The world motorsport governing body revealed its proposed roadmap for the future of rallying last week, which included changes to technical and sporting regulations alongside a plan to improve the championship's promotion.
The vision includes changes that will be implemented from next year, chief among them the removal of hybrid power from Rally1 cars. The cars, introduced in 2022, will also undergo a reduction in both aerodynamics and the vehicle's air restrictor.
These cars will remain eligible to compete until the end of 2026 and will coincide with an overlapping introduction of new regulations that will form the basis of the Rally1 class from 2027.
The 2026 cars will be based on the Rally1 car concept, producing around 330 horsepower and capped at €400,000.
Reflecting on the FIA's vision, Latvala admitted the announcement contained "some quite big surprises" but in general the Toyota boss is glad to have a future direction and approves of plans for more variety in WRC event formats.
However, the Finn believes areas of the FIA's vision, including the changes proposed for 2025, have gone too far. The Finn has confirmed that teams are in communication with the FIA to find a workable solution for next year.
Source: Autosport