Key stakeholders come together

A collection of the largest stakeholders of the FIA World Rally Championship have declared a workshop held on Thursday to discuss the future direction of the WRC as a 'very good and constructive meeting'.

Hosted by WRC Promoter GmbH in its home town of Munich, Germany, the gathering included representatives of the promoter, Federation Internationale de l’Automobile and each of the registered manufacturer teams.

Citroen Racing Team Director Yves Matton praised the day’s format: “It was good to be all around the table, away from the pressures of an event. This was an important meeting, because it allowed us all to share our concerns and our solutions.”

With presentations and discussions over the current and future media, event and sporting landscapes, as well as ongoing relationships between the parties, a large number of topics were covered in a collaborative way.

“This sport is about far more than just cars going fast on a stage. It is a competition showcase for the fans, and a business platform for manufacturers and sponsors”, said M-Sport World Rally Team Principal Malcolm Wilson. “We need to know that all those who are involved and investing significant amounts of money are pulling together.”

A review of the current media and promotional outputs of WRC Promoter was undertaken, including the increase of live TV content for international distribution, the new digital offerings of WRC.com and the live service park feed.

2014 debutants Hyundai Motorsport were represented by Team Principal Michel Nandan, who said: “We may be the newest manufacturer to have joined the WRC, but we have come in with great ambition and determination, and it gives us confidence to see that there is a strategy in place to continue to build the strongest championship possible.”

There has been ongoing negotiations between the manufacturers and WRC Promoter in recent months for a formal structure to operate under, and these are reported to have made a good step towards completion.

“It was a very good and constructive meeting. We saw the promoter’s vision followed by a clear action plan. All relevant matters were put on the table and we are very close to formalising an agreement,” said VW Motorsport’s Jost Capito.

Thursday’s meeting will kick-off a regular and ongoing consultation process for all stakeholders, with relevant joint extensions to include event organisers, sponsors and media.