Helping the spectator, bringing the service park to life, multiplying the experiences on Sunday: the first ideas for revitalizing the WRC
WRC Operations Director Julien Vial to presents the first ideas that will be implemented on the World Championship rallies from the middle of next season tournament.
The deal between the FIA and Cosmobilis was finalized at the ending of July, but for close to a year a team of experts from various fields had been scouring rallies to assess the situation, while also examining the other events (the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Dakar Rally, golf, the Tour de France, and even the Tomorrowland music festival celebration) to consider the initial steps to take to relaunch the WRC. Julien Vial, appointed director of operations, explains them to us.
Controlling costs
While the FIA must do its part regarding the technical and sporting regulations and provide long-term clarity in this particular area, the promoter has other levers to reduce costs for manufacturers, which are currently far too high. “Each team will manages its own logistics; I think we would benefit from having a shared logistics system together,” says Vial. Catering—which includes providing food for the teams—could follow the same path. The promoter also plans to help drivers develop their own merchandise.
Taking care of the spectator
“Going to a rally is always an adventure because of its environment, which is nothing like a racetrack, and it also allows you to experience extraordinary landscapes and local culture,” Vial points out. “But we need to make life easier for our spectators; it’s no longer acceptable to ask them to walk for miles to reach a special phase. We’re going to offer shuttle services and develop an app that will help them choose the most suitable location for them based on what they want to experience there. We’ll also offer privileged access to those who are willing to pay for a service, while preserving the rally’s core identity, and it must remain a free spectacle.”
Transforming the service park into a “WRC Arena”
“We must take advantage of the service park to facilitate the transmission of the passion for the automobiles through immersive experiences, children’s areas, hospitality, exhibitions, interactions with drivers, and even concerts and food stores. This space should take on the atmosphere of a car festival. “
Making a Sunday for the general public
“Each event must retain its specific characteristics and be able to decide its own timing based on the features of its course. We don’t want to drastically alter on Friday and Saturday, which are for rally enthusiasts. But we want to transform the Sunday format and make it something and fun for the general public, with a single long special stage to be run twice to offer a real experience for spectators between the two runs, with demonstrations of production cars, battles between legendary drivers or iconic cars, and WRC passenger rides to be won.”
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