The team principal of Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT, Jari-Matti Latvala, says that the future of World Rally Championship is the hydrogen cars and not the pure electrics and believes that FIA would extend the hybrid Rally1 regulations before the Federation decides the new cars.
The hybrid regulations will be running until the end of 2024 and after that it is still unknown what FIA will decide on WRC future. However, the FIA rally director, Andrew Wheatly, confirmed that the new car regulations have been decided and will be same at 70% as the current ones. Last but not least, Toyota was the first WRC team which ran a hydrogen-powered GR Yaris at Ypres Rally Belgium two months ago.
"I think it would be sensible to go on with these cars", Latvala said.
"It’s still under discussion at the moment but, of course there are options.
"We saw in Belgium that Toyota has this hydrogen car; I think hydrogen would be a nice solution in rallying because it has an internal combustion engine and sound.
"In rallying, we definitely need sound.
"We cannot cope with electric, full electric is not an option in the rally world.
"There are the discussions with the FIA, so they are still ongoing, but yeah, we need to get the final plan quite soon, because you need to have one-and-a-half years of testing.
"We want to have more car manufacturers as well, and I know that[not many will come if there is no clear target of where we are heading so we need that soon from the FIA, for sure.
"Hydrogen maybe to be in the championship in 2025 might be a bit early.
"So, in that sense, we could look to extend this hybrid Rally1 ruleset for a few more years and then get hydrogen in the championship.
"But it’s not depending on me".
Source: DirtFish.com
Photo Credits: Toyota
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