized, sparking much discussion and much-needed changes to enhance the promotional aspect of the series that will not have happened had the FIA ​​not taken motion.

The underrated WRC promoter presented his vision of the longer term in Portugal, which was a response to the concerns of drivers and teams. The promoter has now invested in organizing the WRC's long-awaited trip to the US in 2026, which could possibly be a game-changer for the championship.

This coincides with efforts to enhance the fan experience at events and, for those watching at home, ongoing testing of a brand new F1-style team radio package, while helmet cameras are also being tested. Some members of the service park have suggested that more progress has been made in improving the attractiveness of the championship – and subsequently the return on investment for manufacturers – than ever before, a by-product of the work of the FIA ​​working group.

“With everything that has been done recently, one thing I can say is that even though a lot of it wasn't what the teams wanted and wasted a lot of resources, we can't argue that it didn't send a rocket back to the championship.” M-Sport team director Richard Millener told Motorsport.com.

“We now have a lot of movement, some strategies, some goals and a lot of conversations. We know what's coming. The organizer told us his story and the FIA ​​told us his story. We need to keep this momentum going and I'm not sure we would have it if it weren't for some of what was discussed and proposed [by the FIA] and because of that, everyone worked together to achieve this goal, which is positive.”

Interestingly, Hyundai's Thierry Neuville, who has been essentially the most vocal concerning the stability of the technical regulations and improving WRC promotions, was quoted within the FIA ​​announcement this week together with team representatives.

Neuville has probably been essentially the most critical of the FIA's technical proposals and the WRC organizer's handling of the championship, but the selections made during this six-month period of uncertainty appear to have began to win the Belgian round.

“We received the action plan a few weeks ago [from the WRC Promoter] already and it looks interesting and promising, we must admit,” Neuville told Motorsport.com.

Thierry Neuville, Martijn Wydaeghe, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1

Photo: Red Bull Content Pool

“I believe some work shall be done, which is positive, but I believe the teams and drivers still need our input.

“Therefore, we’re very completely satisfied that there shall be communication between us and the promoter via [former co-driver to Sebastien Ogier] Julien Ingrassia, who will play a vital role, as will Scott Martin [Elfyn Evans’ co-driver] who’s the voice of the drivers within the WRC Commission.

“I think it's good, and by being able to communicate through Julien we will make a big contribution to promoting the events.”

But as they are saying, talking is one thing and acting is one other. As Millener explains, an important thing now’s to have conversations.

“We have received loads of messages during the last 4 or five weeks. But now an important thing is to deliver on it. It's very easy to speak about it, but conversation is the primary element. We have to get the knowledge out now, and that's still impossible for everybody involved. We can't just make one big push after which back off.