REVAMPED WRC STRUCTURE IN ’20
New categories to simplify class system
The FIA is stepping up its efforts to simplify world rallying’s class structure into a five-tier ladder of progression.
Last week’s FIA World Motor Sport Council meeting delivered revisions to current regulations in an effort to streamline WRC 2 Pro and WRC 2. This is part of FIA rally director Yves Matton’s masterplan to make the sport’s various levels more digestible.
The WRC’S second tier will be split into WRC 2 and WRC 3 next season following criticism of this year’s formula which has been complicated and difficult to follow.
WRC 2 will be for manufacturer-entered teams and Fia-sanctioned independent squads. The manufacturers must register with the FIA for their name to appear in the title, Skoda Motorsport being the obvious one. An accepted independent team would be Petter Solberg’s own outfit, which did not qualify as a manufacturer because Volkswagen has always stated its Polo GTI R5 is a customer project and it will not register or enter officially.
Only those independent teams demonstrating both the financial wherewithal and commitment to what will be an eight-round calendar next season will be accepted. In WRC 2, crews will tackle seven of eight European rounds and one of two (or possibly two of two for teams based outside of Europe) longhaul rounds.
Those two longhaul rallies will be assigned by the FIA, making the series more relevant as the crews compete against each other – rather than avoiding each other in the pursuit of points.
There will be three titles up for grabs in next year’s WRC 2: drivers’, co-drivers’ and teams’.
WRC 3 will be a direct replacement for the current WRC 2, with just a drivers’ title available to genuine private competitors.
The FIA’S communication stated: “These developments are designed to simplify the structure in accordance with the FIA Rally Pyramid, to encourage professional teams to enter and to provide a clear path for semi-professional and amateur competitors.”
The WRC 2 and WRC 3 changes will be implemented for next season with the hope they will evolve into the structure below as early as the year after.
Matton told MN: “The changes we made to WRC 2 for this year, they are just the start of the process – we have a long evolution to refine this and make it better.”