Subscribe

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Autosport Plus

Discover premium content
Subscribe

WRC Promoter persists with radical 2015 plans despite FIA rejection

The World Rally Championship will forge ahead with radical format changes for next season, despite the current proposal being rejected by last week's World Motor Sport Council

WRC Promoter's Oliver Ciesla and Volkswagen Motorsport director Jost Capito - the two main players in the new plans - have both told AUTOSPORT they still believe the revisions to the Powerstage will be introduced for next season.

FIA rejects 2015 WRC revamp plan

The main change will be to run the events with a co-efficient on the timing that effectively means each second on the main part of the rally is divided by 10 and is worth a tenth of a second on the final 'shootout' stage.

Ciesla told AUTOSPORT: "I believe this is the right step for the WRC to move forward and achieve the objective of reaching more people.

"I have no indication that we should not be optimistic."

Despite a unanimous vote against the new format from the drivers and co-drivers involved in the WRC, Capito remained convinced this was the correct way forward.

ANALYSIS: Revamp rejection splits WRC

"You should not listen to what the drivers want," said Capito, "they are not the ones who invest in the sport, they are the ones who take the money out of the sport.

"They are important for rallying, but they should not be involved in the regulations.

"They should be involved in the safety, there is no doubt about this and they should be involved in how the rally is organised - they are the experts there, but the final say should on the other things should come down to the people who invest in the sport.

"The drivers are aware something has to happen - at least our drivers are aware of this. And they are aware that nobody came up with something better.

OPINION: An opportunity missed for the WRC?

"Don't forget drivers are always against change. They said the Powerstage would kill WRC when it was introduced. It did not.

"The drivers want mostly the pure sport, but they are a bit short-sighted; if the value's not there then the manufacturers don't come and they don't have a job."

'SLAP IN THE FACE'

Capito (pictured with Andreas Mikkelsen) insisted he was not surprised by the WMSC decision.

"I always had an idea this might not be accepted because Jean Todt does not like the idea," he said.

"I find it amazing that a unanimous decision of the WRC Commission, who are the guys in charge of the WRC business, gets unanimously rejected by the people who are not involved.

"For me, that is a slap in the face for the people of the Commission. It's a vote of no confidence in the WRC Commission and the promoter - more so the promoter than anybody else.

"Everybody fully supported this proposal, every stakeholder in WRC and then for this to be rejected, I don't know if something like this has ever happened in the past."

Be part of the Autosport community

Join the conversation
Previous article Has the WRC missed its opportunity?
Next article Rally Australia eyes GB's World Rally Championship finale slot

Top Comments

There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Autosport Plus

Discover premium content
Subscribe