P1racenews AI automatic summary:
WRC to abandon hybrid-powered Rally1 cars from 2025
The world motorsport governing body shared key objectives for the future of the WRC during today’s World Motor Sport Council meeting, highlighting plans developed after thorough analysis by the FIA’s working group initiated last December. This group aimed to evaluate and recommend the future direction of rallying due to declining top-level entries. A recent FIA fan survey with over 11,000 responses also contributed to decision-making. Proposed future changes for the WRC include abandoning hybrid power and introducing new Rally1 regulations by 2026. The debate centered on potentially moving away from Rally1 hybrid class towards Rally2 or a new ‘Rally2 Plus’ model, focusing on cost reduction. New regulations starting in 2025 aim to maintain the Rally1 car as the top tier, albeit without a control hybrid unit, with costs and performance being key considerations.
