The superstars of the FIA World Rally Championship’s ground-breaking new hybrid era will rip the wrapping from the 2022 season at a spectacular year launch in Austria next weekend.
For the first time, the WRC’s dramatic new-generation Rally1 cars from the three manufacturer teams will be together in Salzburg’s innovative Hangar-7 museum as the series’ new-look sustainable future is unveiled on Saturday 15 January.
Newly-elected FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem will attend the early-evening event.
New liveries will be revealed, big-name drivers and co-drivers from reigning champions Toyota Gazoo Racing, Hyundai Motorsport and M-Sport Ford will talk about their hopes for 2022 and team management will discuss season strategies.
The hour-long event, hosted by familiar faces Kiri Bloore, Becs Williams and Julian Porter, will be streamed live at 18.00 CET on WRC Promoter’s WRC+ platform (http://wrcplus.com/), on Facebook and YouTube. It will also be screened by some WRC television partners (check local listings).
The WRC will undergo major environmental changes this year when new technical regulations drive the series towards a more sustainable future.
Plug-in hybrid-powered Rally1 cars designed around an upgraded safety cell chassis, 100 per cent fossil-free fuel and sustainable energy supplies are key to a commitment to a greener future from the FIA, motorsport’s governing body, and WRC Promoter.
Manufacturers have been racing against the clock for months to develop and test their new hybrid challengers, in which a 100kW electric motor coupled to a 3.9kWh battery complements a competition-proven 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine.
The package raises peak performance levels to more than 500hp whilst also reducing harmful emissions.
This year’s 13 round series begins with the famous Monte-Carlo Rally at the end of this month.
Welshman Elfyn Evans will share Toyota Gazoo Racing’s assault in the new range of models and said, “I’m really pleased to continue driving with the Toyota Gazoo Racing team.
“I have very much enjoyed my time here so far over the past two years and to win for the team on its home rally in Finland was an extra-special feeling for me. Now we are getting ready to enter a new phase with new regulations, I’m excited to be working with everyone in the team to do the best job we can in developing the Rally1 car and trying to achieve the best results possible next season.”
