Post by Lee on Feb 29, 2024 16:18:50 GMT
The World Rally Championship introduced its plug-in hybrid Rally1 cars in 2022 but has already confirmed the electric gubbins will be ripped out from next year to make the cars lighter and less complicated. The decision to strip the hybrid systems from top class cars was confirmed at the FIA’s importantly-titled World Motor Sport Council meeting after recommendations made by the WRC Working Group were given the green light.
This means from the 2025 season onwards Rally1 cars will solely run on sustainable fuels. We’re told performance shouldn’t suffer all that much despite the loss of the 100bhp+ electric motors, due to less weight and a reduction in the air restrictor allowing the turbos to breathe easier. Rally2 cars will also change from next year, with those competing in WRC events allowed to fit a larger restrictor, a bigger exhaust, a flappy paddle gearbox and a rear wing in order to reduce the gap to the Rally1 cars up ahead.
Then, from the 2026 season the introduction of new Rally1 regulations will see a common safety cell used by all teams and the bodywork of production cars loosely draped over the top. At that point power will be capped at around 330bhp and engines and transmissions will come from Rally2 cars to keep costs down. Each car will have a cost cap of €400,000 and – here’s the best bit – “WRC manufacturers will be required to make their cars available for sale directly from the finish parc fermé of a WRC event”.
This doesn’t mean that rallying has given up on electric power altogether though. In fact, the FIA says that “at the earliest opportunity, an electric category will be introduced into the WRC”. It wants those future EVs to achieve performance similar to the Rally1 cars running on sustainable fuel, so we could see electric vs petrol battles in WRC in the near future.
This means from the 2025 season onwards Rally1 cars will solely run on sustainable fuels. We’re told performance shouldn’t suffer all that much despite the loss of the 100bhp+ electric motors, due to less weight and a reduction in the air restrictor allowing the turbos to breathe easier. Rally2 cars will also change from next year, with those competing in WRC events allowed to fit a larger restrictor, a bigger exhaust, a flappy paddle gearbox and a rear wing in order to reduce the gap to the Rally1 cars up ahead.
Then, from the 2026 season the introduction of new Rally1 regulations will see a common safety cell used by all teams and the bodywork of production cars loosely draped over the top. At that point power will be capped at around 330bhp and engines and transmissions will come from Rally2 cars to keep costs down. Each car will have a cost cap of €400,000 and – here’s the best bit – “WRC manufacturers will be required to make their cars available for sale directly from the finish parc fermé of a WRC event”.
This doesn’t mean that rallying has given up on electric power altogether though. In fact, the FIA says that “at the earliest opportunity, an electric category will be introduced into the WRC”. It wants those future EVs to achieve performance similar to the Rally1 cars running on sustainable fuel, so we could see electric vs petrol battles in WRC in the near future.
