FIA turns back WRC as Rally1 will be retained until 2026 – DirtFish

Rally1 hybrid cars will remain at the forefront of the World Rally Championship for the next two years.

Tuesday’s decision by the World Motor Sport Council overturns the governing body’s February announcement that hybrids would be ditched to ensure parity between the less powerful Rally1 cars and the improved Rally2 machines.

An FIA statement from the meeting in Uzbekistan said: “All stakeholders have agreed on the technical stability of the 2025 and 2026 FIA World Rally Championship seasons. The World Council has confirmed that, following extensive feedback and discussions, the WRC Technical Regulations for Rally1/2 cars will remain unchanged for the coming two years .

FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem said: “The WRC is extremely important to the FIA, it is the pinnacle of the rally discipline and over recent weeks I have had many conversations with manufacturers 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.

Managing director of WRC promoter Jona Siebel added: “As a WRC promoter, this is an incredibly important moment for us because, from a technical perspective, we can move forward with unity and consistency over the next two years, while investing heavily in new and exciting ways. grow the sport’s fan base and deliver value to our fans.