The World Rally Championship (WRC) is working towards the implementation of a cost cap in conjuction with the International Automobile Federation (FIA) in order to attract new manufacturers to the series.
Confirmed:
- WRC has no financial regulations in place, allowing Toyota, Hyundai and Ford free rein to spend
- The cost of a Rally1 car is close to €1 million, while Rally2 cars are capped at approximately €200,000
- WRC and FIA working towards a target of four manufacturers
Context: WRC is looking to follow the lead set by Formula One in 2021 and Formula E last year, with both series aiming to prevent costs from spiralling out of control. Toyota, Hyundai and Ford are the only top manufacturers in WRC, with Citroën having pulled out in 2019. There hasn’t been more than four manufacturers competing in WRC since 2005.
Comment: Peter Thul, WRC senior sporting director, told Motorsport.com: “This is an ongoing work at the moment. I remember when there was a cost assumption for the current cars. I don't tell you the number, but it's a little bit drifting away in the wrong direction.
“Okay, it's engineer-driven sport and the engineers want to have the fastest cars. But a cost cap is super important. We have to get the costs down. The Rally1 team bosses all have to go the board and they have to justify the investment, that's for sure.”
Cyril Abiteboul, Hyundai team principal, added: “The one thing that you need and can do is put the costs under control and see how then you can add the value. At the end of the day, it is all about return on investment that will be compared to different sport options that car makers have. There is a budget cap in Formula One, there is a budget cap in Formula E, so why not here?”
Coming next: Any final decision would need to be made at a meeting of the World Motor Sport Council, with the next meeting set to take place in Córdoba, Spain, on 20th June.