Photography by Toyota
Words by Luke Barry, Colin Clark & David Evans
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has confirmed major World Rally Championship investment on the back of the sale of the series promoter.
The governing body of world motorsport launched a tender process for the acquisition of commercial rights, currently held by WRC Promoter, last week. Ben Sulayem outlined his intention for the income created by the sale to DirtFish at Rally del Paraguay on Thursday.
He said: “I can promise now, and you are recording me, that whatever comes to the FIA, whatever sales that is going to be for the new promoter, it will be injected in the championship.
“We, who is our shareholders and the members, realize in the championship that they have. There will be a change in the governance and in the regulations, but we will not allow our destiny to go. We have to get hold of our destiny.
“I thank the current promoter, but there’s only seven years to go. Whatever comes new needs the FIA to inject.”
Asked how personally involved he planned to get in shaping the WRC’s future with its new promoter, Ben Sulayem confirmed: “A hundred percent.
“I’ll tell you why. It’s a good question, but I’m not saying it just to please you, but three and a half years [ago] I inherited a sick federation that was going to be bankrupted and then no rallies. So what is the priority? Fix it, fix your house first and then go.
“And then I’m fixing now for which I’m turning, not a page, a chapter. Then, now, all of my concentration in the WRC for reason. Forget that I’m passionate about and I come from rallying, but it’s more than that. It’s the right thing and it needs my attention to it.
“And sorry, look at the regulations. The feedback that we are getting is very positive. Do we have an issue? Yes. How much? I inherited these regulations, but now, the new one, I just ask my team, how much will we save on the car? 60% of the cost. And then what? It opens the door for more manufacturers.”
Ben Sulayem was, however, firm that the WRC cannot continue to operate with manufacturers alone in the top class.
“We cannot rely on three manufacturers. The championship should have more manufacturers. Once you have a good plan for them, and then reducing the amount of costs in it, we are not going to do a cost cap.
“OK, it worked and it’s working in other championships but with rallying, if you just make sure that the rules are implemented and there’s no mushroom going on with the price of the car and the parts. I believe that is in a way a proper cost cap.”
Eight-time world champion Sébastien Ogier met with the FIA president on Thursday morning, and was pleased to see him back in the WRC service park.
“It’s always positive to see the president here,” Ogier told DirtFsh. “I think so far he hasn’t been too much there recently. I think he was working on other projects, it looks like, but he assured me this morning that it’s changing now and the focus is switching a bit more to rallying, which is always good to hear.”
Fellow world champion Ott Tänak added: “It’s nice to have him here, obviously. He hasn’t been around for a while, so at the moment it’s quite a critical period.”
Words:Luke Barry
Tags: FIA, Mohammed ben Sulayem, Rally del Paraguay, Rally del Paraguay 2025, WRC, WRC 2025, WRC Promoter
Publish Date August 28, 2025 DirtFish
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