What’s the point of a hybrid Rally1 car without hybrid? It’s very straightforward: it’s a bridge across the fairly significant gap separating the World Rally Championship’s top two tiers.
Stepping up to the sport’s fastest ever rally cars means more than just bracing yourself for almost twice as much power – there’s the weight of the car, how it uses its tires and, of course, the aero effect.
Cutting the hybrid out reduces the cost of buying or running the cars and it potentially allows them to be used at a national level.
Currently, any driver wanting to run a conventional battery-powered Rally1 domestically would have to find an event willing to foot the bill to implement the FIA’s EV infrastructure. Now that’s not overly onerous, but it is another thing – and another expense – for a largely volunteer-based bunch of organisers to do.
Rally1 without hybrid will give drivers the feel of driving the ultimate car without the ultimate speed and associated expense. Jumping from 280bhp to around 400 is probably enough without the added 134 coming from the battery.
Boost aside, building the weight of the hybrid unit into the car will give drivers a genuine understanding of how the car handles under strict internal combustion.
Having said all of that, there is a school of thought which points out that one of the most complex aspects of driving a Rally1 car is to understand the hybrid power deployment and regeneration process. With this new plan in play, that’s something that would have to wait for another day.
Are we going to see hundreds of non-hybrid Rally1 cars being used in WRC? Probably not. But it offers teams the opportunity to add to their commercial offering – and crucially fills that performance gap between Rally1 and Rally2.
For the more regulatory-minded among you, please find the FIA’s 2024 sporting regulation referencing this topic below:
12.1.3 RALLY1 CARS WITHOUT HYBRID UNIT
Rally1 type cars without hybrid unit are accepted under the following conditions:
– These cars cannot be nominated for scoring manufacturers’ points.
– These cars must be in compliance with article 262 / Appendix J and their Ra1 homologation form except for the points mentioned below:
– Hybrid unit must be replaced by a dummy hybrid unit complying with one of the following options:
1) Repurposing the existing carbon housing with no internals + Ballasts (location TBC)
2) Dummy HPS with identical size and dimensions / dimensions and material (TBC)
– Location, position and minimum weight of the dummy hybrid unit:
a) Location and Position: in compliance with Ra1 Homologation form
b) Center of gravity / height: must be equal or higher to the one of hybrid unit.
c) Minimum mass (90kg for the dummy HPS + 1 ballast of 10kg to be added on the car)
– Hybrid unit supports must be complying with Ra1 Homologation form.
– Cooling system for ES & MGUK: not applicable / may be removed.
– Safety Indicator and status light must be complying with Ra1 Homologation form.
– Sound module: not applicable
– Shaft between hybrid system and rear differential: may be removed. No other modification permitted on rear differential except cover plate or bung required when hybrid shaft removed.
– ECU Software: Must use be homologated for Rally1 HY / see Ra1 Homologation form.
– Sensors: only sensors linked to hybrid cooling may be removed.
– Actuators only actuators linked to hybrid cooling may be removed.
– Opening for accessing electrical connections for the hybrid system: must be closed / steel panel compulsory.
– Bodywork: Battery (ES) cooling – Ducts & MGUK and inverter cooling – Ducts may be removed (Appendix J) => the resulting openings must be closed
– Bodywork: The homologated trim for cooling the hybrid system (Battery ES / MGUK and inverter) may be replaced by body panels with a continuous surface.
– FIA data logging system: no modification allowed.
