FIA takes full control of World RX after promoter exit

The FIA has announced that it will take control of the World Rallycross Championship, becoming the series’ owner and operator.

Motorsport’s governing body was on the lookout for a new promoter for the series after Rallycross Promoter GmbH’s time at the helm came to an end following the conclusion of the 2024 season. The Red Bull-owned promoter took control of the series in 2021 after IMG, which ran the series from its inception in 2014, exited.

After three months of exploration, the FIA has now announced that it will be the one to take control “with immediate effect”, albeit “with the support of a service provider”.

“I think what’s coming now is the best that could come out of it, that the FIA really takes charge of it and leads us into the future,” long-time World RX team owner Kenneth Hansen told RACER. “The FIA is our lead organization, and when they take us on board, it shows that it is something they believe in, because they could also have said, ‘okay, it doesn’t look good, so we’ll just stop it’, then the World Championship would have been gone. But that’s not the way they look at it.”

After a tricky few years with declining entry numbers and ongoing uncertainty around the championship’s health, Hansen believes the FIA’s move will deliver positive results, with decision making now streamlined without an additional party – namely, a promoter – involved in discussions.

“I expect some changes in a good direction, because we have one less to talk to – the FIA and the promoter and we talked and organized before,” he said. “Now it’s just us and the FIA.

“The new people in FIA have been very good so far, and I’m not expecting it to turn around completely, but to guide us in the good direction, together with what the team believes in.”

He also thinks that grids could again grow, especially with the basis of the series’ 2027 regulations being rooted in the World Rally Championship’s regulations for the same season, which were announced in December.

“I hope the announcement of FIA will convince some teams that have been hesitating,” he said. “Of course, World Rallycross also can have, hopefully, a full grid. I mean, (in 2027) it’s already announced that we should be connected more to rallying, to the rally technical regulations, which had been (the case) in the past. If you go back by years, it was much easier to pick up a rally car and go to rallycross. So I think that the close relationship between the two championships will just strengthen us.”

Hansen expects increased FIA involvement and planned regulation changes will boost grid sizes to the 16-car capacity. Mihai Stetcu/Red Bull Content Pool

Earlier this year, the FIA hired former Nitrocross sport director James Nixon as sporting manager for both World RX and Extreme H, which will begin later this year as an FIA-sanctioned World Cup, and a calendar announcement for World RX will come on March 14, although an ice race at Trois-Rivières in Canada and a street race in Coventry in the UK as part of the MotoFest Coventry Sprint event that were both previously confirmed for 2025 have been canceled.

One of the first challenges for the FIA will be to continue growing rallycross’ audience. For that, it says it is prioritizing free-to-air television coverage.

“The FIA is making an investment not only in rallycross, but in the future of our sport,” said FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem. “We are fully committed to take this category to the next level by securing new global audiences, delivering the opportunity for an improved competition for the drivers, teams, our commercial partners, and crucially the fans.

“When I was elected, I pledged to deliver strong regulations and a stronger FIA, building an essential foundation for the success of motor sport at every level. Securing the future growth of our World Championships reflects my commitment to do just this.”

The FIA is also working to improve the entire ladder up to the pinnacle of rallycross by working with national sporting authorities to develop entry-level events, and clear steps to progress from there.

“The championship has huge potential to grow and develop at a global level and I am confident that this new opportunity for the FIA to operate the championship brings with it a bright future,” said FIA Junior Road Sport director Emilia Abel. “The FIA will put fans and competitors at the heart of the work that is to come. All of us are looking forward to the 2025 season and being a part of this new era of Rallycross.”

Hansen added that a strong world championship is key for building strength in rallycross as a whole.

“If we can also have the grassroots, the crosscars, the youngsters are looking and dreaming about being in rallycross, and to do that, I think the dream of a very good world championship needs to be there,” he said. “Everyone dreams about being there one day, and perhaps being a professional driver. Then we’ll have what we had, 2016, ‘17, ‘18, when we had a lot more interest from younger people coming into rallycross, because they had a belief that one day they can sit in the world championship like they do in WRC or Formula 1.

“The dream needs to be there. It’s no top without the bottom, or the opposite. So we need all routes to work, but definitely the full grid and world championship with good races can benefit all.”