It is widely anticipated that an evolution of the Rally1 hybrid regulations, featuring minor changes from those introduced last year, will form the rules for 2025 and 2026, which the FIA has been working towards for several months.
As previously reported, the formalisation of the regulations hinges on reaching a deal with a hybrid unit supplier. Compact Dynamics, which designed and supplies WRC teams with hybrid units, initially signed a contract until the end of 2024.
The FIA’s preferred option is to secure an extension of the agreement with Compact Dynamics, although it hasn’t ruled out finding a new hybrid supplier should the FIA and WRC stakeholders and Compact Dynamics fail to agree terms.
Last weekend the FIA met with team principals from Toyota, Hyundai and M-Sport Ford to discuss future regulations in Estonia. FIA road sport director Andrew Wheatley confirmed the meeting was positive and a proposal from Compact Dynamics for the future is being discussed.
“We are close, definitely,” Wheatley told Autosport when asked if a deal had been completed with Compact Dynamics.
“We had a very good meeting with the teams. We are all now pretty much on the same page which is good. We are not able to announce anything but certainly, I came away from Estonia a lot calmer than when I arrived.
“We have a got a bit of work to do but I think everyone is starting to see the vision of the future in a much more coherent way.
Source: Autosport