BBC to show WRC from 2027
Finally, a reason to pay your licence fee - rallying returns to the Beeb for the first time in yonks
Hands up who first watched (and loved) the World Rally Championship because of BBC coverage. Must be a fair few of us. In a pre-internet age and without anything like the car content of today, it was the most exciting thing on four (then five) channels, iconic cars and legendary drivers spectacularly duking it out across the globe for WRC glory. Probably it influenced a few later car-buying decisions as well, but that’s a discussion for another day.
The news this Friday afternoon is that the BBC will be back showing the World Rally Championship as soon as next year. A new three-year deal will see every round of the 2027, 2028 and 2029 seasons shown on the national broadcaster. Proper coverage, too: every single round will get an hour-long highlights package, plus five stages and the Power Stage live from each event. Expect an abundance of social media snippets and iPlayer shorts as well. The timing could hardly be better, with a UK round of the WRC - Rally Scotland - back on the calendar next year, the first such event since 2019.
So while exact dates for next year’s rounds are still to be confirmed, you’ll be able to watch coverage of every single one on the BBC. Which sounds like good news to us: you don't need another subscription, app, or service you’re only signing up to for one programme. For 2027, the WRC will be accessible and watchable on the BBC, just like Strictly, Doctor Who and Match of the Day (they’re all still running for now, at least). Surely a great move for reconnecting the sport with a UK audience that may have drifted away from rallying in recent years - doubly so if Elfyn Evans is the incumbent world champion - and introducing the next generation to the joys of special stages, pacenotes, and absolutely massive jumps.
Éric Boullier, CEO of WRC Promoter, said: “Our partnership with the BBC marks an important step in our strategy to grow the WRC’s reach and visibility in the UK. The BBC is one of the country’s most trusted and influential media organisations, and its powerful combination of television, digital and social platforms gives us a unique opportunity to reconnect with existing rally fans while introducing the championship to a new generation. With Rally Scotland joining the calendar next year, the timing could not be better to strengthen the WRC’s presence in such an important and historic market for rallying.”
https://youtu.be/2KumaE_Qfj8?is=z98eesG2DwRf-Tv7
https://youtu.be/2KumaE_Qfj8?is=z98eesG2DwRf-Tv7
The FIA have made a right cock-up of the regulations for next year. They decided they wanted to cut costs and, instead of just making the Rally2 cars the top category, they decided to come up with a needlessly complicated spaceframe format that uses the engine from a Rally2 car and doesn't even require the cars to look like a production mode. They also decided to allow private companies to build cars to try and turn it into a "constructor" championship a la F1. When they realised that no manufacturers were interested in their new rules, they panicked and allowed existing Rally2 cars to be modified with a "WRC kit" that includes a different rear wing and bumper to try and make it competitive with the new 2027 spaceframe things. The problem is, none of the manufacturers were interested in that either, apart from M-Sport.
All this means that, in the top category next year, it will be:
- Toyota (with a car built to the new regulations, so they will win easily I expect)
- M-Sport Ford (using a Fiesta Rally2 with the WRC Kit)
- Project Rally One (a private constructor from Belgium that's built something that looks a bit like a Porsche Macan)
- WRT Rally1 Spain (a private Spanish entry that we don't know much about yet)
WRC2 meanwhile has representation from Toyota, Hyundai, M-Sport Ford, Lancia, Skoda and Citroen, though not all are full works teams. It's absolute baffling that this wasn't just made the top category, especially as Rally2 cars could potentially be quick enough to win the slower, rougher rallies like Acropolis or Safari.
Still, the BBC coverage is good news, so it's not all bad.
The FIA have made a right cock-up of the regulations for next year. They decided they wanted to cut costs and, instead of just making the Rally2 cars the top category, they decided to come up with a needlessly complicated spaceframe format that uses the engine from a Rally2 car and doesn't even require the cars to look like a production mode. They also decided to allow private companies to build cars to try and turn it into a "constructor" championship a la F1. When they realised that no manufacturers were interested in their new rules, they panicked and allowed existing Rally2 cars to be modified with a "WRC kit" that includes a different rear wing and bumper to try and make it competitive with the new 2027 spaceframe things. The problem is, none of the manufacturers were interested in that either, apart from M-Sport.All this means that, in the top category next year, it will be:- Toyota (with a car built to the new regulations, so they will win easily I expect)- M-Sport Ford (using a Fiesta Rally2 with the WRC Kit)- Project Rally One (a private constructor from Belgium that's built something that looks a bit like a Porsche Macan)- WRT Rally1 Spain (a private Spanish entry that we don't know much about yet)WRC2 meanwhile has representation from Toyota, Hyundai, M-Sport Ford, Lancia, Skoda and Citroen, though not all are full works teams. It's absolute baffling that this wasn't just made the top category, especially as Rally2 cars could potentially be quick enough to win the slower, rougher rallies like Acropolis or Safari.Still, the BBC coverage is good news, so it's not all bad.The FIA have made a right cock-up of the regulations for next year. They decided they wanted to cut costs and, instead of just making the Rally2 cars the top category, they decided to come up with a needlessly complicated spaceframe format that uses the engine from a Rally2 car and doesn't even require the cars to look like a production mode. They also decided to allow private companies to build cars to try and turn it into a "constructor" championship a la F1. When they realised that no manufacturers were interested in their new rules, they panicked and allowed existing Rally2 cars to be modified with a "WRC kit" that includes a different rear wing and bumper to try and make it competitive with the new 2027 spaceframe things. The problem is, none of the manufacturers were interested in that either, apart from M-Sport.
All this means that, in the top category next year, it will be:
- Toyota (with a car built to the new regulations, so they will win easily I expect)
- M-Sport Ford (using a Fiesta Rally2 with the WRC Kit)
- Project Rally One (a private constructor from Belgium that's built something that looks a bit like a Porsche Macan)
- WRT Rally1 Spain (a private Spanish entry that we don't know much about yet)
WRC2 meanwhile has representation from Toyota, Hyundai, M-Sport Ford, Lancia, Skoda and Citroen, though not all are full works teams. It's absolute baffling that this wasn't just made the top category, especially as Rally2 cars could potentially be quick enough to win the slower, rougher rallies like Acropolis or Safari.
Still, the BBC coverage is good news, so it's not all bad.
Seriously though that's really useful information for someone who hasn't watched WRC for years. Hopefully I can get back into it now it's on BBC. I don't even know what channel it's on atm or when.
I was pleased when I saw we will have a GB rally as I thought amazing I'll go to that thinking it was near me in North Wales. Scotland might be abit too far though
As for rally coverage DirtFish on Youtube is the place to watch WRC rally action.
https://www.youtube.com/@DirtFish
I watched the highlights of Rally Chile on itvx yesterday, I keep forgetting it's on itv4. Ads are annoying so BBC coverage will be good, I hope. Final round (Saudi) has been cancelled this year so only 1 round to go now and Elfyn is leading. Would have been awesome if there had been a rally Wales next year and Elfyn as WRC champ. Hope that doesn't jinx it for him, he deserves it after being runner up so many times.
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