The FIA has revealed particulars of a brand new constructor that’s creating a automobile to compete below the World Rally Championship’s new technical laws in 2027.
Based by skilled motorsport engineer Lionel Hansen, former FIA rally director and Citroen WRC boss Yves Matton and Prospeed, Challenge Rally One represents the primary venture to be formally led by a tuner below the WRC’s new technical framework. The venture will design, construct and homologate a WRC27-specification automobile for the beginning of the championship’s subsequent regulatory cycle.
Up till this level, Toyota was solely different producer identified to be producing a WRC2027-spec automobile constructed below the WRC’s new technical laws. The FIA’s technical director and security officer Xavier Mestelan Pinon revealed in July that at the very least two tuners have been working intently with the FIA on tasks for 2027.
The brand new technical laws, which is able to span a 10-year interval, are designed to be extra inexpensive and versatile in a bid to draw new producers and groups to the collection. Vehicles might be constructed to a €345,000 value cap, ship roughly 300 horsepower, comprise an area body chassis and utilise some Rally2 componentry.
Challenge Rally One is the brainchild of Matton and Hansen, with the pair having lately mixed to develop the homologated Porsche 992 Rally GT automobile that made its aggressive debut this yr.
Vital progress throughout the venture has already been made. The chassis design and construct have been accomplished, with prototype meeting now underway. As soon as finalised, the automobile will start a complete improvement marketing campaign, together with greater than 6,000 km of gravel and asphalt testing forward of its homologation, with the primary shakedown scheduled for spring of 2026.
WRC Rally One
The automobile will in fact be topic to FIA homologation earlier than it could compete with 10 vehicles required to be produced inside 24 months of the homologation date. The model should commit two vehicles to at the very least 50% of the WRC calendar in its first season.
“The entry of Challenge Rally One to the FIA World Rally Championship is a vastly vital second for us. To be the primary to current a brand new automobile for the WRC’s subsequent period is one thing we’re extraordinarily happy with,” stated Hansen.
“The introduction of the WRC27 laws gave us the chance to take the step into the championship. The brand new technical framework creates the proper surroundings for unbiased tasks like ours, permitting us to develop a automobile from the bottom up and compete towards producers on the highest stage.
“The progress we now have already made offers us actual confidence within the course we’re taking. With the chassis full and the prototype now in meeting, we’re in a robust place as we put together for the primary shakedown this spring and proceed improvement in direction of the automobile’s debut.”
FIA technical director, Xavier Mestelan Pinon added: “The entry of Challenge Rally One to the FIA World Rally Championship is a transparent indication that this imaginative and prescient is taking form. By opening homologation to tuners and introducing a cheap long-term technical framework for the class, we now have created an surroundings the place tuners can enter the WRC on equal phrases with producers.
“Challenge Rally One illustrates precisely what this imaginative and prescient was designed to attain, and it confirms that the brand new period of the FIA World Rally Championship is already starting to ship the expansion and variety the game wants.”
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