Toyota, Hyundai and M-Sport Ford have collectively written to the FIA requesting current Rally1 regulations remain in place until the end of the 2026 World Rally Championship season.
The FIA’s WRC Working Group has recommended significant regulatory change for next season, with Rally1 cars running without hybrid, less aero and less power while Rally2 cars get more power and more aero.
The teams have lobbied the sport’s governing body independently, but Thursday’s letter is a demonstration of the unity felt on the subject of technical regulations for the remainder of the current homologation cycle. Hybrid supplier Compact Dynamics already has an agreement in place to supply the WRC teams through the end of 2026.
The technical rules for 2025 will be discussed at Tuesday’s WRC Commission meeting, with the aim of finding common ground ahead of June’s meeting of the World Motor Sport Council.
WRC team bosses aren't happy with proposed regulation changes for next year
One source inside the sport told DirtFish: “This is progress. To have the manufacturers unified and all, quite literally, on the same page is a very big step forward. It’s also a demonstration of the depth of feeling on this topic.
“I think everybody is well aware that there’s work to be done in the world championship, but the teams are the common denominator here. We have three teams and eight cars – perhaps we can make some changes to the sporting regulations to bring more cars next year, but significant [technical] regulatory change is something which is making a lot of people very nervous right now.
“The FIA’s Working Group has done some really good work in highlighting issues, but perhaps its best work is in bringing the teams together.”
The teams and the FIA declined to comment on the letter.
