WRC main class in 2025

[WRCStan]

You cant expect Ford to accept ditching the hybrid early.

Ford are killing all their ICE road cars fast and going for EV only. Plus they are the only ones with Eco-Boost HYBRID plastered on their WRC Rally1 car.

I'd just like to see something official, I can't see any evidence of Ford the consumer car maker/seller giving much of a shiny shit what powers a Rally1, or even WRC in general. There's nothing except the pressers M-Sport kick out. Back to the point of my question - they certainly are not relating WRC technology to road car technology.

M-Sport are good customers of Ford through Rally2-5, would they jeopardise that loyalty for the next two seasons? Nah.

I can understand M-Sport not wanting to rid hybrid and Ford backing that positioning if pressed, but that's for different reasons.

[Fast Eddie WRC]

TBH it's pretty amazing that Ford is even still supporting a WRC Team at all given how they've not made a new RS road car since the Mk3 Focus in 2016.

And even with that car it wasnt used to promote WRC, or vice versa, as the Fiesta was the rally car used.

This was the last Ford rally-reference advert I remember...

https://www.focusstoc.com/attachment...45-jpg.874225/

[saco0o]

WRX is not a manufacturer series, WRC is not a privateer/teams series, they shouldn't be compared. Privateers and teams aren't travelling the globe as WRX shows, so why suggest privateers are the answer for WRC? Without manufacturer investment in WRC, the promoter has to step in and these working group decisions show they still choose a Rally1 top tier with the fewer cars.

WRC2 already exists and Rally2 is very popular to the point of oversubscription on European events, but it cannot sustain the series itself, nor multiple events for much of the participants. Why do people expect making either it or something indistinguishable from it as the 'main class' will a) attract privateers to compete globally full time when they weren't already, and b) save the series?

fine, but manufacturers are not interested in wrc. to the point where the promoter is paying for an extra msport car in order to increase the field. do you think this is healthy?
my comparision with wrx is because they went full evs. there where only 7-8 cars. people DONT WANT TO WATCH a championhsip with 7 cars, so they start complaining, then they stop paying for the rallytv app, then they stop watching, then one event promoter stop paying to host the round because "no one is coming or watching", then its a snowball.
wrx got to this point where most of the event/track promoters gave up.
wrc is on the "fans stop paying for the rallytv app".
its a really quick snowball.
wtcc died but tcr is doing really well. rallycross is allowing ice cars again so theres good expectations again, cuz more privateers may be able to compete (unless they all gave up for good, because - as i said - it is a quick snowball)
wrc is not doing well. they cannot keep rally1 hybrid cars because manufacturers WANT TO LOOK MORE CLEAN on their P.R. its not even their own hybrid unit, its all a spec thing. this is all a joke

edit: im not angry, sorry if sounded like that. im just honestly worried manufacturers' egos are ruinning wrc. they want to "look green" instead of working to improve the sport. fine, its not their job to improve a sport, but then its the sport's job to "not let manufacturers' egos' ruin the championship". 8 cars is bad and the hybrid unit is SPEC, so theres no developmente or anything. its just a sticker for them to post on instagram.

[WRCStan]

fine, but manufacturers are not interested in wrc.

I know. This form of rallying is waaay passed it's heyday for manufactures but the ordinary human loves it still, the promoter is still in business making money - for the non-profit FIA lol. It's a privateer sport but a manufacturer series. I'm probably the only person on this forum who would entertain the notion that a WRC backed by manufacturers could look radically different in future and that speed might not be the sole factor, while speed rallying continues privately - ERC/regions could be the highest form. It's unlikely...

to the point where the promoter is paying for an extra msport car in order to increase the field. do you think this is healthy?

It's healthier than death. The promoter has been backing entries since it was installed 15 years ago and it's blurred how much they put in and how much the 3rd/4th manus do. There's always been a middle ground and deals struck. I know I said without manufacturers the series dies, but also without the promoter support the series would have probably died in appeal. That support was propelled chiefly by the other manus and sponsors. With zero manus though it could go full FIA spec car, unbadged if they had decent sponsors, as radically odd as WRC would then be. But it would probably die like WRX you describe IMO, subpar to ERC.

im not angry, sorry if sounded like that.

No worries, it's a concern that gave 105 pages in this thread and many more. Fascinates me. Perhaps WRC dies, perhaps just the appeal dies... I'm not sure there's an easy answer for us to say they should have done this or that. Likelihood is, deals will be struck and things don't look too different to us the next few years, only to the moneymen at the non-profit.

[macebig]

fine, but manufacturers are not interested in wrc. to the point where the promoter is paying for an extra msport car in order to increase the field. do you think this is healthy?
my comparision with wrx is because they went full evs. there where only 7-8 cars. people DONT WANT TO WATCH a championhsip with 7 cars, so they start complaining, then they stop paying for the rallytv app, then they stop watching, then one event promoter stop paying to host the round because "no one is coming or watching", then its a snowball.
wrx got to this point where most of the event/track promoters gave up.
wrc is on the "fans stop paying for the rallytv app".
its a really quick snowball.
wtcc died but tcr is doing really well. rallycross is allowing ice cars again so theres good expectations again, cuz more privateers may be able to compete (unless they all gave up for good, because - as i said - it is a quick snowball)
wrc is not doing well. they cannot keep rally1 hybrid cars because manufacturers WANT TO LOOK MORE CLEAN on their P.R. its not even their own hybrid unit, its all a spec thing. this is all a joke

edit: im not angry, sorry if sounded like that. im just honestly worried manufacturers' egos are ruinning wrc. they want to "look green" instead of working to improve the sport. fine, its not their job to improve a sport, but then its the sport's job to "not let manufacturers' egos' ruin the championship". 8 cars is bad and the hybrid unit is SPEC, so theres no developmente or anything. its just a sticker for them to post on instagram.

You're a 100% right. FIA should rattle the manufacturer's cage. Take the compromise or go. Rally 1s are dead in the water. If manufacturers don't agree, make Rally 2s as they are now the top category for 3 years. Work a sustainable package (max $250k cost) for 2028 onwards.

[saco0o]

hmmmmm bad news
https://youtu.be/ZkXQg6NUmKE?si=V-zNMHpy3xtO1xFX
we know wrc wanta to have an electric class as soon as possible and "the future is electric" bla bla bla. and even being super open minded about that (im all for all eva and hybrids for public transportation and autonomous shared vans-ride) i still think electric racing cars will never excite people. i feel like the motocross scene is reeeaally close from being overloaded with e-bikes in the next 2 years, but im not so sure they will keep the audience this time.

[djip]

im just honestly worried manufacturers' egos are ruinning wrc.

Manufacturers always have a big ego for sure, look at Huyndai's massive service park which is totally irrelvant to rallying in general and to the state where it is in particular.
But don't you think they are also happy with only 8 cars running in the top category ? Combined to super-rally, tis is a guaranteed result at every event. Cyril's comments made it very clear ("« Nous ne pouvons pas nous permettre de rester dans un sport où nous serions des faire-valoir » = We cannot stay in a sport where we would be stooges). This is clearly fear of looking red-faced on monday morning ...
The way manus are taking FIA hostages is almost cartel-like behavior. XWhatever te FIA comes up with, I truly hope they will have the balls to stick with it. We may loose someone enroute but we have to look at the long terms, not next year. If there are 2-3 years of transition with less manus, so be it. We'll have at least WRC2 to cheer for.

[Eli]

Manufacturers always have a big ego for sure, look at Huyndai's massive service park which is totally irrelvant to rallying in general and to the state where it is in particular.
But don't you think they are also happy with only 8 cars running in the top category ? Combined to super-rally, tis is a guaranteed result at every event. Cyril's comments made it very clear ("« Nous ne pouvons pas nous permettre de rester dans un sport où nous serions des faire-valoir » = We cannot stay in a sport where we would be stooges). This is clearly fear of looking red-faced on monday morning ...
The way manus are taking FIA hostages is almost cartel-like behavior. XWhatever te FIA comes up with, I truly hope they will have the balls to stick with it. We may loose someone enroute but we have to look at the long terms, not next year. If there are 2-3 years of transition with less manus, so be it. We'll have at least WRC2 to cheer for.

If we lose Hyundai but get Lancia & Skoda, it’s something I think we can live with but if we just lose Hyundai….the FIA has got to find a balance.

[WRCStan]

You're a 100% right. FIA should rattle the manufacturer's cage. Take the compromise or go. Rally 1s are dead in the water. If manufacturers don't agree, make Rally 2s as they are now the top category for 3 years. Work a sustainable package (max $250k cost) for 2028 onwards.

The way manus are taking FIA hostages is almost cartel-like behavior. XWhatever te FIA comes up with, I truly hope they will have the balls to stick with it. We may loose someone enroute but we have to look at the long terms, not next year. If there are 2-3 years of transition with less manus, so be it. We'll have at least WRC2 to cheer for.

[saco0o]

damn. i read on facebook: ''rally fans are still discussing this? fia has decided already. its rally1 without the hybrids, less aero AND rally2+ with the kit. its decided. they are just negotiating if the kits can be build independetly or if its going to be spec"
i mean, if you think, they even posted on instagram the decisions 2 months ago or so, so arent we beating a dead horse? haha this post got me wondering haha
(oh, and the ev class in case skoda wants to run this new thing
https://youtu.be/ZkXQg6NUmKE?si=V-zNMHpy3xtO1xFX and maybe hyundai too, since they are shifting to evs only, right?)