World Motor Sport Council assembly in Rwanda heralds long-term imaginative and prescient for WRC, a World Karting Plan and a regulatory framework for Esports
The FIA World Motor Sport Council convened immediately, 11 December, for its closing assembly of 2024. Going down through the FIA Normal Assemblies Week in Kigali, Rwanda, the assembly was chaired by President Mohammed Ben Sulayem with WMSC members becoming a member of in particular person and through video convention.
In his opening tackle, the FIA President lauded 2024 as a yr of development and a strengthened Federation, noting important funding from the FIA throughout international grassroots actions alongside substantial analysis and growth within the security, volunteers, and officers areas.
The President reported on main progress because the earlier WMSC gathering which passed off in October.
Welcoming and thanking the Members for his or her efforts, the President addressed the council, saying:
“This yr has been a time of change and development. We have now constructed a stronger organisation redefining our management with high-level appointments that convey a wealth {of professional} expertise to the Federation.
“Collectively, we’re forging the way forward for international motor sport and as we rejoice 120 years of the FIA, we honour the achievements of our previous whereas propelling ourselves to a future pushed by innovation and objective.
“The FIA is heading in the right direction – particularly, I want to thank Stefano Domenicali and Method 1 for our robust and productive partnership this yr. The 2024 FIA Method 1 World Championship season was record-breaking and extremely aggressive, and we proceed our collaboration with Method 1 and Normal Motors as we transfer in the direction of an eleventh staff on the grid from 2026.”
President Ben Sulayem additionally shared particulars of the FIA’s monetary yr end-report, noting:
“We proceed to implement a powerful business technique and strong accounting course of, lowering our deficit and efficiently assembly our goal of being a financially sustainable federation.”
Imaginative and prescient 2030: FIA Motorsport Technique
World Council members have been offered with the FIA’s strategic imaginative and prescient for sport for 2025-2030. Shared by the Secretary Normal for Sport, Valerio Iachizzi, and formed by the enter of Member Golf equipment, the plan embraces the long run with confidence and objective.
The brand new imaginative and prescient is underpinned by 5 key pillars – values that unite the worldwide motorsport neighborhood: strengthening the FIA model, making certain international accessibility, variety and inclusion, advancing innovation, expertise, and training, management in sustainability and atmosphere, and secured monetary development and reinvestment.
These pillars are the constructing blocks for the seven strategic aims throughout the plan:
Increase international accessibility and reachAdvance innovation and expertise inside motorsportPromote environmental sustainability throughout all FIA actions and areasEnhance training, variety, and inclusion throughout the motorsport communityEnsure long-term monetary stability, development and reinvestmentLead the event of world motorsport standardsFoster stronger partnerships with key stakeholders
Connecting communities and driving innovation, the strategic imaginative and prescient seems to pave an formidable path ahead to make sure motor sport thrives. This technique will assist the FIA stay related, drive development, and guarantee motorsport’s long-term sustainability as a worldwide chief in leisure and innovation.
Extra particulars can be shared in 2025.
The next is a abstract of selections taken at immediately’s WMSC assembly:
WRC27 Technical Laws lay groundwork for a dynamic and versatile FIA World Rally Championship
The World Motor Sport Council has authorized new 2027 Technical Laws for the FIA World Rally Championship, specializing in price discount, flexibility, and sustainability.
These guidelines, developed by means of intensive session and collaboration between the WRC stakeholders, embody important price discount in comparison with the present Rally1 method and introduce progressive design choices, permitting all kinds of manufacturing automobile shapes and bespoke rally designs to compete.
The rules additionally embrace various powertrain options, an method that displays the evolving automotive panorama and ensures environmental sustainability stays central to the game’s future. The preliminary goal is for opponents to utilise sustainably-fuelled inside combustion engines in 2027, with diversification together with hybrid programs, or absolutely electrical applied sciences, that may very well be launched at a later stage. Learn the complete press launch right here.
World Karting Plan
The FIA has introduced the creation of an unprecedented World Karting Plan that establishes a clearer and extra accessible pathway into and all through the FIA Karting system. Karting is the entry level for the overwhelming majority of motor sport opponents, and the plan focuses on growing accessibility to the self-discipline that may present equal alternatives to drivers all around the world.
By way of a gradual implementation section over the subsequent three years, with the primary steps taken already in 2025, together with first editions of the arrive and drive world cup in addition to the Karting Excellence Centre choice.
For extra info on the World Karting Plan, click on right here.
Esports
One other important step within the growth of Esports competitions has come immediately, because the World Council authorized the creation of an FIA Esports Code (Appendix E) – the primary such framework created by a worldwide sporting federation.
All real-world motor sport competitions are in the end ruled by the Worldwide Sporting Code, and as digital racing continues to develop quickly, the FIA Esports Code will regulate Esports racing competitions, offering the ASNs with the required authorized framework to conduct such occasions on the nationwide stage.
After sanctioning two Esports competitions through the 2024 FIA Motorsport Video games, it’s anticipated that many extra occasions can be sanctioned within the coming years. There are basic components which have all the time existed throughout the ISC, such because the definition of an car or a driver, which have needed to be modified throughout the Esports Code in order that they make sense inside this new frontier of racing.
FIA-AI
The FIA’s Technical and Security Division is engaged on introducing new programs that leverage synthetic intelligence (AI) to reinforce and enhance the extent of knowledge accessible to decision-makers.
AI has a probably massive vary of motor sport functions, and present areas of focus embody:
Enhancing security requirements and introducing preventive measures to cut back incidentsImproving effectivity by automating duties and permitting extra time for personnel to hold out extra worthwhile and complicated duties. Enhancing equity and consistency in resolution making by offering suggestions based mostly on earlier information or automating the detection of infringements, equivalent to for monitor limits in circuit racing.
The FIA is dedicated to persevering with growth of this large potential transversally throughout the organisation, including worth for the entire totally different motor sport classes.
United Towards On-line Abuse
Members heard an finish of yr report detailing the 2024 exercise from the United Towards On-line Abuse (UAOA) coalition and the forecast for 2025.
In the course of the closing quarter of 2024 the coalition grew by 63% welcoming new signatories from ARISF and the Namibian Authorities, together with endorsements from UNESCO and the FIH.
Group engagement stays a key pillar of the UAOA coalition and a component for development in 2025, whereas analysis has been considerably expanded throughout totally different sectors of the sporting neighborhood with a primary of its variety report into the abuse confronted by sports activities journalists now launched.
Extra particulars on the Sport Journalist Barometer may be discovered right here.
Regulatory updates:
FIA Method One World Championship
The FIA President, along with the President and CEO of FOM, Stefano Domenicali, mirrored on a vastly profitable season in 2024, which was the longest within the historical past of the game. The productiveness of the single-seater pyramid, which stretches from Karting by means of to Method 1, was highlighted, with no fewer than 4 drivers stepping up from the FIA Method 2 Championship into Method 1 in 2025.
Minor updates to the 2025 Sporting and Technical Laws have been authorized by the World Council, together with the finalisation of ‘Warmth Hazard’ rules which mandates the usage of a driver cooling package below sure, excessive climate circumstances. This gadget was developed in collaboration between the FIA and the F1 groups over the previous yr.
Various updates to the 2025 and 2026 Monetary Laws have been authorized to incorporate an expanded definition of ‘Sustainability Initiatives’ which might be excluded from the associated fee cap to encourage the continued push in the direction of higher environmental sustainability.
Updates to the 2026 Sporting Laws have been up to date to replicate adjustments already authorized for 2025, along with the adoption of gender-neutral language all through.
The 2026 Technical Laws have additionally been refined, forward of groups with the ability to work on the aerodynamics for the primary time starting on 1 January 2025.
A brand new part of rules is being created for 2026 referred to as Operational Laws, aiming to control sure F1 Crew actions that happen away from the race weekend. For this preliminary model of those rules, sure components which have traditionally been included within the Sporting Laws have been transferred, equivalent to limitations to aerodynamic testing, energy unit testing and obligatory shutdown durations.
FIA World Rally Championship
An evolution of the points-scoring system launched in the beginning of the 2024 season has been voted for 2025 following a yr of analysis and evaluation.
For every Championship or Cup title, factors can be awarded based mostly on the overall classification of every rally utilizing the next scale: 25 / 17 / 15 / 12 / 10 / 8 / 6 / 4 / 2 / 1 for positions 1st to tenth.
Within the FIA World Rally Championships for Producers, Drivers, and Co-Drivers, further factors (5 for first place down to 1 for fifth) can be granted based mostly on an collected common classification from Sunday solely. This consists of the part from the primary time management after the in a single day regroup to the ultimate time management of the competitors component, accounting forever penalties accrued throughout this section. Energy Stage factors (5 to 1) may also proceed to be awarded, as is at present the case.
The revised format brings simplification by eradicating Saturday factors, reduces the probabilities of a rally winner scoring fewer factors than the second-placed competitor, and proceed to reinforce Sunday’s pleasure and competitiveness. The “Tremendous Sunday” format will preserve its function as a essential competitors day, whereas the Energy Stage stays a key component for broadcasters and followers alike.
On the facet of promotion, media or VIP passenger rides within the third shakedown go will now be provided on the premise of 1 P1 automobile per producer in an effort to cut back the duty on the groups to make all automobiles accessible, whereas sustaining publicity alternatives for WRC Promoter, the groups and organisers with rides accessible for high-value passengers.
To create new options inside producer groups and improve storytelling, a competing crew performing service on the automobile through the competitors will now have the ability to get bodily help by one other P1 crew entered below the identical competitor license and nominated to attain factors
Moreover, as a part of the rules updates carried out across the future introduction of a “command centre”, the transmission of knowledge between a staff and a competing car or communication to/from the crew can be enabled if carried out by means of WRC Promoter for non-sporting functions, and managed and administered by the FIA.
Relating to environmental administration, the sporting rules have been up to date to incorporate the aims of the FIA’s authorized environmental technique for the upcoming season and amended with the suitable terminology.
ABB FIA Method E World Championship
The monetary rules for groups have additionally been up to date as follows: an allowance of 100 000 € per crash (restricted to a most of two cases and 200 000 € per season), has been granted within the case of a crash inflicting a survival cell substitute.
FIA World Rally-Raid Fee
A sequence of proposals has been authorized within the FIA Cross-Nation Rally Sporting Laws to finalise the deployment of the FIA torque meter as the first system for monitoring and controlling powertrain efficiency in Final group automobiles. These provisions outline the authorized framework for the usage of such programs, alongside the obligations of Opponents and the rights of the FIA Technical Delegate.
Primarily based on an evaluation of knowledge from the Rallye du Maroc final October, a progressive penalty scale has been established for infringements associated to the usage of the FIA torque meter system within the W2RC. The dimensions imposes a sporting penalty of 10 seconds per infringement for as much as 5 infringements, 30 seconds for six to 10 infringements, or a hard and fast penalty of 10 minutes per stage for greater than ten infringements.
Cross-Nation Rally Fee
Following a complete evaluation of the points-scoring system launched in the beginning of the 2024 World and Regional Baja Cups, the Cross-Nation Rally Fee has assessed its impression on competitors and engagement all year long. Whereas the system efficiently maintained suspense as much as the ultimate race, suggestions from opponents highlighted a necessity for higher recognition of the general classification efficiency.
In response, and after conducting intensive simulations, a revised format has been adopted, integrating factors from each the general classification and group classification, making certain that absolute efficiency and group-specific achievements are each rewarded, whereas offering opponents throughout all classes with a good alternative to safe robust closing standings.
Factors will now be awarded to registered opponents for every Baja occasion by combining their closing general classification and group classification outcomes, based mostly on the next scale for positions 1st by means of fifteenth and past: 30 / 25 / 20 / 17 / 15 / 13 / 11 / 9 / 8 / 7 / 6 / 5 / 4 / 3 / 2 factors, with one level allotted to retired crews.
Moreover, factors can be awarded to registered opponents for every Baja stage below the identical format. First place will earn 5 factors, with factors lowering to 1 level for fifth place. For prologue levels, three factors can be allotted for first place, two factors for second, and one level for third.
Rally Fee
The 2025 calendars for the FIA African, CODASUR, NACAM Rally Championship in addition to European Rally Trophy have been authorized.
Click on right here to view an inventory of calendars authorized immediately by the World Council.
Touring Automobile Fee
The 2025 Kumho FIA TCR World Tour calendar has been authorized as follows:
Truck Racing Fee
The World Council authorized the extension of Goodyear because the official title companion and unique tyre provider for the interval overlaying 2025-2027 seasons. Below the brand new settlement the championship will proceed to be often known as the Goodyear FIA European Truck Racing Championship.
The 2025 Goodyear FIA European Truck Racing Championship calendar has been authorized as follows:
Drag Racing Fee
The 2025 FIA European Drag Racing Championship calendar has been authorized as follows:
2025 World Motor Sport Council Conferences
Date
Venue
26 February
Digital
10 June
Throughout the framework of the FIA Convention
16 October
Digital
10 December
Throughout the framework of the FIA Normal Assemblies
