WRC Promoter has collated a raft of concepts during the last three months to enhance the championship, having confronted criticism from drivers involved by the WRC’s attraction and perceived lack of path.
Following comments made by Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville to Autosport at Rally Portugal, the WRC Promoter invited drivers to a gathering to share their concepts to assist enhance the class’s attraction in June.
Petter Solberg, vice-president of the FIA drivers’ fee and 2003 world rally champion, has additionally assisted in collating concepts.
As previously revealed by Autosport, a number of concepts are understood to be into consideration at a gathering on 22 September.
WRC Promoter has beforehand said that modifications to Sunday’s format are on the high of its listing. Condensing occasions, a potential restructuring of the factors system, extra distant providers and a transfer away from a central service park are additionally being mentioned.
Adjustments are set to be carried out in 2024 with a extra important raft of tweaks earmarked from 2025, topic to ratification by the FIA. The subsequent assembly of the FIA’s World Motor Sport Council the place modifications would wish to safe approval, if proposed, is about to be held on 19 October.
Other than this assembly, WRC Promoter has additionally provided WRC drivers to appoint a spokesperson to be added to the WRC Fee to be concerned in future discussions.
“I believe we are going to begin [to make changes] in 2024 however we’ve got to be respectful of occasions which work on a 12-month foundation,” WRC occasion director Simon Larkin informed media, together with Autosport on the Acropolis Rally.
Sébastien Ogier, Vincent Landais, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1
Photograph by: McKlein / Motorsport Images
“The concepts that we’re more likely to current have had an excellent reception from a lot of occasions and we predict they’ll make the extra dynamic and real-world acceptable working hours to marshals and volunteers time.
“Ought to we be doing a stage at 7.08am within the morning and ending the day with a stage at 6.08pm within the night?
“I believe there are just a few occasions within the yr we are able to try this [but] ought to that be the norm, significantly in Europe? I do not assume that is a practical proposition to proceed.
“We [WRC Promoter] are a German firm, we’re certain by German regulation – so is Hyundai and Finland [Toyota] is similar with fairly strict employment regulation relating to working hours.
“We have to preserve a powerful base in Europe and perhaps on some occasions outdoors Europe, we are able to push the boundaries a bit.
“I believe Monte Carlo is a kind of occasions that we might at all times wish to push the boundary – it is a key a part of the picture of that occasion [to have long days]. Is Croatia a kind of? Possibly not.
“Is Latvia, the place we’re going subsequent yr? Possibly not – it does not have that iconic model picture I believe Monte Carlo has or Safari does.
“I believe we are able to create a distinct flavour of occasions to swimsuit the market and the kind of story we’re making an attempt to inform. If we consider each season being a e book, we would like these 14 chapters to be exceptionally totally different.”
When requested about the potential of shifting away from a central service park mannequin, Larkin defined: “We completely are [open to changing the single service-park concept].
Hyundai Motorsport service space
Photograph by: Fabien Dufour / Hyundai Motorsport
“We already do a whole lot of tyre becoming zones typically on a Friday to maximise the quantity of kilometres we are able to do, and typically we do that on the Saturday. That already means two mechanics go to every tyre becoming zone.
“Possibly we have to have a mannequin the place a sure variety of components and instruments might be carried in a sure method or within the automotive.
“If two mechanics are already there for a 15-minute tyre becoming zone… how lengthy does it take to suit the tyres, 4 or 5 minutes? They’ll do extra in that point and this will help maintain vehicles within the occasion.
“Possibly there’s an opportunity to maintain vehicles working and add to the story. The opposite factor about distant service is that we imagine the game is just too targeted on the staff being the driving force and the co-driver, and there is not the popularity of the mechanics and the engineers working to maintain the vehicles within the occasion.
“They [the mechanics] have a whole lot of satisfaction to maintain their vehicles working and if there’s a tyre becoming zone I can not think about the frustration of getting a automotive retire realizing the gear or half you may put in a field might assist that automotive maintain going.
“I believe this can be a important half and it will make extra heroes than simply the drivers and co-drivers.”