The FIA World Motor Sport Council recently had its second meeting of 2024. Chaired by President Mohammed Ben Sulayem, the meeting included FIA Deputy President for Sport Robert Reid and WMSC members, both in person at the 2024 FIA Conference in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, and via video conference.
Financial Success
President Ben Sulayem shared some great news about the FIA’s financial health:
“I am pleased to share that the report was concluded by April for only the second time in our history. Through the implementation of a strong commercial strategy and a streamlined accounting process, we continue to see a reduction in our deficit.”
Technical Stability
A major highlight of the meeting was the agreement to keep the WRC Technical Regulations for Rally1/2 cars unchanged for the 2025 and 2026 seasons. This decision aims to provide consistency and allow manufacturers ample time to adapt.
Future Regulations
Looking ahead, there’s positive progress on the regulations for 2027 and beyond. Everyone, including the World Council members and manufacturers, agrees on key goals to increase participation at the top level. The expectation is that current manufacturers will commit to the sport’s long-term future well in advance. These future regulations will be up for approval in December, giving manufacturers more than two years to prepare.
Investment in Promotion
The WRC Promoter is also investing significantly, focusing on managing the sporting regulations through the new WRC Sporting Working Group. This group will work on increasing media opportunities and reducing costs for competitors. The final versions of these Sporting Regulations will be proposed in October.
Industry Leaders’ Support
Key industry leaders expressed their support:
- Jari-Matti Latvala, Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team Principal: “We have a very solid commitment to the World Rally Championship, and we are really supportive of a continued collaborative approach to ensure the strongest competition for all of us.”
- Cyril Abiteboul, Hyundai Motorsport President and Team Principal: “We have worked very closely with the FIA over the past months. Stability in the technical regulations for 2025 and 2026 is right, and the governance improvements will help us achieve both short-term and long-term goals.”
- Malcolm Wilson, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team: “This is a positive step for us. With good proposals on promotion, marketing, and event operations, and consistent technical regulations, we can achieve our ambitious targets for the WRC.”
Looking Ahead
With these strong foundations, the next event to watch is the WRC ORLEN 80th Rally Poland from June 27th to 30th. Everyone is excited to see how the season unfolds with these new regulations and commitments. Stay tuned for more thrilling updates from the world of rallying!
Rally Fanatics 
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