This Wednesday's meeting (20 May) of the FIA's World Rally Championship Commission (WRCC) is the next step in the long trail towards finalising the shape of the future world rally championship. The main current sporting issues are (a) calendar and (b) World Rally Car formula transition. In relation to the calendar, the current status is that the FIA World Motor Sport Council (WMSC), which next meets on 24 June, is waiting for the commercial recommendations from the championship promoter, ISC, which must be submitted by the end of May, which they will then accept or reject. The WRCC will have no input at this stage into calendar issues, but there are many other issues relating to the transition waiting for their decisions.

The transition policy defined by the WMSC is that the current World Rally Car rules (let's call them 'old WRC') expire at the end of 2010 and until then only cars complying with old WRC rules can score manufacturers championship points. For 2011 only cars complying with the new S2000 based formula ('new WRC') can score points for the makes' series. There are several issues in relation to transition which need sorting out. Firstly, there is an existing rule that no World Rally Car can ever be homologated unless the manufacturer is registered for the world championship. Registration for manufacturers in the world championship is an undertaking far more serious than mere homologation of a Super 2000 car. This means, secondly, that it is desirable other opportunities are given to manufacturers to entice them into the championship, but what?

Morrie Chandler, President of the WRCC, clearly sees that there is an urgent need to define the method of entry into the future world championship. "One of the things we are thinking about is a secondary series, like a subsidiary cup in 2010 for possible 'new WRC' cars. One of our main responsibilities is to make life easier". At least the most politically challenging item, the calendar, is out of the WRCC's hands at this time, that is down to the WMSC.

The WMSC decreed back in mid 2007 that rotation of the 24 events in the world championship scheme means 12 events each year, and at the end of 2007 the calendars for 2009 and 2010 were announced. The longer term budgets of the (last remaining) teams in the championship is based on these. But now it is clear that three of the nominated 12 events will not be at the 2010 party, so the FIA must find three events to replace them. But which ones?

One of the deciding factors chosen by the WMSC must surely be how the balance of events in 2010 can be restored. The 2009 season was badly unbalanced. There are only two long haul events, only four qualifying rounds in the final six months of the season, before the uncertainties caused by the commercial problems of the Wales Rally GB. Now the balance of the proposed 2010 calendar threatens to get even worse! The withdrawal of Monte Carlo, Indonesia and Russia means that of the remaining nine events there are now only four central European rallies left in the 2010 WRC (Sweden, Bulgaria, Germany and Corsica) and only one European rally, up in Sweden, before August. There are three asphalt events (Bulgaria, Germany and Corsica), a far higher proportion than is traditional in the championship, though they are all neatly bunched together. So, the odds must favour the vacancies being filled by gravel events in Europe earlier in the season!

Assuming the candidates must be rallies which are being run in 2009, which breaks the ‘Rotation' concept, 2010 looks bad for Argentina (it is long haul), Ireland (asphalt), Norway (Sweden is already there), Australia (long haul), Spain (asphalt) or Britain and Finland, if they each have to stay at the latter end of the season and assuming Britain can resolve its own financial problems. Life must look rosier for Cyprus or Acropolis and Italy, they tick more boxes. It is difficult to evaluate Poland because it is new. But then, should another completely new event be invited instead? We only have one new event in the current 2010 list, Bulgaria. And all our pontificating comes before the ISC throws in their commercial interests, that regional requirements are taken into account, and discounting the pressure from the idealists who advocate 'classic' events. Not to forget the timing pressures faced by the ISC. Their proposals do not simply include a list of events on paper, there must first have been confirmation by the candidates of their acceptance of Promoters' terms, a legal process which normally takes months.

3mmm