M-Sport team principal Richard Millener has voiced strong support for a separate championship classification between Rally1 and Rally2 categories in the World Rally Championship, echoing recent safety and sporting concerns raised by Toyota driver Oliver Solberg.
The debate stems from growing anxiety regarding the potential raw pace of Rally2 machines running in advantageous road positions during loose-surface gravel rallies. Such scenarios could artificially blur the competitive hierarchy and create unnecessary confusion among fans trying to follow the fierce battles at the pinnacle of international rallying.
Speaking to DirtFish, Millener emphasized that delivering absolute clarity to the global rally-watching audience remains paramount. He argued that motorsport categories should be structured transparently so that viewers can instantly recognize who is fighting for specific championship glory without complicated calculations.
"Let's make it simple," Millener stated when addressing the classification dilemma. "If you're in this car, you're fighting for this category, and that’s it. And if you're in that car, you're fighting for that category, and that’s it. Let’s build and promote a series that’s very, very easy to understand."
Drawing parallels to other top-tier motorsport series, the British team boss pointed out how categories are cleanly divided elsewhere. "When you look at the World Endurance Championship, the focus is on Hypercars and the cars in that class fighting to win the race. OK, the performance gap is bigger, but we don’t have GT3 or LMP cars in the discussion for winning races. Fundamentally, it’s easy to understand."
Millener acknowledged that the current regulatory friction might only be a short-term hurdle. As new-generation rally machines fully integrate into the championship pipeline in upcoming seasons, performance differentials across classes will naturally widen, rendering the classification overlap less problematic over time.
Meanwhile, development continues behind closed doors as M-Sport prepares its machinery for the upcoming championship trail. The newly developed Ford Fiesta built to 2027 Rally1 specifications under WRC Kit Car regulations has successfully wrapped up its initial phase of rigorous testing.
Read Also
Rally Argentina bersiap kembali ke kalender WRC pada 2028 usai capai kesepakatan multi-tahun. Simak analisis mendalam, jadwal, dan ulasan lengkap di sini.
Rally Argentina diproyeksikan kembali ke kalender WRC pada 2028 setelah evaluasi ketat. Simak rencana kembalinya ajang legendaris ini dan persiapan di Cordoba.
Simak kisah inspiratif Max Smart menjadi pembalap Afrika pertama yang meraih gelar juara reli Eropa. Baca analisis mendalam di sini.
Continue with Google
Discussion (0)
Join the Discussion!
Sign in easily to start commenting, replying, and interacting with other readers.
Latest Comments
No comments yet. Be the first!