We know WRC Promoter is for sale. We know there’s been strong interest? But when will the new owner be agreed?
“We’re very close,” assured FIA deputy president for sport, Malcolm Wilson. “We certainly expect to have some form of confirmation within the next couple of months.”
At face value, a couple of months is not good news. There was a time we were told an announcement was due in December of last year.
But it’s equally important the decision isn’t rushed, as it must be in the best interest of the sport.
“It’s been a really long process,” Wilson continued. “As you know, I’ve bought and sold quite a lot of companies and things like that over the years, but this has definitely been a massive challenge.
“But at the end of the day, I think everybody knows it’s in my interest… I want to get the right promoter for the future of the sport.
Having an owner that has the right vision for WRC is crucial, says Wilson
“There’s been a lot of due diligence and everything that’s been done with the potential people. But the important thing for me was I wanted to have somebody that has got the vision and the longevity.
“A lot of the people that were looking were investment houses. They were looking, as they do, at five and seven year exits, which is obviously good for them. That’s what they’re looking to do.
“But the important thing for me was that we need to have somebody who’s got a long-term vision, a long-term commitment, to WRC to drive the sport back to where I believe it needs to be.
“And it’s taken longer than I set myself the target but hopefully… I think, you know, we’re pretty close and certainly from all the meetings that I’ve had with the potential people, then I’m very confident that we’re on the right track.
“But until it’s over the line… it’s been too much life experiences of thinking that deals are done and then it’s done. So all I can say is I’m very happy, I’m comfortable, but I want to get it over the line, which I feel is very, very close.”
Wilson has been involved in rallying for decades, chiefly as the managing director of M-Sport which has represented Ford in the world championship since 1997.
Asked by DirtFish how excited he is by the future, with the 2027 regulations allied to a potential new promoter, the Briton said: “Well it’s one of the reasons why I took this role because as you touched on it’s been my life and I believe the ingredients are there.”
Wilson believes “there’s never been this amount of interest” from constructors – either manufacturers or independent tuners – in next year’s regulations, but added “there’s no question the promoter’s role is crucial, it’s not just the technical”.
He explained: “As we all know, we need the promoter. It’s fair to say that we, as the FIA, know we need to make an investment as well in the WRC. The president is fully supportive of that as well, as you know what his background is as well. I think I’m busy, but he’s even busier than me!
“But we’ve definitely got a clear direction and vision of what we want to achieve, and he’s 100% behind what we’re trying to do with the promoter as well.”
But what is the FIA trying to achieve?
“One of the discussions we’ve been having with the promoter, for me it’s absolutely crucial that we work closely together,” Wilson said.
“One of the things I’ve been specifying is that we need the promoter to be very, very close to Geneva, even have an office or even be based in the FIA, certainly in the short-term future, because we have to work together to grow the sport.
“And I think for sure, again, we have to listen, they have got ideas, they will have ideas as well that we haven’t even thought about, because obviously we’re very close to World Rally as we know it, so we need some fresh eyes which we have to have an open mind to.
“But I think, again, another real positive thing is the amount of countries or ASNs that really want to be part of this world championship going forward. There is quite a list of possible candidate events for the future, which, again, is another real positive thing for the sport.
“All I can tell you is I am pushing. You have no idea. It’s so crucial for our sport going forward [that we get the right promoter].”
