FIA takes over ownership and promotion of World Rallycross Championship

The FIA has announced that it has taken over the ownership of the World Rallycross Championship and will be directly involved in running the series as a promoter.

The WRX had been operating under the aegis of WRC Promoter, via its arm Rallycross Promoter GmbH, since 2021.

But the company owned by Red Bull and RW25 exited the WRX at the end of last year, plunging the future of the series in doubt.

Motorsport’s governing body the FIA has now stepped in, with the France-based organisation revealing that it has made a direct investment into the series after “three months of market testing”.

It will now run the WRX, as well as the European Rallycross Championship, with the support of a service provider.

The full calendar for the 2025 season will be unveiled on 14 March, subject to approval by the World Motor Sport Council.

“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 WRX was started by New York-based IMG in 2014 and enjoyed a surge in manufacturer participation later in the decade, with the likes of Audi, Peugeot and Volkswagen fielding factory entries.

However, the series that attracted stars like Mattias Ekstrom, Ken Block, Johan Kristoffersson, Sebastien Loeb and Petter Solberg struggled to maintain its same level of popularity, as manufacturers left the series as quickly as they arrived.

It introduced the new ‘Battle of Technologies’ concept in 2024, pitting internal combustion cars against electricity-powered machinery.

The FIA said it will continue to build on BoT this year.

The news about FIA taking over WRX follows rumours about Red Bull and RW25 looking at the sale of the company that continues to promote the World Rally Championship.