WRC set for 2017 tech revolution
WRC Commission president Carlos Barbosa says the FIA is determined to reinvigorate the sport's spectacle with the next generation of World Rally Cars.
New technical regulations will arrive in the world championship in 2017, but Barbosa is adamant those rules will be written and communicated before the end of this year. And he wants variety back in the service park.
"If you paint all of the [current World Rally] cars white," said Barbosa, "right now it's not possible to recognise which is which. We need to change that and we need to bring the spectacle back to our sport and make the cars more attractive."
AUTOSPORT sources have suggested there will be significant change in 2017 both in the size of cars - potentially moving from the current segment-B cars up to segment-D - and in the engine power, with the rules centred on controlling fuel flow to allow manufacturers to, within reason, run whatever engine they prefer.
"We are at the beginning of the discussions for the 2017 car," said Barbosa. "This is the principle [fuel-flow regulation] but out of this principle, things can still change.
"We have had the meeting with the [FIA] technical working group and the manufacturers, and now it must go to the Commission.
"I will be in Geneva soon to discuss this document with Jarmo [Mahonen, FIA rally director], Michele [Mouton, FIA WRC manager] and Jean [Todt FIA president] and then we will say: 'This is OK, that is not OK, change this or change that.'
"We cannot take this meeting as the final meeting, but I think we are going in a very good way.
"We must change many things to make the WRC in the top events in the world: the WRC must be bigger."
Barbosa confirmed 2017 regulations would be prepared and most likely revealed at the December meeting of the World Motor Sport Council.
"I am sure we will have these regulations by the end of the season," he said.
"This was the promise we gave to the manufacturers and everything will be completely done and completely correct before the end of the year."
Originally on Autosport.com
Bron: racer.com
en 't is al zo kort.
