The World Rally Championship is doing “the whole lot” to maintain its present producers and create a collection that may appeal to a minimum of one new marque in 2027, in keeping with the championship’s promoter.
Rallying’s prime flight has lengthy been striving to broaden its producer base, having operated with three manufacturers – specifically Toyota, Hyundai and Ford by way of M-Sport – represented within the prime class since Citroen’s exit on the finish of 2019.
Nevertheless, in Poland earlier this month studies circulated that Hyundai is gearing as much as launch a Hypercar programme within the World Endurance Championship, casting doubt over the Korean carmaker’s long-term future within the WRC.
Hyundai Motorsport’s president and staff principal Cyril Abiteboul has stated that an announcement about its motorsport plans, together with WRC, will come sooner or later – which may arrive in September.
The information comes only a month after the FIA made a U-turn on its plans to vary the technical laws for subsequent 12 months, after coming beneath stress from WRC producers, and as a substitute opted for stability for the following two years, forward of all-new laws for 2027.
Requested in regards to the hypothesis surrounding Hyundai, the WRC Promoter believes the championship can keep its present producers and add yet one more in 2027.
“I can’t say I’ve little doubt [all of our current brands will stay] as a result of it is not our resolution, however I am assured that we are going to create such an excellent championship that it is value to be there,” Peter Thul, WRC Promoter’s Senior Director of Sport, informed Motorsport.com.
“And on prime of that, I additionally hope if we’ve got good [2027] laws accomplished by the top of the 12 months to get a minimum of yet one more producer going into 2027. That is our goal.
Hyundai i20 N Rally1
Picture by: Fabien Dufour / Hyundai Motorsport
“That is our want, as a result of we’ve got to maneuver the championship ahead. And once more, I can’t touch upon inside ideas of producers. However as I stated, it needs to be so enticing that they need to keep in. That is what we are able to do, and we’ve got to do.
“We are going to do the whole lot to maintain these three on board and we’ve got had good discussions with them. We’re open to any strategies. I feel we’ve got by no means had a lot good discussions, whether or not it is laws or sporting laws.”
The WRC Promoter has declared the FIA’s push in the direction of stability till the top of 2026 because the “proper resolution”, however Thul has reiterated a necessity for the 2027 laws to be issued this 12 months to assist producers perceive the championship’s future course.
“I am fairly optimistic, I feel [the FIA’s call for stability in technical regulations] is the suitable resolution,” Thul added.
“It was good to debate about all of the sort of issues, and what we now have is stability. However for us, much more vital is that the laws for 2027 are actually accomplished in a really quick method. Which means we want it this 12 months as a result of we’ve got to consider the longer term – I feel that everyone is aware of that there’s a want and there’s a lot of labor already ongoing.
“For instance we aren’t doing the foundations, however we all know what is going on on and I am very assured. It’s getting in the suitable course. I feel all people has a standard sense the way it ought to appear like. The one factor is how a lot flexibility needs to be in for the completely different sorts of drivetrains, this I don’t know.”
