Rally New Zealand has become the latest WRC round to get the axe as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, bringing the number of cancelled 2020 rallies up to five.

It was widely expected the Auckland-based event, scheduled for September 3-6, would prove impossible with the New Zealand government having closed the country's borders to shield itself from the worst of the coronavirus crisis.

It also comes just a day after August's Rally Finland was called off, with the two rounds joining Chile, Portugal and Kenya on the list of cancelled 2020 events.

Rally New Zealand CEO Michael Goldstein said: “It became clear that with our borders closed to international travel and the logistics required to host thousands of international visitors as part of the World Rally Championship, that the September 2020 date was not practical.

“Over the last 12 months our team have done a huge amount of work to be ready to host a WRC event. We are disappointed to not host the World Rally Championship in 2020 but at the same time the issues around the world put this into context.”

New Zealand was set to hold its first WRC round since 2012 (pictured top), and will now work on being ready to take up its place on the 2021 schedule.

“We were all excited to see New Zealand reclaim its place in the FIA World Rally Championship in 2020 after a seven year absence and we are naturally sad that we will not be able to go there this year," said FIA rally director Yves Matton.

“The event has a strong WRC heritage and I’m sure the drivers would have loved to be back on its iconic stages or discover them for the first time.

"Motorsport New Zealand and the organising team have done a fantastic work so far and we are already looking ahead to the rally taking place in the near future.”

The cancellation of Rally New Zealand leaves only six rallies left on the 2020 schedule, excluding the three - Monte Carlo, Sweden and Mexico - that took place before the COVID-19 pandemic put the season on hold.

WRC Promoter boss Oliver Ciesla recently suggested to Motorsport.com that he was confident of at least four more events taking place this year.

Rally Turkey is now the next event on the calendar on September 24-27, although Rally Argentina and Rally Italy, which were previously postponed, have not been given new dates yet.

Valtteri Bottas is understood to be lining up a Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC for next month’s Arctic Rally.The Mercedes Formula 1 driver confirmed he will tackle the Rovaniemi-based event to local media and DirtFish sources have indicated 2C Competition is likely to supply one, making it a third different car for Bottas’ third attempt at the rally.

“If it happens, I will be on the start line,” Bottas told Finnish newspaper Ilta Sanomat.

First time out on the Arctic Rally, Bottas placed a Ford Fiesta WRC fifth, having won one of last year’s event’s 10 stages.

Earlier this season he ran in a similar position driving a Citroën DS3 WRC before crashing on the final day one stage. He returned on day two, but struggled in heavy snow.

Talking about his run on this year’s event, Bottas said: “It was more difficult this year. On day one there were many mistakes and minutes lost, but [the second day] was better.

“Towards the end of the day, there was more snow falling and I was struggling in the poor visibility compared to the more experienced guys.

“The more loose snow there was, the slower I was, but in any case, it was still good fun.”

Bottas’ third appearance on the Arctic Rally is unlikely to mark his World Rally Championship debut despite it being in line for a late call-up to the WRC calendar.

Rally Sweden’s earlier cancellation, which currently leaves the 2021 calendar without a pure snow rally, has led WRC Promoter to consider adding the rally to its 2021 schedule.

However, such an arrangement is expected to involve the running of a second, separate rally in February, while Bottas will compete in the Finnish championship event on January 15-16.

Prior to his Arctic Rally return, Bottas had taken a maiden rally win at last year’s Rallycircuit Côte d’Azur, driving a PH Sport-run DS3 WRC.

In line with the introduction of the new generation of power units, which integrate the hybrid technology in Rally1 class vehicles, the FIA will introduce a 100% sustainable fuel in the FIA World Rally Championship from next season.The World Motor Sport Council has approved P1 Racing Fuels as the exclusive provider for the series under a three-year agreement commencing in 2022 by an e-vote on April 19, 2021.

P1's industry partners and in-house experts have worked to produce a fossil-free hydrocarbon-based fuel, with a blend of synthetic and bio-fuel components. It will be the first of its kind to be used in a FIA World Championship series, powering the high-performance engines.

The P1 Fuels team brings together in depth technical knowledge, a commitment to R&D, and a combined three decades of experience in racing to deliver cutting edge performance fuels for multiple motor sport series.

The aim of selecting a sustainable fuel provider is to enable the FIA and the WRC Promoter to supplement the introduction of hybrid technology for Rally1 with a fuel that uses sustainable source materials to ensure a marked reduction in net CO2 emissions, but has the same performance characteristics and the closest possible price point to the current fuel.

Following an extensive analysis of the respondents by the WRC Commission and the FIA Sporting Department, P1 Racing Fuels was designated as offering the best overall offer across key factors:

• Percentage of sustainable elements compliant with FIA standards in the proposed fuel
• ‘Drop-in’ compatibility of the fuel with existing WRC technical specifications
• Cost per litre for the competitors
• Technical competence

The decision is the first element to be confirmed of a sustainable energy tender process that started in November 2020, which covers sustainable fuel, branding of plug-in hybrid charging systems and sustainable energy generation and supply.

Jean Todt, FIA President said: “The FIA is strongly committed to leading motor sport and mobility into a low carbon future. By introducing sustainable fuel along with the hybrid technology for Rally1, we are taking a significant step towards the new era of the FIA World Rally Championship in 2022. Environment is a key pillar of the FIA Purpose Driven movement. Together with our energy partners, we will continue combining the best technological and environmental performance.”

Martin Popilka, CEO at P1 Racing Fuels, said: “Motor sport has long been an arena where innovations that shape the future of mobility are born. This is why P1 Fuels is especially proud to bring the first fully renewable fuel to the stages of the WRC. Our proprietary formulation is the product of four years of research and innovation, representing a first in the world of racing technology, but also, an important step towards carbon neutral engines as part of the future of sustainable mobility.

Providing an innovative, sustainable and cost-efficient fuel available at scale is not only exciting for the world of motor sport, but the world of motoring, a promising sign that the future of carbon-neutral production automobiles is now a step closer to reality.”

Jona Siebel, WRC Promoter CEO, said: “The technology behind sustainable fuels is changing rapidly. Therefore, a lot of effort was invested to find the best available solution – and we can be proud of the outcome. The chosen blend of advanced biofuel and innovative e-fuel components makes WRC a real leader in sustainable motor sports with everyday cars. The WRC is a tremendous platform to develop and validate this innovative fuel in mass-produced vehicles, on real roads and under all circumstances. What we will learn by using this fuel on the WRC stages can ultimately benefit road users all over the world.”

Next year sees the WRC enter a new hybrid era following the formation of new Rally1 regulations which Toyota, Hyundai and M-Sport Ford have committed to for at least three years.

The championship’s new ruleset will feature cars fitted with a Compact Dynamics-designed 100kW plug in hybrid units, producing 514 horsepower when combined with its 1.6 litre internal combustion engine. WRC chassis have also been re-designed to be stronger and safer to protect crews from impacts.

As previously reported, hybrid systems are expected to be used in every stage, with crews set to use full electric mode, which has a 20km range, during road sections between stages and when navigating through the service park.

Teams will also utilise special engine software programs that will be pre-programmed into the car’s ECU before a stage to allow hybrid use in certain sections of stages.

However, further details were revealed during a WRC 2022 presentation at the IAA Mobility event in Munich this week.

These maps will be based on driver input only (throttle pedal and brake). They will allow the release of energy in a way that is tailored to the driver’s style and the road conditions.

The amount of power released with each press of the throttle will be decided by the length of the stage and the state of charge (SOC) of the battery. For example, a short stage and a full battery means the electric power can be delivered longer with each throttle application. A long stage means there is less energy available at each throttle application.

Electrical power can be recovered when the throttle is released and through regeneration from braking. The power can only be reused if drivers accumulate enough energy to reach a ‘valid green’ period, and after that hybrid power will return, and can be deployed depending on the ECU programmes and maps agreed.

Speaking at the Munich event, the FIA’s technical director Xavier Mestelan Pinon confirmed drivers will be able to activate the hybrid power at the start of each stage for a 10 second period.

“It will not be a push to pass system,” said Pinon.

“From the start of each stage you will be able to activate it for 10 seconds so you will have maximum power, but after that to have more power the driver will need to regenerate enough power on the way.”

Pinon also revealed that should the hybrid system, which can withstand a 70G impact, fail a safe mode will engage, but crews will have limited power thereafter. It was also revealed that the charging of batteries to full power will take approximately 30 minutes.

M-Sport team boss Malcolm Wilson says the hybrid technology is providing plenty of challenges to the teams and that smart drivers will benefit from clever management of the extra power next year.

“There has been a great deal of effort, thought and design and engineering that goes into doing all of that and doing all of the programming,” said Wilson.

“There is certainly a lot more to it then probably what we all envisage. The drivers that are clever and smart are the ones that are going to be at the forefront I believe.”

In addition to the sport’s move to hybrid power, the WRC will become the second FIA series to use 100% sustainable fuel next season, provided by P1 Racing Fuels, after WTCR adopted it for the 2021 season.

This is all part of the championship’s 360-degree sustainability programme that also has plans to ensure the entire service park will be powered by sustainable energy next year.

“For sure this hybrid and sustainable fuels is only two major steps on the 360 degree programme on sustainability in the WRC,” said FIA rally director Yves Matton.

“I strongly believe the next step will be in the service park and to be able to power the service park with renewable energy, and this will be next year, and [we will] charge the Rally1 cars with this energy."

The WRC will embrace hybrid technology for the first time this season as part of new sweeping Rally1 regulations set to make their debut at the Monte Carlo Rally later this month.

The introduction of hybrid power will present drivers with extra power boosts to be used on each stage, resulting in all-new cars being capable of producing 500 horsepower in short bursts.

The addition of a mandatory Compact Dynamics 100kW hybrid unit to each car has made the machines heavier than their predecessors, while the new Rally1 rules include a tougher safety cell, reduction in aero and suspension travel and the removal of the centre differential. A sequential gearshift has been introduced to replace paddle shift.

However, the extra 130bhp hybrid power is the biggest of the changes, requiring drivers to regenerate power through the stages under braking to receive power boosts that are initiated by using the throttle, and end once the foot comes off the pedal.

Drivers will only receive boosts during the stages if they can regenerate 30 kilojoules of energy under braking to create what is known as a "valid regen", while the amount of extra power available is determined by the FIA, the nature of the stage and its length.

Capped by the FIA, each driver will start every stage with the battery at 80% with the aim of ending the stage with a state of charge of 30%. The battery will return to around 80% through regeneration on the road section before the next stage.

Heading into Monte Carlo drivers and teams are still understanding the full potential of the system, but Toyota's Evans believes managing the hybrid system correctly could prove crucial for stage times at points during the season.

"I think hybrid is something very new that we are all still finding out about," Evans, the WRC runner-up for the last two seasons, told Motorsport.com.

"What we do know is the amount of deployment we have is controlled by the FIA, and of course if the deployment is at a high level, then that has quite an effect on the acceleration of the car.

"If you generate far less of those accelerations, then your stage time is massively hurt by that.

"The battery at its most powerful is worth over 100 horsepower. You only need a few of those accelerations from slow junctions where you don't have it, for it to have a massive effect.

"Of course it is critical element of driving, I think it is going to be probably more critical in some event than others.

"If you are racing in a slippery event then it is less crucial, but if you are on dry tarmac you can make full use of that power."

While testing has increased in recent months, Evans says he is still not where "he wants to be" in terms of being comfortable in the new GR Yaris that is significantly different to last year.

"Everything feels very very new and very very different to before. Okay it is still a four wheel drive rally car, but there is still a lot things that are new," he added.

"The whole way the car is working is completely different, and that is even before you consider the hybrid, to be honest. There is a lot of new things and a lot of new sensations let's say on the car and that is something you have to get used to.

"I would say [testing has been] okay. Like always with new cars it is never completely straight forward.

"You never seem to have quite enough time to get through what you need to get through. It is really hard to judge because you have no gauge of where you are.

"Personally I still feel I'm not where I want to be yet, but I'm sure there will be many others in the same position.

"I would consider myself a fussy driver in terms of set up and when things are so new. I appreciate it is going to take some time. I still feel there is some work to do to reach the maximum levels of confidence."

All teams will conduct a pre-event test in France next week ahead of the Monte Carlo Rally from 20-23 January.

The World Rally Championship is evaluating a number of locations for its first U.S. rally in more than three decades, including Washington State, the Great Smokies section of the Appalachian range, New England and the stretch of the Rocky Mountains between Utah and Colorado, the sport’s director of business development Marc de Jong told Jalopnik in an interview.

Last summer FIA Rally Director Yves Matton confirmed that the WRC was “working quite hard” on returning to the U.S. for the first time in 35 years. Matton said that at the time that the goal was for a candidate rally — a test session to evaluate the feasibility of a new round — to be conducted sometime in 2022.

De Jong, who is leading the project to bring the WRC back to American soil, said that the sport is still focused on running such a trial before the end of this year, with an eye toward a 2023 debut of an official U.S. rally on the calendar. “It may be a little optimistic,” de Jong said, “but we are giving this our best shot.”

De Jong said that his team has researched “some 17 locations” across the country since March 2020 in search of the best home for a rally. Out of that group, four have received “extra effort” and appear to be leading at the moment.

One of the obvious choices — especially as it served as the setting for the last U.S. WRC contest — is Washington State “from ocean shore to mountain top,” de Jong said. The proximity to a major city in Seattle and the infrastructure that affords, in tandem with roads ideal for rallying, make it a standout venue. After all, the Olympus Rally has continued for the last three decades under the SCCA and ARA at varying times, long since the WRC ended its involvement with the event in 1988.

“In general terms, what is on our wishlist is a place that is, you know close enough to challenging roads, a city with some international renown and a place which is relatively easy to access with international travel,” de Jong said. “And you end up being somewhat restricted with your opportunities on that one. But you wouldn’t be surprised if I said things like the Pacific Coast around Seattle is probably a good location to look at.”

The WRC has also identified the southern Appalachians — “think Tail of the Dragon but on gravel,” de Jong said — as a potential candidate. “I like the idea that the original moonshiners used that road and that kind of driving to outrun the law,” he added.

Depending on where the U.S. round falls on the calendar, de Jong told us that New England presents opportunity for a winter rally — though settling on a region that can guarantee precipitation might be tricky. The Rocky Mountains between Utah and Colorado have received attention as well, however de Jong expressed concern that many paths there, particularly around Pikes Peak, are dead ends. “Finding roads through the Rockies that are both challenging and connect into multiple stages... that’s a challenge,” he added.

Those were just the four spots that de Jong was able to highlight. “It’s by no means the final short list,” he told us. And while the U.S. — not to mention the various municipalities the WRC may have to work with — presents its own share of legal and safety quirks, de Jong seemed fully confident that the sport’s efforts wouldn’t be stymied by red tape.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to go around the world for the last 20 years from WRC event to WRC event,” de Jong said. “I’ve come across quite a few different approaches to road closure agreements and things like that and there’s nothing I’ve come across that’s surprised me.

“What I do know is that you have to be extremely thorough,” he added. “Because you’ll get asked the questions, and they expect you to know the answers. So as long as we do our homework, I don’t think there’s anything that’s going to surprise us.”

The WRC’s three automaker partners — Ford, Hyundai and Toyota — have emboldened the project. Unsurprisingly, de Jong said Ford has been especially keen. While the manufacturer’s rally program is still spearheaded by M-Sport in the United Kingdom, in recent years it’s fallen under the purview of Ford Performance in Michigan, rather than the European arm of the company.
Couple corporate interest with an untapped fanbase on our shores — de Jong told me 20 percent of the sport’s social media audience is based in the U.S. — and the stars are aligning for a comeback. If all goes according to plan, the WRC could announce a final location as soon as the spring.

Establishing a return to the USA for the first time since 1988 has been a long-term ambition for the WRC, which is looking likely to come to fruition in the future through the Rally USA project, based out of Chattanooga, Tennessee.

However, a move into China is also high on the WRC's wish list once it achieves its return to the USA.

China has previously hosted a WRC round in 1999, won by then Toyota driver Didier Auriol, and was set to host a round in 2016 before storms forced organisers to cancel the event.

WRC representatives are hoping to travel to China later this year to talk with several interested cities keen on hosting the championship in the future.

"There is huge demand for new events to join or other events to rejoin the world championship," WRC event director Simon Larkin told select media including Autosport/Motorsport.com.

"I don't mind admitting that the US is a strategic target of ours. Peter [Thul, WRC senior sporting director] and I have clear direction from our board and shareholders about China.

"They remain our two strategic key targets. The US is the most likely to come in 2025 and then China as quickly as we can.

"We are trying to find time on our schedule to go to China to do a road trip this year of a number of interested cities that we are already in discussion with."

Work to bring the USA back to the WRC is continuing although the championship has previously stated it would only include the nation back on the calendar once it can be assured the event will be a success.

The FIA attended a demonstration event held by Rally USA organisers in April which received positive feedback. The next hurdles to overcome for the event surround an alignment between ASNs and securing the necessary insurance requirements.

"There is a process and an alignment with the ASN that has to be done and it takes some time, especially in the US, and this is something we have asked the FIA president to support us on this., said Thul. "He has promised us to do it properly."

Larkin added: "Any world championship it doesn't matter whether it is Formula 1 or us, an ASN is an essential part of that as it is an FIA world championship.

"The US, in terms of having rallying at a high level, it is a big step for example to where they are with the ARA (American Rallying Association]. It is a well-run championship but it is regional rallying at most.

"From that to a WRC event in complexity and insurance, the US is an incredibly complicated market for insurance. We all know that the inherent risk of rallying is high and we have to be conscious of that.

"There is no point in us having a contract with a city, the tourism body and the government and then finding it very difficult to reach the level of insurance required.

"It is a key step and if we find out it is going to cost X, it is a critical part of our business model before we go down and spend too much time and money without understanding what the cost of it.

"For all events, motorsport insurance is becoming far more expensive and complex. There are a little number of brokers."

The WRC's eventual aim is to form a calendar that includes a round in the USA and at least one in South America, with Argentina expected to represent the former by 2025 at the latest.

The world motorsport governing body has shared its key objectives for the future of the WRC which was presented at today’s World Motor Sport Council.

These objectives have been put together following an extensive analysis of the WRC current form carried out by the FIA’s working group that was created in December last year to “evaluate and recommend the future direction of rallying” triggered by a decrease in top level entries.

A recently-launched FIA fan survey, which received more than 11,000 responses, also contributed data to assist in the decision making process.

The FIA has confirmed a number of proposals for the future of the WRC, including a move to abandon hybrid power and the introduction of new set of Rally1 regulations from 2026.

The future of the Rally1 hybrid class was at the centre of the debate, with suggestions the championship could abandon Rally1 and move to Rally2 or a new 'Rally2 Plus'.

The FIA has announced that the Rally1 car will continue to form the base of the top tier but will run without a control hybrid unit and a reduction in aerodynamic and turbo restrictor to reduce costs.

Cost has been a critical element of the current Rally1 hybrid cars that were introduced in 2022, with the FIA, teams and competitors stating the near one million euro price tag as too expensive.

Regulations passed for this year have allowed Rally1 cars to run without with hybrid if ballast is put in its place, however entries are ineligible to score championship points.

The new sporting and technical regulations form 2025 onwards will be published in June this year.

“The current Rally1 car will continue as the WRC’s flagship vehicle in both 2025 and 2026 but with modifications to reduce cost and performance,” read the statement from the FIA.

“These include the removal of the plug-in hybrid unit, with the performance compensated by a reduction in overall weight, and a reduction in the air restrictor and aerodynamics.

Rally2 cars will continue in their current form for the duration of their homologation as the basis for national and international series.

However, Rally2 cars competing on WRC events from 2025 and beyond will have an option to run with a WRC kit consisting of a larger restrictor, a larger exhaust, an optional paddle shift gearbox and a rear wing with the objective of reducing the performance gap between Rally1 and Rally2 cars.

From 2026, revised Rally1 technical regulations for the WRC’s top-level category will be introduced based on the current Rally1 concept. These regulations will run alongside the current Rally1 regulations for the 2026 season.

These new rules will use a common safety cell to reduce costs and complexity, and allow manufacturers and tuners to develop cars with their own bodywork based on production models including B-class, C-Class, compact SUV or a Concept Car designed to tight technical criteria such as centre of gravity and aerodynamics in order to equalise performance.

The power output will be targeted at 330hp, with the engine performance controlled by a reference torque curve for all cars. Engine and transmission will be cost-capped and technology limited to Rally2 equivalence. Aerodynamic efficiency will be limited along with a top speed restriction to reduce development and cost.

The cost per car will be capped at €400,000 and WRC manufacturers will be required to make their cars available for sale directly from the finish parc fermé of a WRC event.

At the earliest opportunity, an electric category will be introduced into the WRC, with the FIA technical department charged with establishing suitable technical regulations that could utilise the new Rally1 safety cell and achieve parity of performance with Rally1 cars running on sustainable fuel.

“The WMSC members carefully considered the recommendations of the WRC Working Group and were united in their support of the series of objectives that have been established,” said FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem.

“To be at the point where the WRC Commission can now work on finalising proposals that will go a long way towards cementing the WRC’s future course, once approved by the WMSC, is a significant moment for the championship, its stakeholders and the rallying community in general.

“It’s also important to note that the results of the WRC Fan Engagement Survey will be carefully considered by the WRC Commission during the process of drafting the final proposals.

“I thank all those who took part as we continue the process of delivering a WRC that’s relevant for the present and fit for the future.”

The FIA has also announced it will form a WRC Promotion Team within the FIA in close collaboration with stakeholders from the WRC Promoter, event organisers and manufacturer teams "to leverage promotional opportunities around each event and maximise the WRC’s full potential."

Event organisers will be given more freedom when developing the route of their rally. However, while the starting day of an event and the number of stage kilometres can vary, all rallies should finish on a Sunday with the Power Stage.

The global calendar may include a small number of shorter sprint-style and longer endurance events in addition to the rallies that follow the existing format. Nevertheless, the overall timed kilometres covered during a season will remain largely unchanged with events still organised on a mix of asphalt, gravel and snow.

As part of cost-cutting measures, the target number of personnel of a three-car team will be capped in the future.

The service park set-up will follow a new model with manufacturers allocated locally sourced structures as a working space. As well as saving costs and reducing the amount of transportation required, the move provides more flexibility, should the service park location change during an event. It also reduces the total area required for the service park by event organisers.

To allow organisers to adopt less rigid formats, reduce liaison section distances and spread the reach of events, remote service opportunities will be encouraged with teams permitted to carry limited parts in a small support vehicle.