When the next-generation World Rally Championship machines hit the stages for the first time on Rallye Monte Carlo in January, they will become the fastest, safest and among the most powerful cars the series has known. Called Rally1, the new regulations represent as big a step-change as any other in the 47-year history of the championship – hybrid power, standardised safety structures and reduced aerodynamic downforce are all heading our way.
Having once been obsessed with rallying, in recent years my interest has tended to ebb and flow. Might the new regulations and cars that produce more than 500bhp (for short bursts at least; more on that in a moment…) rekindle my love for the sport? During last week’s Goodwood Festival of Speed, where Ford unveiled its 2022 car, the hybrid Puma Rally1, I was able to quiz team bosses about the new-look series, meet M-Sport Ford’s promising young driver Adrien Fourmaux and ride with him up the Goodwood hillclimb in the new Puma. And now I’m feeling quite optimistic.
