Richard Millener, team principal of M-Sport, refuses to oversimplify the complex situation surrounding the WRC season finale. The Saudi Arabian round scheduled for mid-November is under threat due to instability in the Middle East, and Millener insists that finding a replacement is not just about moving the event.
Toyota and Hyundai have already announced they will not send their teams and personnel to Saudi Arabia if security conditions do not improve. M-Sport itself has not made a decision. Millener is prepared to go, but stresses it is not a black-and-white call. “As I’ve said previously in the press, if the UK Foreign Office says it’s OK to go there, I trust them. But it’s a very difficult balance for everybody,” he said.
Millener acknowledges that lengthy discussions with the organizers about safety have taken place. He has received extensive information and support, including an offer to speak directly with higher-ups if needed. “If they’re telling us this, I trust them. Combined with what our Foreign Office is saying, I don’t have a big issue either way,” he added.
Nevertheless, a replacement event has been discussed, with Salou in Spain emerging as the leading candidate. Millener would be happy with that alternative, but he is more concerned about the long-term implications for Saudi Arabia and the WRC. “If we go to Salou, I’m sure we’re going to have a lot of spectators. It’s a location that people liked in the past, and in the final year, it would end up being a bonus final European rally for these Rally1 cars. I think it would be quite interesting,” he said.
However, the Englishman does not turn a blind eye to commercial reality. Saudi Arabia has made a big financial investment in the championship for several years, and Millener believes that should not be underestimated. “The funding that comes from that is likely spread across the whole championship in many different areas. There’s a whole commercial element to this, and there’s a new promoter that’s just come in. Upsetting or not going to the country that signed the longest-ever deal in WRC would probably be a difficult one,” he explained.
Millener also highlighted the behind-the-scenes complexity if teams decide not to travel. “I don’t know the numbers and I obviously don’t know the actual contracts, but people can very quickly just say, ‘Well, we won’t go. It’s fine. We’ll go somewhere else. We’ll just go to Salou.’ There’s a whole commercial element to this,” he stressed. He added that the biggest frustration for the team is the uncertainty over shipping equipment and spending money. “The hardest bit for us is the frustration of knowing whether we send stuff and spend money or not. The safety element I’m not so concerned about,” Millener said.
For now, Millener can only wait. Time is ticking, and the final decision will heavily depend on security developments and communication between organizers, governments, and teams. One thing is clear: the WRC 2025 finale is still up in the air, and Millener warns that an easy fix like simply relocating will not solve all the issues.
Baca Juga
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