FIA President Hints at Subaru Return to WRC After 15 Years (2024)

FAQs

Why was Subaru banned from WRC? ›

The last time a factory-backed Subaru raced in the WRC was in 2008. The marque pulled out at the end of the year due to difficulties caused by the global financial crisis.

Subaru is closing on a World Rally Championship return, according to FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem. Subaru last competed in the WRC back in 2008 when the global financial crisis forced it to pull out.

The three-time constructors' champion became synonymous with the WRC in the 1990s and 2000s winning drivers' titles with Colin McRae (1995), Richard Burns (2001) and Petter Solberg (2003). Subaru, however, exited the WRC at the end of 2008 due to the global financial crisis.

At 27, McRae was the youngest ever World Champion, a record that stood until 2022. McRae's performances with the Subaru World Rally Team enabled the team to win the World Rally Championship Manufacturers' title three times in succession in 1995, 1996 and 1997. After four years with the Ford Motor Co.

In the history of WRC the most blatant case of cheating is Toyota's illegal turbo discovered at Rally Catalunya 1995. On one hand, it was piece of brilliant engineering but on the other hand it embodied the desperation that TTE was in to make latest Celica competitive.

During the 1995 World Rally Championship season, Toyota was caught using illegal turbo restrictors at the Rally Catalunya and were given a one-year ban by the FIA.

Engine Development

The Engine Department at Vermont Sportscar provides engines and support for Subaru Motorsport USA rally and rallycross cars as well as special projects such as hillclimbs or films.

Subaru Impreza WRX

The Impreza became a dominant force in rallying events around the world and eventually won over 160 championships during its long rallying career.

The car's powerful engine, Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system, and specially-tuned suspension and braking systems make it an ideal choice for anyone interested in rally racing or high-performance driving.

Audi had previously described a lack of spare parts as the main reason for bringing its rally-raid programme to a premature end. It claimed that lead times for some parts go as long as two years, and it burned through more components than it had expected during the last two editions of Dakar.

When did Mitsubishi leave WRC? ›

Things were finally turning a corner for the team, but on December 14th 2005, Mitsubishi announced that they would again suspend their participation in the WRC in order to revitalise their business. They had hoped to return to the WRC in 2008, but as we all know now, that never happened.

The Ralliart brand gained increasing recognition in proportion to the track record they built as a factory-backed racing team. They have been on hiatus since Mitsubishi Motors stopped participating in rally competitions in 2010, but the Ralliart brand made a comeback in 2021.

The Lancia Delta HF and HF Integrale are the most successful rally cars of all time in terms of pure wins. The Delta won 46 rallies over six seasons, taking six consecutive constructors' titles and four drivers' titles (two each for Juha Kankkunen and Miki Biasion) and was the car to have in the post Group B years.

Recently at the H&H Classics auction at Woodgate Park, the first World Rally Championship-spec Subaru Impreza was sold for £230,000. This car was tested to its limits by the one & only Colin McRae, which allowed Prodrive to further refine & enhance the vehicle for use in rally championships.

Subaru is a subsidiary of the Subaru Corporation, formerly known as Fuji Heavy Industries, which Toyota does have a small stake in. That said, while Subaru does partner with Toyota on multiple models, such as the Solterra (built in a Toyota factory) and BRZ , it is still an independent company.

Subaru built the reputation of its STI division by spending years on the top spot of the World Rally Championship (WRC) podium. The brand exited WRC in 2008 and hasn't been back since, but it's reportedly considering a comeback with help from partner and part-owner Toyota.

Audi Sport Quattro S1

One of the most iconic World Rally Championship cars ever made, the Quattro's dominant run was cut short by the banning of the Group B category after a series of fatal crashes.

Ultimately, however, their deceit was discovered, resulting in the manufacturer being banned from the 1995 championship. But at least their engineering prowess was acknowledged, with FIA president Max Mosley commenting: “It's the most ingenious thing I have seen in 30 years of motorsport.”

One of the main reasons the STI was retired in the VB WRX is the adoption of the Subaru Global Platform, which was not engineered for the EJ, only using the FA and FB engines, of which STI does not produce a tuned variant of currently.