Robert Reid and David Richards know all about success in the World Rally Championship – they stood together on top of the world in 2001.
This time their remit is slightly broader than making a Richard Burns-wheeled Subaru faster than anything else in the world. In the cross hairs this time? The future direction of rallying.
A working group to fix rallying was established by the World Motor Sport Council Strategy session at the Annual General Assemblies Week in Baku on Tuesday.
FIA deputy president for sport Reid and WMSC member Richards will lead the group.
The FIA statement said: “Under consideration will be the technical, sporting and promotional aspects of the FIA World Rally Championship. The group will also address the pathway for grass roots development of rallying.
“An initial working paper will be presented for consideration by the WMSC and WRC Commission within two weeks.”
Richards is well placed to understand the WRC and rallying from both sides of the fence, having won the 1981 world title with Ari Vatanen, established Subaru as a dominant force in global rallying and owned the commercial rights to the WRC.
