Why The WRC’s Future Hangs In The Balance ⚖️

After months of discussions between the World Rally Championship's big players, a resolution on the future is nearing. We explain how we got here - and what might be next.
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[@shaunwise7653]

Fia needs to stop worrying about specs and focus on coverage. A better format to watch and follow rallying will get more people interested than closer times and points.

[@PorthLlwyd]

What's wrong with the coverage? I think they do a good job.

[@atrailmckinley4786]

​​@@PorthLlwydThe only way to watch the FIA WRC is through a paid subscription essentially. That is not how you get new fans into the series.

[@owain7629]

@@PorthLlwyd I’ve spoken to a few motorsport fans that were interested in getting into rally but they had no idea how and where to watch it! Says a lot really

[@jacobitosuperstar]

@@atrailmckinley4786 I would mind paying their youtube channel, because their WRC page is complete garbage.

[@alexandrosploumis9146]

@@PorthLlwyd coverage is really very bad and i am talking about onboard video and how the cars run with small gaps and you dont get to watch the full pass of each driver.

[@ajrichar0]

There is so much wrong with the WRC right now, and I lay blame squarely at the FIA's feet. They have the most spectacular motorsport in their stable (makes F1 look sanitised and processional), but they struggle to attract and sell the sport to manufacturers, promoters and fans. Getting coverage on free-to-air TV is critical. No-one is going to pay a subscription for WRC TV if they don't know much about the sport, and without a spike in viewers and fan engagement with the series, manufacturers and sponsors are unlikely to want to get involved. F1 (and football, and a number of other sports) have demonstrated that putting access behind a pay wall works when you already have an established audience. Manufacturers want rule certainty so they can plan their investments accordingly. They are also looking at the link to manufacturing relevance to sell cars, or sell an image. Fans may baulk at electrification, but a lot of manufacturers look at it as the future. Hence, hybrid was a compromise, and allowed the series to spruik its credentials (helped by the use of biofuels). But changing the technical regulations mid-way through a cycle (as the FIA is proposing now) puts manufacturers off wanting to commit more money to adapt to changed rule sets. Dropping the hybrid unit before 2026 is a dumb decision as Toyota, Hyundai and M-Sport have built their cars around it, and the Hybrid manufacturer has a contract with the series. Alienate the three manufacturers - and don't engage them as partners in the future vision for the WRC - and they either downgrade their commitment or walk away. Then you truly do have a second tier sport, relying on Rally2 to be the premier category. The current cars are astonishing. Theyre fast, loud and spectacular. Theres also not enough of them at the moment, and a kneejerk reaction during a regulation cycle is not going to bring nore manufacturers in. That die was cast when the WRC adopted the current set of technical regulations. So, I think that regulatory certainty needs to be offered to the current three manufacturers to the end of the current regs cycle. The FIA needs to open doors for the promoter to get multi-year free-to-air TV deals around the world to get more eyes watching on screen and build a strong and invested fan base. That will make manufacturers happy (and make others sit up and take notice), and sponsors will be more likely to want to get onboard. Consult with all the current Rally1 and Rally2 manufacturers about what they see the future of the WRC should look like, and design the next set of technical regulations around keeping car makers involved, including building customer cars. If that is 'Rally2+', then so be it. The best drivers in the world will compete in equal machinery and trade fastest stage times whether they are Rally1 or Rally2 cars - provided manufacturers are involved, there's a world championship at stake, and there's people lining the stages to watch on. But there needs to be technical stability, certainty, and commitments from car makers which will come from mature stewardship by the FIA and an increase in viewership. Finally, get rid of the 2024 points system. I've been following the WRC for 26 years and I cannot explain it to others. It's poorly conceived and makes a mockery of finishing positions.

[@Terminator775]

I applaud this comment. Spot on and constructive.

[@Wildwestwill185]

The product itself is amazing and it's really just the way it's been packaged to the audience that makes it hard to engage new fans in my opinion. Been a fan of the sport for about 6 years and initially I considered the WRC+ stream app to be adequate although confusing to use sometimes but ever since I got into F1 I realized how bad the WRC app was in comparison and although the new rally tv app is an improvement I think it still has a ways to go. It would be great if the stream offered more options for commentary/no commentary and more camera angles available with the ability to choose where to view from. The work that everyone puts into making WRC happen though as is should still be applauded though because at the end of it it's the big bosses at the top of the promotors that dictate how the stream is broadcast.

[@Wildwestwill185]

Current points system has to go though!

[@fieldo85]

Free-to-air television?! No one under 60 watches television. Stop living in the 1980’s. It should all be streamed free on KZbin.

[@ajrichar0]

@@fieldo85 yes, people still watch free-to-air. That's why so many damnable reality shows get air-time and a following. I started watching WRC on free-to-air, and caught the 30 min event highlights in the late 1990s. That was pre-KZbin days, but I agree that KZbin free streaming is a brilliant idea. Advertisers will like that, too.

[@moonshadowdrifting]

With only 3 manufacturers, WRC is on very shaky ground right now. I hope that, whatever does get decided, it doesn't weaken the involvement.

[@marfrandema1884]

It's more like 2.5

[@moonshadowdrifting]

@marfrandema1884 True that! Imagine having Ford back officially.... and Citroën, Audi, VW.... too many have been lost.

[@shaunwise7653]

I don't get why the appeal of having the cars so closely matched. All the most iconic and popular eras of rally are when there's variety and personality to the cars.

[@Joselo3280]

The problem isn't how many manufacturers are. Hell, in 2009 there was only two and it was one of the best seasons ever. The problem is that those three manufacturers can provide cars for any WRC2 driver that wants a shot at the top.

[@moonshadowdrifting]

@@shaunwise7653 I've never thought of it like that... you're right. I guess it comes down to how far you can push the envelope... I remember when the Audi Quattro ended the Escort mk2 Era.

[@andreharewood2384]

Wrc is my favorite sport I really hope FIA comes with something really good No one wants to see a slow rally1 car that a rally2 car can beat

[@kristapspucens]

1) Budget restriction on Rally 1 2) Bring back production class (N4)

[@timmurphy4844]

Exactly have cars your average person can buy, But open the drive train you can fit a turbine engine in there if you want also long as it is a production model, you can have a hybrid

[@patrichot_]

yes but who prudeces them? 20 years ago even 10 years ago you could buy something and make a little rally car in your garage, what about now, noone produces sporty haches anymore, problem is there is no market anymore, people are bunch of pussys buying SUVs

[@TassieLorenzo]

GR Yaris will be the only car suitable for production class... Maybe A45 AMG, RS3, Golf R and WRX (no STi anymore) could be competitive but they are probably too big and heavy. ....The FIA Kit Car 2 class was surprisingly popular with fans and manufacturers, as in some ways they are perhaps less expensive to run than production cars as they don't need to be carefully lifed and repaired all the time to not break? There are reasons S2000 and Rally2 became more popular than Group N, I guess competitors no longer needed to worry about production parts being fragile on their production Subarus and Evos, as the other classes allowed more stronger racing parts to be substituted in?

[@N3onDr1v3]

@@patrichot_ i mean if we are talking small hatches that you could drop a small turbo engine into then you have citroen, peugeot, audi, toyota, kia, renault, hyundai, dacia, VW, fiat, vauxhall, honda, ford, skoda all making cars in 2024 that have decent production volume. people DO still buy small cars. The problem IMO is complexity and cost. not all the above manufacturers have hybrid power units and have the spare capital to run a full WRC season at current cost. From what i understand there are more manufacturers in the lower categories because they are cheaper to run.

[@Pixxit-de2sy]

​@@N3onDr1v3Imagine a rally 208😳

[@jakubondrus]

The only reason I follow WRC and I am willing to travel for hours to see the cars live is that rally1 and rally2 are completely different beasts. If they remove this, then sure, WRC still has the best drivers, but driving for hours to see the same cars I can see on my local events ... That would be pass from me.

[@lep-yb4ek]

me aswell love that the rally1's are monsters and the rally2's are a little closer to home.

[@LJW1912]

I think the contrast between the W.R.C and the W.E.C is stark. The W.E.C has a huge presence on KZbin and is attracting so many manufacturers whilst staying true to itself, whilst W.R.C's coverage is behind a paywall almost entirely, and fewer and fewer manufacturers

[@arigato7788]

Only 3 manufacturers on the top of the rally pyramid is an absolute shame. Few cars, few drivers, little competition. If to improve on that we have to merge Rally1 and Rally2, then I'm all for it, even if it means giving up Rally1 budget and performance and making current Rally2 the new highest tier. (also please get rid of the Sunday points system crap)

[@NoccB1t]

i understand the perspective from both sides. but i am a little fedup with seeing only 3 cars in the wrc. i would love to have more manufacurers in the wrc. for that we need to have it "easier" to get in to the wrc

[@rally_chronicles]

After 2008 it went downhill. We need more manufacturers and competitors. In the early 2000s you had 7+ manufacturer's and many drivers and different personalities.

[@alexcarolan8825]

A modern RWD class would be welcomed in my book, maybe for Rally 3 class perhaps

[@edugj23]

R-GT is sitting there, sidelined, the forgotten child in the FIA pyramid

[@ThaDutchDK1989]

For Me the biggest problem is only 3 manufacters and only 6-8 cars . Of this year i didn’t watch one rally cause 6 drivers is really a joke ( rally 1 ) the need atleast 10 cars to make it interesting and would love more basic steel cars agian..

[@pammotorsport9743]

It been ages since I’ve watched wrc. The car just aren’t relevant anymore.

[@pomaranc747]

I really hope they don't mess with Rally 2, it's perfect at the moment.

[@Therearethings8148]

I remember plans from around 2003 how to show the movement of cars on the track with all kinds of animation and lights and whistles, which are still not in use.

[@MarktheRude]

Just ditch rally 1 as that evidently brought naught but headache. Or better yet, revert to 95-99 regulations.

[@LagmasterB]

Need BOP rules like WEC. It’s so expensive for manufacturers and especially privateer teams.

[@ragereset2795]

There are seismic changes all over the place. I suspect FIA wants to pull the same trick with WRC as it did with WEC, but the integration of hydrogen combustion makes it very difficult.

[@CT37BN]

I love/watch and even used to tape-record WRC during the Colin McRae, Carlos Sainz, Tommi Mäkinen era when it was available on free-to-air here in Oz, but with F1, MotoGP, WEC, WRC on different streaming services it's become too costly. I'd really like to see all motorsports be in one or at least maximum of 2 streaming sites.

[@rally_chronicles]

Late 90's early 2000 was golden times

[@CT37BN]

@@rally_chronicles 💯% Gold🪙Still have all those VHS tapes and a working VHS player.

[@donyiiovanni]

The golden age was the 90's/00's era, where you could watch cars, not too dissimilar to one you would see on the street every day, tearing it up through a forest. The Rally1 cars are like watching F1 in the forest...they're too out of reach for the common person. Yeah, they are incredible machines, but there's not much competition between only three manufacturers, and privateer teams are priced out of it. To make the sport great again they have to find a less complex way to watch it (sell the viewing rights to a mainstream channel/streaming service) and make the cars more grounded in every day cars and more accessible to the normal person.

[@Welshy1001]

Bring back Grp A and Grp N... Production cars with a roll cage and a tune!! Not expensive!! Then get ot back on terrestrial TV !! FIA are CLOWNS !!! ffs how hard can it be

[@ajrichar0]

Group A and Group N both require enormous cost to the manufacturer. Group A required homologation of vehicles and parts, which was extremely expensive. The entire reason for World Rally Cars was to allow an average car to be fitted with a turbocharged 2-litre engine, motorsport transmission, and suspension geometry freedoms so everyone from Hyundai, to Seat, to Skoda could compete. They didn't have a turbo AWD platform to base a rally car on. The same applies now. The regulations allow Skoda, VW, Citroen, Ford, Hyundai and others to build turbocharged AWD cars in Rally2, where they otherwise couldn't if a Group A/Group N homologation process was required. I loved the Group A and Group N period, too. But I also get that manufacturers are not going to design and build a car specifically to compete in rallying. Even the GR Yaris came about as a consequence of existing rally involvement, not built to enter in the first place.

[@TassieLorenzo]

@@ajrichar0 True! Conversely if Toyota are the only manufacturer commiting to homologating the correct type of B-segment AWD car -- the GR Yaris, why shoudn't the GR Yaris be the only car out there until Ford and Hyundai develop their own AWD road car?

[@ivaneurope]

The implementation of the proposed 'parity' of Rally1 and Rally2 cars hinges on Volkswagen Group (on behalf of Skoda) and Stellantis (on behalf of Citroën) to be on board as they don't have a Rally1 counterpart. The C3 Rally2's homologation expires at the end of 2025 (essential for participation in FIA-sanctioned events) and there are no news on a follow-up - there have been rumours over a potential Lancia return, but it's only speculation and it's up to Stellantis' board of directors to decide if it's worth continue in rallying. Skoda is head and shoulders over the competition in Rally2 and their Fabia RS Rally2 is homologated until 2030. But even they have shown hesitation of signing up. If neither VAG or Stellantis wants to sign up, Rally2+ is dead on arrival

[@GranDaddo]

Not sure how blurring the lines between R1 and R2 cars will help. If R1 is not pinnacle then what's the point?!

[@hitempguy]

Because Rally2 is sustainable and huge. In the 90's, it was not unreasonable for a Privateer to run a GroupA car at the top. Now it is impossible. Whereas privateers can easily get into a rally2 program

[@isuzu_bryan]

FIA is hopeless at listening to any recommendations from any source, not even the teams or drivers , get a say it what happens! Tho manufacturers can just pull out, I highly doubt that would happen tho!

[@DarthFurball]

Dirtfish has a pulse on what many fans (and dare I say teams under hushed breath) actually want - there needs to be a way to get you in for discussions behind closed doors at the highest levels.

[@guzmanmendez3878]

The WRC and the fans around the world need more factorys, and obviusly more cars in the category. Rally 2 is the way!! Subaru, Mitsubishi, peugoet,citroen, Lancia come back Urgent!! Cars LESS EXPENSIVE and more teams. This is the only way to see the real WRC ! 🙌🏁 From Uruguay 🇺🇾 👋

[@marfrandema1884]

Cars are dying that's the problem.. they need to move to SUV's.. Also B segment cars are not global

[@michealktrevor]

​@@marfrandema1884 SUV's? The Puma with it's size is already a problem

[@marfrandema1884]

@@michealktrevor All the cars are "on scale" as the chassis is basically generic on rally1

[@chlievcinema]

WRC1 cars are like original DTMs, and we all know what happend with them. This was a recipe for destruction. The people in the boardrooms are doing bad decision. There is no chance that we are gonna see more manufacturers in the future until it will make sense for them. Bring back more road legal WRC cars, This sport is going downhill the last 10+ years and its due bad leadership.

[@theKashConnoisseur]

Every time they make the cars and tracks slower, every time they make the racing artificially closer, millions of potential fans tune out of the sport forever. The winning formula isn't complicated: Have the fastest possible cars being driven flat out by literal madmen. Put the races on live public television for free. And stop letting the FIA come in and ruin everything.

[@john1703]

Won't happen. Group B in 1980s killed people.

[@mcraig]

Rose tinted glasses take.

[@theKashConnoisseur]

​@@mcraig Rose tinted glasses would be more akin to a statement of "1960s era F1 was the pinnacle of motorsports, and group B was the pinnacle of rally, we should just go back to that." Which is a lot different than saying "we watch races to see the fastest cars and most skilled drivers. When you make the cars slower, it stops being interesting."

[@CobraAce04]

Yep, Fan interest died completely when Group B was phased out and the slower Group A became the top class. Oh wait, the exact opposite happened These cars are shit. They've been shit from day 1. The grid is MINISCULE. The reigning champ can't be assed to defend his title. The only time the sport got a MODICUM of interest recently was when Sebastien Loeb won Monaco. Rally2+ is the exact same move MotoGP did with CRT. The sport is dying, and needs to be saved somehow

[@theKashConnoisseur]

@@CobraAce04 while fan interest didn't completely die, introducing the slower cars marked the beginning of the decline in popularity. Nobody said all the fans would leave overnight, but the fact remains that millions of fans have lost interest. It's no coincidence that many racing series marked their peak public interest rates during the years they had the fastest cars for their time.

[@testicat8462]

Bring back classic Group / closer to spec cars. Seeing 90s/2000s cars you could literally buy from the dealership showroom pull of incredible stunts is to me what made the sport so special. I’ve never gotten behind the modern hatchback minivan designs since they all look the same. But they’re also so fast they look like Group B cars in competition. Hybrid is cool and all but i doubt the sport makes a major ecological impact besides good publicity unlike Extreme E literally having 0% carbon footprint

[@HJK242]

They don't make rally relatable car's anymore, gr yaris is only car model that somehow resembles their rallycar, those FWD hatchbacks most rally cars are based on have nothing to do with rally. I think they could even make top class WRC more like prototype race car's, that are not based on anything you see on road. If they don't make anything relatable for road, I don't see point in making car's resemble anything on road

[@kicapanmanis1060]

Well you'll need the electric stuff to get manufacturers interested

[@kicapanmanis1060]

@@HJK242The cars only need to resemble an actual real production model now as opposed to being a production model. The underneath is all different

[@HJK242]

@@kicapanmanis1060 I know that, if they would be like their production counterparts only four wheel drive car in WRC would be gr yaris 😆

[@turbo_tigerlive]

1 - cars/ think grp a with no inlet restrictor. This will make a connection between road and race car. Get rid of hybrid as this will bring cost and complexity down. 2 - cars/ allow manufacturers to use any body style they want. 3 - stages/ min x10 stages split x4 tarmac, x4 gravel/dirt, x2 snow 4 - coverage/ good tv and online coverage. Use of drones to follow cars on stage so we have more than just incar footage with the occasional jump shown.

[@mrmagpiepromotions]

If Rally2 is closer to what we're looking at, with less aero and technology and cars that are more relatable I am all for it. I do love the Rally1 rocket ships but I loved Group A more. The idea of sprint an endurance event is awesome too, imagine a sprint on the fast roads of Finland then a taxing trek across Kenya.

[@bionysos41]

Now when we have these competing drivetrains ICE,HYBRID,ELECTRIC and HYDROGEN rally 1 cars competing each other and that would be properly interresting like Group B was.

[@TheDarrenJones]

As someone who was fortunate enough to take part in Rally GB International a few times back in the day, it was apparent even then that the FIA wanted it to become F1 on gravel - I think this was largely driven by Dave Richards, who somehow thought this was a good idea. Even in the early 2000s the cars bore zero resemblance to road cars, and this has only got worse. I know that even Group 4 Mk2 Escort wasn't a showroom car, but it had a much clearer lineage to the road vehicle. You could go and buy the parts and build the car, and the bodyshell would be a standard but strengthened one. Current WRC cars are astronomically expensive, and nothing like a road car would be. To me, this is to the detriment of rallying. Of course they shouldn't be boring, slow road cars. But making them into the hothouse flowers they have done has done nothing to make the sport more accessible. But the biggest problem? Coverage. Rallying is a difficult thing to cover as it doesn't happen in real time, unlike most forms of racing. So it needs to be covered over time and with more cameras. And this was expensive for a long time. But now with incredible in-car footage and drone technology it should be much more affordable, and be made available on free-to-air channels or with long-format programming online. 3 minute daily highlights don't do anyone any favours. I used to compete in this sport, and it was my life. Now even I don't follow the WRC. And if someone who spent a decade competing in a sport and spent over £100,000 on it over that period can't be bothered to watch it... there's something wrong.

[@chaos2mymind489]

Issue is it’s not accessible or advertised as well… limiting options and manufacturers won’t make it better

[@PorthLlwyd]

A well put together informative piece. FIA need to deliver certainty so the manufacturers have the confidence to commit to a program of development. We all want a greater number of manufacturers, it would be interesting to hear what they want/need in order to join. I'd be keen to see an electric category alongside ICE + sustainable fuel. Variety is always a good thing.

[@X2011racer]

Maybe this is why Gran Turismo uses a fictional Group B category for Rally racing. These regulations make no sense and the fact that only 3 manufacturers are participating just like NASCAR, all rally cars are original models not based on any existing road cars, like the Honda HSV-010 from Super GT, and that production costs are high, but the budget limit is low sounds like a recipe for destruction.

[@Keno_33]

Governing bodies around the globe and in different industries are just ruining things

[@melzeebub92]

It's cars going over jumps at 120 mph sideways through tree's. How are they so bad at marketing this?

[@dorianleclair7390]

Subaru and Mitsubishi need to wake up. Everyone misses those manufacturers.

[@salsarriba5695]

They don matter any more..

[@AK-ri7rn]

Neither of them have designed cars that solidify a place in WRC. They are done

[@CobraAce04]

Subaru and Mitsubishi might as well not exist, and if they come back, Subaru will basically be a Toyota B Car, and Mitsubishi will run a hideous misshapen Eclipse Cross

[@TassieLorenzo]

@@AK-ri7rn To be fair, FIA moved away from Impreza/C-segment class to B-segment class which Subaru do not manufacture. The WRX itself is still in production on a modified Impreza chassis.

[@jemimallah2591]

no they dont.

[@bett431]

Start by actually trying to think for a minute, instead of just remembering how it was back then all the time.

[@sumotive77]

Probably has something to do with greed. Out pricing the competition and bloodline racers. Y'all drove rally right into the ground and killed the grassroots racer. Look inward

[@bonelessbeef]

Look how amazing the KZbin F1 channel is. Their content is longer than a few minutes unlike the official wrc channel. I bought f1 TV based on what I saw on KZbin. Wrc channel is a joke. I'd never pay for wrc + when their channel is a joke. Short videos with awful music added. Only show the top 5 or so drivers

[@DarthFurball]

Agreed. The Redbull TV site has 30 minute recaps of each day - but they are never made available on KZbin. Whose genius decision was that?

[@181racing]

Alot of motorsport knowledge in them people mentioned ❤❤🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁

[@Werferharfer]

Is all about investors. WRC has enough fans, a lot , every round is packed with fans. Problem is , rally is pure madness, is hard to drive is not fancy and simple to drive as in a circuit. You can't buy yourself to the top of rally, it takes talent to deal with it.

[@jmckeev765]

there's lack of promotion, it's quite an obscure sport compared to the other ones and sure theres many people who dont even know the WRC exists. please make it more available to watch

[@ohrate]

This is all great, but what are they doing about fan access? For me, as a long time motorsport fan and some one who spent many a cold November day on the hills wales watching one legend after another ‘fly’ past I can’t believe how bad the coverage of the WRC is now. It’s virtually impossible to watch events live, highlights shows are rubbish and on fringe TV channels if on to at all and the promotion of the sport to general motorsport fans is nonexistent. Until they improve viewer numbers and participation the sport has no future. Not effort people in the public know or care about wrc anymore. It’s needs to be live on a mainstream free view to get people back into it.

[@JMR70]

Funny how there was more manufacturers back in the group A and N days, but since wrc there's only ever been 3. Plus we used to get road going versions, but that's long gone! Wrc wrecked rallying completely!

[@rjung_ch]

Merci! 👍💪✌

[@yelapa999]

Seems to me that when you have a car count of, like, eight then you have a very clear idea of what you've messed up.

[@rzero21]

All of the issues with the championship started when WRC adopted S2000 spec. Maybe they should have stayed with larger cars.

[@wrcrocks]

not really . motorsport is just a promotion for manufacturers to promote their product to get sales the class had to change during the 2010s as subys and mitisi stopped producing group n cars

[@woodstocknun]

make it raw, simple and fast..

[@jemimallah2591]

you realise you can go and watch "raw" "simple" rallying any time you want, right?

[@Flying_Fetus]

Sympathize with the FIA? 😂💀

[@stevoxyzstevoxyz5961]

WRC, you should pay attention to Alejandro Cachón's P3 finish in Rally Islas Canarias. Despite a damaged tire that dropped him to 28th position, 40 seconds behind the rally leader, he pushed all the way and eventually secured third place. Such a storyline is a dream for WRC under current regulations, ERC has hyundai, citreon, toyota, ford, skoda, vw, equal spec car. Last event, WRC1 had 7 car finished, ERC had 22 car finished. WRC1 top 4 gap 1 minute, ERC top 8 gap 1 minute. FACT! Rally use biofuel anyway, add some cheap aero pack to WRC2 and increase engine power, done. fans don't care expensive material or hybrid unit, fans care good speed, sound AND competition.

[@LS1conehead]

The "sound" part above is why they will TOTALLY lose me as a fan once they go (and you KNOW they will!) full-on electric, and/or even huge SUVs. Yes, I know; green-ness, sustainability, relevance, road transference R&D, whatever yada yada yada (which on a worldwide basis, I agree with). But, a major portion of what I love about this sport IS that 'sound'. ;)

[@stark246]

"ICE" + Good promotion and easy viewership is all the sport needs. WRC and WRX two of rhe greatest motorsports in the world. "Build it and they will come" but they don't know it's on or where to watch it....

[@Danger_mouse]

A championship with only 3 players is not a championship. The heady days of Group A are long gone, but they had more than 3 times that many companies registered for points. Certainly a difficult situation to try and level out the field and bring in other teams, while not upsetting the current WRC1 teams who have poured millions into developing their cars. Tough gig.

[@marktucker208]

I dont see what the future for rallying at a world level is tbh. The FIA wants a better show with more cars and bigger audience numbers but the manufacturers dont want to make changes. Somebody has to compromise and the manufacturers have the strongest hand because without them WRC doesnt exist. For Me i see WRCs biggest problems as three fold. 1. They cant turn back time and bring back the Impreza, Evo, Xsara, Escorts, Celicas etc 2. They are stuck in the endless loop that other series have gone down that sees faster as better. Yes, we all want to see fast cars and see WRC cars going crazy speeds in snow/forest/gravel but we also want competition and honestly? Will anyone notice the difference if the cars are 30-60 seconds slower through a stage IF the drivers are still working (from reduced downforce) and the competition is higher? Also, increased speeds brings about increased costs, increased safety measures such as wider cars. 3. Very few people can give up 2 and a half days to watch every moment of every stage even more so when its hidden behind a pay wall. Now, i dont know how you resolve this because honestly, does anyone want 1 day sprint events? Or 15 stages 10km long? Not me. i want the top level of rally to be a proper challenge. Personally id like to see them go to WRC2 cars with slightly more power, stronger transmissions, more technical suspension, 20% increase on WRC2 downforce and softer tyres than WRC2. I dont want hybrid as i believe it raises costs and weight BUT manufacturers will want it so i guess you keep the hybrid system. Then you can create two tiers of WRC2 spec cars. Rally 1 with the changes above for manufacturer teams and anyone else who wants to compete for outright victory and Rally 2 using current WRC2 spec cars for younger drivers or others who want to compete in WRC2. Then you can sell an upgrade kit for WRC2 cars to be upgraded to new Rally 1 spec so that teams and drivers can step up from the second tier into the top tier IF they are interested. Id also like to see longer stages/events to put more emphasis on reliability and a reduction in testing. (current manufacturers are testing before every event). There is a small part of me though that says why not strip it all back to basics. Take a road car, strip it, add a cage and some trick suspension and lets see what happens. Although that would not really work it would allow us to see which roadcars are the most reliable and fastest.

[@theKashConnoisseur]

Every time racing series put forth rules making the cars slow, tons of fans lose interest in the sport forever. Only the die-hard fans care about artificially close races. The masses just want to see the fastest possible cars being driven flat out by absolute madmen.

[@darrenmurphy6251]

Mst mk2 escorts rearwheel drive with millington engines now that would be a spectacular spectacle for fans

[@cesarsanchez5393]

I just got in to wrc :( beside soccer its my fav sport. Just wish they streames free on youtube

[@DarthFurball]

They do 30 minute recaps on Red Bull TV but it never makes it over to YT...😒

[@WerdnaLiten]

Apart from a few years, the WRC has been on shaky ground since the mid 00's.......An example in how to NOT run a series.

[@RealSweetTom]

I've stopped watching these past two seasons. The first year of WRC Plus was great. I had every stage on my phone but I couldn't justify the price. More to the point there are not enough teams. Very little competition. Perhaps if the specs focussed on enticing manufacturers, this would give it the same injection of excitement that WEC has recently acquired.

[@mario20033]

1) Need more manufacturers and especially the OG's that people care about 2) Decrease the cost/increase the power for more drama - Ditch the little engine with its idiotic hybrid balast - replace with just a 2000cc+ turbo engines with less restrictions and more power ----- I bet people would be much more interested in Rally if rally looked more like group b than "greenwashed" hyper-expensive vehicles.

[@kicapanmanis1060]

Yes and more manufacturers will leave the sport. Greenwashing is what the manufacturers want.

[@Leowavekid]

Ahhh how i wish one of these manufacturers will do a street legal version of their rally cars… like Porsche does with their GT3 RS and GT4 RS …

[@Wonginism]

Hyundai Toyota M-sport All have Rally2 cars now? There are other Rally2 manufacturers so a transition to making a Rally2+ be the new Rally1 is viable but the timeline being conpressed wouldn't be good either.

[@dion_aldi]

Bring back Group B! Just because

[@rexthewolf3149]

The current cars are faster than group b while being safer.

[@theKashConnoisseur]

@@rexthewolf3149 They're not faster in a raw sense, they just have better aero and more tech helping them stay on course. And safer? Boring. The risk is what makes the glory.

[@rexthewolf3149]

@@theKashConnoisseur Yeah they are faster cause they’re more developed. And that last statement is bullshit cause you’ll change your tune immediately after your favorite driver dies due to preventable flaws in the car.

[@theKashConnoisseur]

@@rexthewolf3149 Nobody minds when they fix preventable flaws. The issue is when they decide that going fast is too big a risk.

[@rexthewolf3149]

@@theKashConnoisseur which is why the cars have been allowed to go faster

[@axelknutt5065]

Get rid of Rally 1 and make Rally 2 the top tier … instantly 2 more manufacturers. Already this year we’ve seen R2 cars well inside the top ten, so the performance drop will be2 relatively minor.

[@tbates4938]

Wait... We have eight or nine rally1 cars, and you're saying rally2 cars finished in the top ten?

[@peepopoo4387]

@@tbates4938 At WRC Sweden, so many WRC1 drivers had issues that Solberg finished 5th overall in the event and the rest of the top 10 was WRC2 cars besides Lorenzo Bertelli who isn't even a serious WRC1 driver. We desperately need more WRC1 manufacturers/drivers.

[@axelknutt5065]

@@tbates4938 Monte Carlo: Highest placed Rally2 - Rousel 8th Sweden: Solberg 5th Kenya: Greensmith 6th Croatia: Gryazin 8th

[@shinra2755]

What a mess 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@hallkbrdz]

Something in North America (Mexico) would be a welcome return. Sigh...

[@theKashConnoisseur]

We got the ARA still.

[@LS1conehead]

@@theKashConnoisseur NOT in the Northeast at all, anymore. Thinking about selling off my skid plate, and 'gravel setup' wheels/tires, since there will not be any ARA rallies to work/volunteer on which I can get to within a day's drive anymore. 😡

[@flurpoid]

Group N should make a return, bring back RWD cars. The action and cars feels so sterile and overly optimized, needs more variation in all regards.

[@LS1conehead]

Except for not being required to keep a full factory interior, and now being allowed sequential gearboxes/transaxles and coil over suspensions, the current Rally 5 is basically a modern day Group N. 😉

[@bezymyannyy4574]

What happen to the podcast there is no need episodes

[@siviunative5241]

FIA WRC got Hybrid expensive to attract competitors. Kust look at WRC2 is more realistic with more competition

[@LS1conehead]

Also, the 'silhouette' bodies over tube frame chassis HAS TO GO as well. IF I want to see that crap, I can watch the good ol' boyz do their 'roundy 'round shit at NASCAR events.

[@harveybrooks2597]

Look at where the WEC is today and that is where the WRC should be but instead it's neglected.

[@user-rx1eu4zh3x]

Saturation needs to go +++ a bit

[@ZedNinetySix_]

Simplify the cars, improve the live coverage accross media.

[@hitempguy]

The cars are too advanced. The reason why groupA was exciting? Because the cars actually moved and slid around. Aero is the bane of exciting motorsports, it has to be gone/extremely limited. Suspension travel has to be cut

[@geertterharmsel]

this!!!

[@cortkynard9742]

Rally needs more cars with style like group b too many hatch backs and no hybrid junk just pure engine and pure engineering and high end horsepower also more raw original style to the sport as it once was

[@LS1conehead]

Most of the Group B cars WERE hatchbacks!

[@cortkynard9742]

@@LS1conehead I’m saying now though there all the same there’s no style

[@skylineXpert]

From what i hear the hybrid system is way to expensive & it keeps many manufacturers from taking part in rally1. I miss the early 00s where many took part. Mostly i miss the days where you could buy the evo & impreza & just go...

[@kicapanmanis1060]

Hybrid too expensive, but no electric at all and they won't come back. WRC just between a rock and a hard place.

[@PierreSimonsson]

well do Both WRC 2 and WRC 1 to WRC 1 and go from there base the New Cars on WRC 2 and ther will be many more Drivers in WRC and it will be More that can afford the Cars and morethat potential Rally Champions.

[@HJK242]

I hope they don't kill rally1, rally2 cars are too slow and boring. there are more manufacturers in rally2, but it's been even less competitive between these manufacturers than rally1, Skoda been dominating WRC2, last year they won every single event. don't matter how many manufacturers there are if one is dominating like that.

[@LS1conehead]

Given their unlimited resources for; R&D, testing, entering 4 fully supported factory cars in Rally 1, and 'buying' the very best pilots, Toy is quickly becoming said Skoda in Rally 1. 😉☹

[@HJK242]

@@LS1conehead there's no unlimited testing allowed, it's regulated how much you can test, and Huyndai definitely got the better drivers this year. Ogier is only driver that was proven to be very good when he went to Toyota, rest where not that big names when they went there. it's Huyndai that's been more about 'buying' the best, rather than finding new talent

[@HJK242]

@@LS1conehead that 4th car been there for Katsuta, would be good if Hyundai also had a 4th car for some young talent to show his skills. only 3 cars score manufacturer points anyway

[@gafrers]

Leave it to FIA to make a mess and make things worst.

[@pammotorsport9743]

Is there a place for rallies in this safety conscious world any more? Do they really want to promote hooning on roads?

[@axelknutt5065]

Make rally one cars look more like the street cars they are based on so that young boys lust after them. … the current cars are only identifiable by the brand painted on the grille. If based on actual street cars, the manufacturers will sell more of those models (which is sort of their reason for being in any Motorsport)

[@WayneFoxUK]

They've made it boring. Theres a reason there was so much interest and support for last year's RAC rally. They should take note and stop making the sport further out of reach of the little man on the street. We don't want another F1. The reason WRC was so interesting 20 years ago, was because people could buy a rally car for the road, they could see themselves in the cars on the stages. The drivers were interesting, they had personality. Now even the drivers are polished corporate robots with no personality.

[@RandomHuman1103]

Of all things,one is certain.New points system is terrible and needs to go as soon as possible

[@zogzoogler]

90s were great but the world has moved on, nobody watches terrestrial tv. At its peak rally was watched on Eurosport or a highlights reel showing souped up production cars battle the elements. So isn’t the answer quite simple; Production based R1 can be full electric or whatever (its R1!) its the halo class for cars and drivers that are legends, R2 is the real world 2wd (front or rear) but with a severely restricted rule book so that a monied privateer could compete in a domestic race. Coverage - youtube weekly highlights reel with app available for subscription for enthusiasts. Make the courses mostly natural vs the elements with limited supercross style prepped courses and an occasional shootout stage thrown in. Finally have a couple of big tent pole events that offer a different rare spectacle (snow, desert, fast road/ gravel, driving rain) Finland, Monaco, Acropolis, Wales.

[@john1703]

A rally car should be 2WD, like a mk 1 or 2 Escort, or a BMC Mini, No AWD, no turbo, no power steering. 200 bhp limit. Get back to feeling the road.

[@rexthewolf3149]

So your saying you want to got back to the 70s when that actually represented to faster rally car you could build.

[@Max.44]

Biggest issue is the restrictive coverage. The RallyTV subscription is about twice as much as full F1 TV access. WRC events should be free on KZbin/ Amazon/ TV at least for the next couple of years to get some attention. F1 had massive success while lacking in competition and exitement compared to Rally1.

[@LS1conehead]

Basic, condensed Rally 1 coverage is still free on Red Bull TV (how I watch it). But yes, not even a mention of Rally 2, let alone even acknowledgement that Rally 3-5 even exist at all. ☹

[@mante1997leoniense]

If the specifications continue with this hybrid cars, someday we will see less than 3 manufacturers. People just dont understand that WRC needs to make their regulations focused on everyone. Not just the manufacturers that wants to sell their new technologies. This is not F1 and personally I will never want this kind of approach. If they can make cheaper and faster cars why not?

[@kicapanmanis1060]

.....you do know that most manufacturers WANT to sell their new technologies right? They're all investing in electric now.

[@acontadoquim]

Just Bring back group B with current tech except prohibition to EVs and padle shifters…

[@dmurphy1578]

FIA is crappy across the board not just F1?

[@boostid8026]

Come back Subaru

[@erezyoal]

It looks like the new F.i.a president is the worst Ever and all of us are going To suffer.

[@MSiAventador]

eWRC - 4x 125kW traction electric motors, 2x10kWh batteries (while one is discharged during acceleration, the other is charged during braking), electricity generator on different types of fuel (diesel, gasoline, hydrogen, synthetics, alcohol...) My recipe is perfect! Forward 25 years! 😎

[@sukocoimam4519]

I got controversial proposal .. 15-20 stage on 3 day event are to much for tele/online air-time. also logistic nightmare I recon 2hours air-time is the sweat spot (but there are also 6-24h race I know, but with hardcore fans) How if split 3 days even friday-sunday with only 1 long stage per day. 1 hours stage, 3 minute interval between car (assume max 20 car x 3minute), so we get 2 hours race. If there is need to past car in front it would be epict but do it save (put on noticeable yellow light on car when car on trouble or crash, drone marshall also available). If the tyre not strong enough for 1 hours stage put team for pitstop on half of stage (more controversial 😂) with minimum 20s pit crew with 20 crew members. So friday for warmup the event... 1 hours qualification or sprint race (30 minute per car). Because normaly depend on stage they want to start on front or back so qualy is not so good idea Saturday stage 1 and sunday stage 2 (1 hours distance per car). This is for WRC 1, excluding practice before each stage (1 hours live air time) just like F1, indy, motogp or others

[@__-vb3ht]

We don't need to watch all of the race live. Even with your plan, you still can't see all the runs because they are driving at once. Yes, you could tune in, watch and know the winner like F1 but all the tyre management, roadside repairs, lead changes from one stage to another go out the window. Rallying is already much shorter than it once was, and back when it took forever people lined the roads. I actually want some events to be longer, like Safari. Make it a real endurance race. Other races should stay the same. Maybe try out a sprint format at one location but overall rally needs to be long that's what differentiates it from other categories

[@sukocoimam4519]

@@__-vb3ht agree just love group B, evo, mini, VW, citroen wrc peak old days. Dont have money to go racing, but always play WRC game career until now. Love multi stage format as gamer driver, but we need sponsor and sponsor need audiences. so sad there only 2 serious manufacture, and 1 bonus factory team (Ford). Maybe they (WRC) can try in 1-2 series for super Long single stage per day for trial to get more viewer.

[@scottnixon2462]

Let's guess there going to ruin it!..

[@erikahuxley]

WRC is has been boring for the last 10 years. FIA WEC is in a golden age, this shows they have a clue. I doubt they could make WRC worse than what it is now.

[@davidjernigan8161]

FIA must be taking pointers from NASCAR. It seems dumb to make the junior class more competitive with the top class of car.

[@scottnixon2462]

@@davidjernigan8161 no mate the problem is they've got there head to far up f1 arse if they put the effort they do for that rally would be alot bigger around the world.

[@TassieLorenzo]

@@erikahuxley No BOP thank you. BOP is a joke.

[@jukkaaho7962]

Wrc 2+ sounds like a perfect new main class (why padel shifit, I don’t understand why that would be added to add costs) , all current manufacturers have cars + all the others. Like happened with gr B to gr A, interest was the same even if the cars were a bit slower and without comparison on stages no one would see the difference. And top drivers will still be the top ones

[@bett431]

All current manufacturers hate that idea. M-Sports WRC2 car is based on a car that doesnt exist anymore, and Hyundais I20 will also stop being built when their current model run ends. With rally1 they can easily swap to a different base car, with Rally1- and Rally2+ they invest way more money to build a space frame car just so they can be beaten by a souped up second category car. This is just a bad deal for the manufacturers, and just WRC2 is even worse for 2 of the 3 current manufacturers.

[@davidmbugua393]

Bring back subaru and mitsubishi evolutions

[@paulsven7923]

FIA is a joke

[@vjollila96]

the dumb points system and Rovanperä going half-time was the nail on the coffin atleast for this season. The fact that Rovanperä gets way better starting positions than championship leader is such a bullshit

[@owain7629]

Agree - should the WRC adopt a “qualifying stage” at the start of each event (say Thursday evening) to determine road order? Short special stage, hype up the drivers as they step up one by one to put the fastest time down.. Or is that a step too far?

[@keefgtp]

I still don't understand why WRC isn't courting outside manufacturers to see what THEY need to re-enter Rally1. Like Subaru.

[@kicapanmanis1060]

Because that will anger the existing manufacturers.

[@AlanDoveKarting]

Car culture is in decline and WRC relies on that heavily. That's the problem.

[@kicapanmanis1060]

Or more specifically the car culture is moving towards electric.

[@AlanDoveKarting]

@kicapanmanis1060 It isn't really 'car culture'. It's not as brand oriented and more as a social statement, which is causing massive issues for big brands. It makes racing less potent and something owners relate to. Also, the average age of electric buyers is over 50.

[@GT-Diaries]

Too many changes in the sport, we need more manufacturers, coverage and excitement.