WMSC gathers in Baku for final meeting of a landmark year

The FIA World Motor Sport Council convened for its final meeting of 2023. The meeting was chaired by FIA Deputy President for Sport Robert Reid and WMSC members joining in person in Baku, the capital city of Azerbaijan, and via video conference from around the world. 

The meeting formed part of the 2023 FIA General Assemblies Week, hosted by the Azerbaijan Automobile Federation (AAF) and the City of Baku.
 
In summarizing the 2023 season, Robert Reid said: “As 2023 draws to a close, we reflect on a year of challenge and achievement. A year of delivery on our pledge of robust governance and adding expertise to our management structure.
 
“We continue to bring clarity to all our decision making as we seek to put the federation on a firm footing for the future. On the sporting side, we have seen strict adherence to sporting and technical regulations across all categories. 
 
“In terms of finances, we have again reduced our operating deficit while streamlining our accounting processes. 
 
“We have reached an important milestone in our United Against Online Abuse Campaign with the participation of 22 international federations in our recent barometer survey. 
 
“As a Federation, we continue to deliver on our mission of being the global voice of motor sport, serving the needs of our Member Clubs and increasing our competitor base worldwide.”
 
The following is a summary of decisions taken at today’s meeting:
 
FIA Formula One World Championship
 
It was noted that the FIA continues to explore technological innovations that will further improve regulatory practices in the coming years. Work remains ongoing to introduce measures to combat the extreme heat that drivers experienced in Qatar this year, with the first steps having already been taken following the update to the technical regulations detailed below to permit a cooling ‘scoop’ to be fitted to the cars. The 2024 calendar, previously approved by Council Members, was also discussed with the health and welfare of all travelling personnel a key consideration for the future.
 
Formula One Management CEO Stefano Domenicali thanked all FIA officials and volunteers for their invaluable contribution to the success of the 2023 F1 season. His comments were echoed by Frédéric Vasseur, Scuderia Ferrari Team Principal and the F1 Commission’s representative on the World Motor Sport Council.
 
The World Council approved various updates to the 2024 Formula 1 Sporting and Technical Regulations proposed following the most recent meeting of the F1 Commission. It confirmed the following key changes:

• The provision in the Technical Regulations for a cooling ‘scoop’ to be fitted in extreme hot conditions.
• The limitation of the number and mass of certain metallic components in the floor that have been identified as a safety risk should they become dislodged from a car.
• The reduction of the time spent on the grid prior to a Grand Prix from 50 back to 40 minutes as it had been prior to the trial of pre-race driver presentation elements.
• The requirement to stop working on cars starting from Pit Lane – the FIA has noted that there currently are no regulations in place to describe the procedure surrounding personnel and equipment related to cars starting from Pit Lane. For safety reasons, it will now be mandatory to remove all personnel and equipment from the fast lane 90 seconds after the start of formation lap.
• Minor updates to the 2026 Power Unit Sporting, Technical and Financial Regulations were approved.

FIA World Rally Championship
 
Following the announcement yesterday of the creation of a working group to evaluate and recommend the future direction of rallying, Robert Reid stated that the work has now started with meetings already taking place with WMSC members and ASN representatives this week in Baku.
 
The WMSC has approved the recommendation of the WRC Commission to appoint Hankook as the official tyre partner and supplier to the FIA World Rally Championship for a three-year deal starting in 2025. This decision follows a detailed tendering process launched by the FIA in July based on criteria such as the supplier’s capabilities, sustainability, technical quality, cost per tyre and marketing. Hankook will replace Pirelli whose WRC single supplier deal will conclude at the end of the 2024 campaign.
 
The principles of a new format for the attribution of championship points for Manufacturers, Drivers and Co-Drivers have been approved with the aim to enhance excitement and competitiveness, especially on Sunday. The details and balance of the points per day will be confirmed by the WMSC Task Force at a later stage. 
 
With the objective to significantly reduce costs, a maximum of three new hybrid units per season will be allowed in 2025 and 2026 for Rally1 cars entered to score points in the Manufacturers’ Championship, instead of nine.
 
In regard to promotion, P1 crews will complete a minimum of two passages of the shakedown, while the third pass will be available for a media or VIP passenger ride determined by WRC Promoter to offer greater exposure opportunities to the championship.
 
Based on feedback from competitors, P2 crews will now be allowed to use route note cars and a different start order on Friday will be implemented to avoid discrepancies with P1 drivers.
 
ABB FIA Formula E World Championship 
 
Council Members confirmed the choice of single-suppliers for the forthcoming GEN4 race car that will debut in the 13^thseason of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship (2026-2027). A thorough analysis of the submitted bids evaluated the technical specifications of each product as well as manufacturing capabilities and proposed on-event support, amongst many other aspects, and was accompanied by inspections of the respective candidates’ premises. As with GEN3, GEN4’s tender process, sustainability was also an important consideration.
 
Following this comprehensive process, it has been decided that Spark Racing Technology will continue to supply the chassis to the electric single-seater series – as the French firm has done since the inception of Formula E back in 2014 – while GEN4’s batteries will be manufactured by Podium AT.
 
The front powertrain kit will be provided by Marelli and the cars will run on Bridgestone tyres, marking the Japanese manufacturer’s return to an FIA World Championship for the first time in a decade-and-a-half.
 
Technical and Safety Department 
 
An increase of the circuit homologation and hologram fees was approved. The fee increase takes account of the rising costs of support and safety research in this area.
 
FIA Rally Commission
 
A clarification was brought to the Regional Rally Regulations regarding the use of the second manual fire extinguisher. On this matter, one of the extinguishers may be given away to help fight a fire outside the competitor’s car without this affecting the crew at the start of the next special stage. This extinguisher must be replaced as soon as possible, at the next Service or Parc Fermé (see Art. 63.5.1).
 
The 2024 calendars for the FIA African (ARC), Asia-Pacific (APRC) and CODASUR Rally Championships as well as European Rally Trophy were approved. The schedules for the FIA European (ERC), Middle East (MERC) and NACAM Rally Championships were approved earlier in November.
 
FIA Cross-Country Rally Commission
 
A new format for the FIA World and Regional Baja Cups introduces a compulsory registration and a new points system which should contribute to make these championships more exciting to follow.
 
To give as many crews as possible a chance of winning the title, points will be awarded by group (Ultimate, Challenger, SSV, Stock), with a coefficient based on the number of starters. All results will now count towards the final standings with a view to encourage participation in all rounds. Participating teams and competitors will benefit from a 50% discount on the registration fees for the first year 2024.
 
FIA Off-Road Commission
 
A “Battle of Technologies” concept was approved whereby electric-powered (EV) cars will compete with internal combustion (ICE) cars in the FIA World Rallycross Championship on equal terms.
 
A change to the sporting format was approved whereby competitors will race for position and not against the clock. Championship points would accrue in every race including heats.
 
It was also agreed that the revised format would reduce the jeopardy of track conditions/evolution and be easier to be understood by fans new to the sport. 
 
Hoosier Racing Tire was approved as the sole supplier for tyres for all FIA rallycross categories following a tender process. The supplier was required by the FIA to undertake an independent test session last month to assess the technical capability and performance of the tyres and was approved following this test.
 
FIA Truck Racing Commission
 
2024 Goodyear FIA European Truck Racing Championship calendar has been approved.
 
Sporting Regulations for 2024 Goodyear FIA ETRC has also been approved, with a revamped qualifying format and additional title for the best Chrome-ranked driver at the end of the season.
 
Instead of two sessions, qualifying will now be comprised of three segments – starting with a 15-minute Qualifying Practice 1 open to all competitors, followed by a 10-minute QP2 (for the fastest two-thirds of all drivers classified in QP1) and pole position-deciding five-minute QP3 (for the fastest two-thirds of all drivers classified in QP2).
 
Truck Racing Cup has been approved as a new discipline featuring on the programme of the third edition of the FIA Motorsport Games, with the event set to take place from 23-27 October 2024 in Valencia and with racing activities centered at Circuit Ricardo Tormo.
 
FIA Drifting Commission 
 
Developed by the FIA Drifting Technical Working Group and the commission, a standardised sound measuring method for drifting competitions has been approved. Sound control is carried out in order to reduce environmental impact of the events and keep them taking place amid various government restrictions. The document outlining the method will be shortly made available for event organisers via the ASN Drifting Resources section of the FIA website.
 
FIA CIK – International Karting Commission 
 
The introduction of FIA Karting Guidelines for Drivers with Disabilities (jointly prepared by Karting, DAA and Safety Commission) was approved.
 
Following the success of the recently introduced KZ2 Masters (gearbox kart category for drivers aged 35+), the category entry limit which was set at 36 per round of the European Championship, has now been increased to 54.
 
An adjustment has been made to fines issued in karting to align them with the International Sporting Code. Amendments were also made to the conditions under which drivers are allowed to restart after having been immobilized on track after an incident.
 
FIA Environmental and Sustainability Commission
 
It was noted that Felipe Calderón was stepping down as President. Mr. Calderón has been instrumental in ensuring that the FIA had a strong presence at COP28 over the past few weeks.
 
“During Felipe’s Presidency, the FIA has made significant progress towards its sustainable development objectives. Thanks to his leadership, the FIA now has a strong, effective and impactful commission, just six years after it was first launched,” Reid said.
 
Other FIA sporting calendars approved today by the WMSC are available here.
 
Upcoming World Motor Sport Council Meetings
 
Provisional dates of future FIA World Motor Sport Council meetings in 2024 are as follows: