WRC can follow F1 model for success says M-Sport boss

M-Sport team principal Rich Millener believes WRC can have its own version of F1's recent boom – it just needs to market itself appropriately to show just how exciting rallying is

4 Loubet M-Sport Ford WRC driver Monte Carlo Rally 2023

Millener says WRC has the sporting competition and regulations in place for potential growth

M-Sport

M-Sport team principal Richard Millener has said that the WRC now has the technical regulations in place to follow Formula 1’s recipe for success – but that the blue riband rally championship has to change the way it presents itself to the world if it wants to succeed.

F1 is currently experiencing a huge increase in popularity, having transformed its marketing with a social media operation that has seen booming viewer and engagement figures, in addition to reality series Drive to Survive and greater freedom for teams to promote what they are doing. This, combined with its new franchise-plus-cost-cap financial model, means the single-seater championship is experiencing growth like never before.

Speaking to Motor Sport, Millener says the WRC has to emulate grand prix racing’s PR approach if it wants more people to become interested, stating “F1 is working because of marketing, not necessarily because of the sport.”

Last season the WRC introduced its new hybrid Rally1 specification, but it’s not just the power unit that’s different.

Elfyn Evans Toyota WRC driver at 2023 Monte Carlo Rally

M-Sport boss feels many manufacturers could easily afford to enter

DPPI

The new FIA rules stipulate that manufacturers must produce a spaceframe chassis, meaning customer teams could potentially enter the championship after purchasing one before then putting on its own body shell.

With encouragement from the championship, Millener says that he can envisage a future where the WRC field is the same size as the 20-car F1 grid — a marked change from a rally championship that currently has just nine cars in its top current category.

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“We need to build up the number of teams in the championship, whether that be through manufacturers or private entries,” he emphasises.

“Why haven’t we got a private individual who loves rally, who is able to create their own body shell and create their own team? Buy the chassis, engine and running gear off a manufacturer: we’ve suddenly got another team. There are individuals with the money out there [to do that].

“Let’s get 10-12 teams, like F1 – half manufacturer, half private entries – buying services off the other teams. You then build some value into it, more manufacturers want to buy the private teams, and the series grows.”

Prodrive boss David Richards, whose team has won numerous WRC titles and is now involved in the World Rally Raid Championship – its premier event being the Dakar Rally – recently stated that it costs the same amount to compete at the Saudi Arabia event as it does the Monte Carlo rally, reasoning that is a significant reason why the WRC is struggling to attract manufacturer new entries.

Audi and Toyota are also currently running at Dakar, with Volkswagen and Peugeot also being recent entries – M-Sport is also working on a Ford pick-up Dakar car for next year.

3 Loubet M-Sport Ford WRC driver Monte Carlo Rally 2023

Millener emphasises championship must improve at marketing itself

DPPI

Hyundai is thought to spend around $60m a year on WRC, though with M-Sport operating on a much smaller budget, Millener refutes the Prodrive bosses view: “When you hear some of the numbers being thrown around for some of the top Dakar teams, you could do a WRC season for that – so why are why haven’t we got that? Why isn’t it the other way around?”

It’s in this element that the M-Sport principal looks to F1 for its recent success.

“What we need to do is commercialise rally more, to make demand for people to come in – I keep telling people that with these spaceframes, we have a fantastic opportunity.

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“If you increase your marketing, you increase the value of the series and the reason for someone to be there.

“There are many people with a lot of money in this world. If they suddenly have the opportunity to run a team that allows them to have a competitive car, because they bought the base car from us or whoever it might be, and they can have their own stamp on it – then great.

“The interest goes up, the value of thing goes up, you sell the team back to the manufacturer, the privateer makes money, everybody’s happy – and we get brands back into the championship.

“F1 is working because of marketing, not because necessarily of the sport. Rally raid is very popular at the moment but rallying [in its WRC form] has always been around – and always will be.”