FIA Proposes Regulation Change to Differentiate Rally1 and Rally2 in WRC 2027

The FIA is proposing a change to turbo restrictor regulations to ensure that new World Rally Championship Rally1 cars maintain a small power advantage over Rally2 cars next season. Next year, technical regulations will undergo a major shift, bringing all-new WRC27 cars and Rally2 cars featuring an FIA update kit priced at 7,500 euros together under a single new Rally1 umbrella.

Toyota, tuner operation Project Rally One, and RMC Motorsport will compete with WRC27 cars next year, while M-Sport has confirmed it will run a Rally2 Kit car. Meanwhile, Hyundai, Lancia, and Skoda have yet to confirm their 2027 plans, though all three possess eligible Rally2 cars. Although built under two separate technical regulations, WRC27 and Rally2 kit cars are expected to yield similar performance, with Rally2 kit cars weighing 10 kilograms less than the new WRC2027 vehicles.

Unmodified Rally2 cars without the FIA update kit will still be permitted to race in a separate Rally2/WRC2 class. However, concerns arose that the close performance levels might allow Rally2 cars to regularly defeat top-class vehicles. To address this, FIA technical director Xavier Mestelan Pinon confirmed at a media roundtable attended by Autosport that a regulation change has been tabled to differentiate the classes.

Under the proposed rules, WRC27 and Rally2 Kit cars will be permitted to run a 33mm turbo restrictor, compared to a 32mm restrictor for Rally2 cars without the update kit. This adjustment is expected to result in a difference of up to 15 horsepower, with standard Rally2 cars outputting 290 horsepower. The proposed regulation change will be tabled for a vote at the FIA World Motor Sport Council meeting on 15 October.