When the FIA’s WRC working group issued its series of directives for the future of rallying’s top level in February, reactions were understandably mixed.
For the three Rally1 manufacturers, push has now come to shove. A landmark letter was sent to the FIA on Thursday, signed by all three teams, with one clear request: keep the regulations as they are until the end of 2026, as was originally planned.
For M-Sport team principal Richard Millener, there’s a specific line of thinking behind why stability matters and the volume of changes that were proposed aren’t all needed: the WRC is not broken. It needs improvement but there’s no need to change so much, so quickly.
“I think some of the elements [the WRC working group] came out with and some of the recommendations are correct,” Millener told DirtFish. “We need to get a little bit of cost out of the car, we maybe need to make it a little bit more attractive for other manufacturers to come in, we need to improve the sporting, we need to improve the visibility.
“But I really don’t think the sport’s broken.
Safari Rally Kenya was a stark visual reminder that the WRC still has a unique selling point to offer
“What we need now is unity, transparency and a period of stability. I’m passionate about this because it’s not only my job, it’s my life and a sport that I’ve grown up absolutely loving.
“We have to find a way through this that keeps the manufacturers in place, keeps the most spectacular rally cars we’ve ever had in the championship and helps to further broaden the appreciation and fan base for the sport of rallying.
“There’s no doubt, that’s the common aim between the manufacturers and I’m sure it is of all the stakeholders. In the end, we all want the strongest WRC possible, here, now and in the future.”
The WRC Commission meets in Geneva to discuss the future of the series on Tuesday.
