WRC set for massive 2027 change as brand new car roars into life

Resumen detallado

The WRC is at the crossroads of a bright future in the UK. A new promoter promising to shake-up the sport, a British world champion, an event in Scotland for 2027, and the promise…

The World Rally Championship is set for a massive overhaul in a matter of months, with a new car set to blast into the series for the first time in five years. The WRC’s previous Rally1 category (2022-2026) is coming to an end, with a series of new technical regulations flying into effect from the 2027 season. The plan? To lower costs and hopefully draw more manufacturers to the table. It’s already worked, with Ford confirming their works-backed return to top-flight rallying from 2028.

The WRC isn’t the first to do this, with racing series like Formula One and the World Endurance Championship embarking on similar renewals in recent years to a surge of constructor interest. Rally1 cars may look impressive stage-side, with drivers on the absolute limit. But costs are now staggeringly high, with teams spending well over £850,000 per car.

The new rules aim to stem the prices, with WRC's 27 models, also set to be known as Rally1, set to be capped at £300,000 (€345,000) per model. The trade-off is a much simpler design. Gone are the extreme aerodynamics, with rear diffusers, while those massive wings are set for the chopping block.

Speaking exclusively to The Express, M Sport boss Richard Millener said: “There was a perception that the costs were getting a little bit too crazy, a bit too high. It comes with the level of technical regulations we have… by reducing the costs and changing those regs we’ve gotten rid of the barriers to entry for OEM’s who want to come into the sport.”

Emilia Abel, FIA's Road Sport Director, said one of the biggest talking points of the new rules was affordability, with the cost cap rules centred around how much teams can save. Emilia told the Express: “We have to admit to be honest that the top category has been limited over the last generation of Rally1 cars. We have had a maximum of 13/14 cars and also Rally1 is limited to WRC only. National rally championships could allow this car, it was never picked up, probably mainly for the cost reasons...

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