Sebastien Ogier Rejects FIA WRC Kit Compromise

Sebastien Ogier is not yet convinced by the Rally2 WRC Kit introduced by the FIA, although he accepts that a solution is needed to maintain WRC competition next season.

The WRC regulatory situation has become sensitive because Toyota is currently the only manufacturer to have confirmed development of a new car built to WRC27 regulations. To keep Hyundai, M-Sport Ford and private teams in the fight, the FIA has opened the Rally2 WRC Kit route for the 2027 and 2028 seasons.

The package can be fitted to Rally2 cars homologated before 31 December 2026. Cars equipped with the WRC Kit will be eligible to compete alongside WRC27 machinery, with the kit required to be homologated by a manufacturer registered as a constructor and at least two cars contesting every World Rally Championship round.

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According to the FIA, the WRC Kit is designed to improve aerodynamic parity between Rally2 and WRC27 cars. Ogier, however, is taking a cautious view because the concept touches performance, weight and the potential balancing of technical parameters.

"I haven't even properly read it yet. As far as I know, there's an aero kit and the minimum weight is 10 kilograms lower."

"In the end, it looks like it was necessary to come up with an option like this because, at the moment, only Toyota has built a new car."

"If you want proper competition next year, you have to find a solution. Let's hope they manage to strike the right balance."

Ogier sees similarities between the package and the Balance of Performance systems used in circuit racing. In his view, performance balancing can help keep competition close, but it also risks bringing politics into technical decision-making.

"I've never been a fan of any kind of Balance of Performance. At the end of the day, this is a form of BoP, and I'm not a fan of that."

"That said, in championships like the FIA World Endurance Championship it works quite well. They manage to keep the competition close."

"In the end, politics will always play a role when you have BoP. We'll see how it works out."

Ogier then offered an alternative view that he believes may have been simpler. From the outside, he suggested WRC could have considered allowing everyone to compete with Rally2 cars for one year, rather than combining Rally2 WRC Kit cars and WRC27 machinery during the same transition phase.

"Personally, looking at it from the outside, maybe the simpler solution would have been to let everyone compete with Rally2 cars for a year. That might have been the easier option."

Ogier's comments place the WRC Kit as a major regulatory issue before the WRC27 era, especially as the FIA must balance manufacturer participation with the credibility of technical competition. With Toyota already moving ahead with a new car, the direction taken by Hyundai, M-Sport Ford and private teams will be central to the 2027 season.