The World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) met this week and among the raft of regulation changes to be edified into the various codes, this article outlines the decisions pertaining to rallying and cross country racing.
For the 2012 FIA World Rally Championship calendar has been “examined and will be officialised” before the end of the month. Without this writer not knowing what “officialised” means as the word is not to be found in any English dictionary, we can glean from the press release that the WMSC wants to reduce the number of clashes of WRC with Formula 1.
With a revision of the minimum seat weights, the limit will be shifted from 150 to 160kg from 01 January 2012 in order to increase safety. Also, crews will be allowed a greater freedon on seat material, to enable competitors to use homologated seats with carbon shells at a more reasonable cost.
In the FIA Cross Country World Cup, an FIA Cup for T2 drivers and teams has been created with immediate effect to promote the series. This will be complemented with an FIA Cup for T4 drivers and teams in 2012.
With a great impact on the series, from 01 January 2013 forced induction petrol-engined vehicles in the T1 category will be prohibited from competing in the Cross Country World Cup for safety reasons.