When the spotlight hit the press conference at Rally Paraguay, Eric Boullier finally broke his silence for the first time since the agreement on the sale of the WRC promoter was reached. Sitting alongside FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem and Cosmobolis chairman Jean-Louis Mosca, Boullier immediately outlined a new direction for the World Rally Championship.
“The first thing I want to stress is that we will never change the DNA of rallying. So we can reassure everyone—all the sport’s stakeholders and, above all, the fans,” said Boullier. That statement was a direct answer to long-standing fears that commercialization would erode the wild, unpredictable essence of rallying.
New Vision: Visibility and Fan-Friendly Formats
Boullier admitted that WRC’s biggest issue today isn’t the spectacle on the stages, but the lack of public attention. “Rallying is the most spectacular sport of all, but nobody talks about it anymore. That is the problem,” he said. He is determined to restore WRC and ERC to the level they deserve, both in the eyes of the media and sponsors.
Event formats are also on the agenda. Boullier highlighted the one-day, one-stage format tried in Finland and Estonia. “Running a single special stage on Sunday would also make it easier for spectators to attend. With one stage, arrangements such as park-and-ride facilities can be put in place. That way, we can finally showcase the product properly,” he explained. With FIA’s help, a better product would be easier to follow on site and easier to televise for those at home.
Toward a Business Platform and the WRC Arena
Boullier isn’t just talking about the stages; he’s talking about the business ecosystem. “We need to turn our sport into a business platform and a sustainable operating environment for teams, manufacturers, and everyone who wants to come and compete,” he said. He wants to create a place where different services and events can be organized, making it more welcoming for fans, companies, and business leaders.
Fan experience is a top priority, especially Saturday evenings. “We are going to be completely customer-focused. We want to attract more fans. We may be able to keep the Thursday, Friday, and Sunday format unchanged for the most devoted followers, of whom there are millions around the world,” Boullier noted. But Saturday night will be transformed into more of an entertainment package, a kind of festival, bringing everyone into the service park.
The service park will also get a new identity: the WRC Arena. “We are going to call it that because we want to make it a place where people want to be and be seen. Whether they are influencers or anyone else, we want people to come there and enjoy the venue and the rally,” Boullier concluded. This move signals WRC’s ambition to become not just a racing series, but a lifestyle destination relevant in the digital age.
Baca Juga
Adrien Fourmaux geser Elfyn Evans di SS18 Rally Paraguay, Sami Pajari tetap pimpin klasemen dengan margin nyaman. Simak update terkini!
Sami Pajari memimpin WRC Rally del Paraguay menjelang hari terakhir, unggul 20,5 detik dari Paddon. Evans dan Fourmaux terhambat masalah ban. Akankah Pajari bertahan?
Bos baru WRC Eric Boullier berjanji tak mengubah DNA reli, fokus pada visibilitas, format ramah fans, dan menciptakan WRC Arena.
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