WRC to ‘drop hybrid power’ from 2025 due to soaring costs

The World Rally Championship (WRC) looks set to drop hybrid power from next season, according to Motorsport.com.

(Un)confirmed:

• WRC Commission meeting on 5th November decided to remove hybrid power units from Rally1 cars starting next season
• Decision is yet to be officially ratified by the International Automobile Federation (FIA)

Context:

A midseason change to how WRC hybrid power units are maintained and repaired saw the topic of cost become unavoidable this season. Earlier this year, the technology was intended to be removed by the FIA but WRC teams pushed back against the idea, meaning the current Rally1 regulations were extended until 2026.

However, in September, rules around repairing hybrid power units changed. The new regulations stipulated that if a power unit suffers three shock errors over 15G or one over 25G it needs to be stripped apart and sent for a full repair. This can take months to complete, compared to the previous method of carrying out an on-site repair.

Comment:

“It is not a request to remove it for what it is, it is a request to remove it because we can’t actually repair and run them at an economic price for M-Sport. We are talking a few extra million euro to do it and that is not something we can deal with,” M-Sport team principal Richard Millener told Motorsport.com.

Hyundai’s team principal Cyril Abiteboul added: “We will never actively or proactively request to remove the hybrid from WRC. Having said that, we also need to be pragmatic and recognise the fact that the WRC community is a small community, and as any small community, we need to look after one another.”

Coming next:

WRC executives and teams are acutely aware of the perilous position the series currently finds itself in. Just three manufacturers compete in the top level of the championship, meaning the risk of soaring costs needs to be avoided. Whether this move will be enough to attract new manufacturers remains to be seen, but at the very least the series must consolidate its current pool of entrants at the moment.

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• Beyond Rally 2024: Why technological, social and environmental innovation is needed for motorsport to achieve sustainable progress