The world of rallying has received a breath of fresh air. Project Rally One, a private Belgian team, has officially unveiled the car that will compete in the top class of the World Rally Championship (WRC) starting next season. Built to the new WRC27 regulations, it is one of the few projects ready to challenge Toyota's dominance.
Since the WRC27 regulations were introduced, only Toyota has been developing a new car among the existing manufacturers. However, the arrival of two private car builders—Project Rally One and Spain's RMC Motorsport—adds a different flavor. Project Rally One is clearly ahead in preparation, having completed its maiden test at a racing circuit in Germany in September.
Over the past eight months, a team of 17 specialists has designed and developed the rally car from scratch. "We have just completed five days of asphalt testing, covering 750 kilometres without any reliability issues whatsoever. The performance also met our expectations. Once homologation has been completed, we will resume testing next week, again on asphalt, before moving to gravel in October," said team principal Lionel Hansen.
In other exciting news, Teemu Suninen has been signed to test Project Rally One's car on gravel next month. The Finnish driver competed in the ERC with Skoda this year and has previously driven for Toyota in the WRC. Earlier, names like Bruno Thiry, Freddy Loix, Stephane Lefebvre, Quenti Gilbert, and Raphael Astier have driven the car on asphalt. The Belgian team has stated it will focus on asphalt rounds in the WRC next season, although the car is continuously being developed for gravel as well.
"Project Rally One currently employs 21 people full-time," said the team's sporting director Alain Penasse. "The challenge is, of course, to get the right people into the right roles within a very tight timeframe, particularly with the 2027 Rally Monte Carlo as our target. Bruno Thiry and Stephane Lefebvre were responsible for the initial asphalt tests, while newly crowned European rally champion Teemu Suninen will handle the first gravel tests."
The new car's appearance is strongly reminiscent of a Porsche, which is no surprise given that Hansen worked for the marque for many years. "As everyone knows, I have a special connection with a certain well-known German car manufacturer, which is reflected in the car's rather futuristic appearance," Hansen said. "However, that manufacturer is not involved in the Project Rally One venture, either technically or financially. We were able to draw on Faster Racing's expertise in the design and construction of the bodywork. It is a Paris-based company that has specialised in motorsport for 35 years. The end result is extremely successful."
With the WRC27 regulations providing an opportunity for private manufacturers to compete in the WRC, Project Rally One is a potential challenger. Their presence not only adds to the entry list but also increases competition in the top class. Toyota, which has dominated so far, must now be wary of this new threat. The 2027 season promises to be an exciting one to watch.
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