Full electric, hybrid and internal combustion engine powertrains remain as options for the World Rally Championship’s 2027 regulations, according to FIA technical director Xavier Mestelan Pinon.
The FIA has been working for more than 18 months to devise the future direction of the Rally1 and Rally2 WRC classes and is expected top present its 2027 regulations at the World Motor Sport Council in December.
The world motorsport governing body is hoping to create a rule set that will safeguard the involvement of current marques and attract new brands to the discipline.
While firm decisions on the 2027 regulations are yet to be made, it appears the proposal the FIA’s taskforce published in February offers a relatively accurate framework for what could be the future of Rally1 and Rally2 classes.
Internal combustion engines, hybrid and EV powertrains remain on the table for discussion alongside the possibility of some form of equivalence of technology should the rules develop to be open to various technologies.
Hybrid could yet be dropped from 2025 Rally1 cars with a vote among World Rally Championship stakeholders expected to take place at the end of the week.
DirtFish understands the hybrid issue stems from changes made to the way the units are repaired. Following discussions in the summer, the teams were told ‘resetting’ the Compact Dynamics hardware was no longer acceptable. Instead, the units would have to be repaired. It is, reportedly, the potential cost of those repairs which is causing concern.
