Subaru may return to the World Rally Championship

(Motorsport-Total.com) – Subaru could return to the World Rally Championship (WRC) in the future, FIA President Mohammed bin Sulayem has revealed.

The three-time constructors’ world champion was synonymous with the WRC in the 1990s and 2000s, winning the drivers’ title with Colin McRae (1995), Richard Burns (2001) and Petter Solberg (2003). Due to the global financial crisis, Subaru withdrew from the WRC at the end of 2008.

However, the brand remains active in rallying through the Subaru Motorsports USA program, which competes in the American Rally Association. The team recently developed a new WRX rally car.

On the sidelines of the Acropolis Championship, bin Sulayem revealed that discussions are ongoing regarding the return of the brand to the top tier of the collection.

The talks are supported by Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda, an enthusiastic supporter of the WRC who has worked hard to bring the new brand into the WRC. Toyota already owns a stake in the Subaru brand.

“It’s no secret that I had a good meeting with Mr. Akio Toyoda and I asked him what we can do to bring manufacturers to the WRC. That’s when I heard someone who is interested. And he mentioned Subaru,” says bin Sulayem.

“They have a stake in Subaru, and they will support the Subaru program. And I feel like when someone like him speaks, he speaks with confidence. I hope some of that will be implemented. I think more manufacturers are good.”

The WRC is currently looking for new brands to join the world championship, with the FIA ​​saying that four manufacturers will be the best targets for the future. Currently, Toyota and Hyundai are the only manufacturers represented full-time in the World Cup, with Ford competing in a semi-works car through its long-term partner M-Sport.

If the discussions with Subaru progress further, the expected WRC rule changes in 2027 would be a good time to return to the WRC.

One hurdle that Subaru has to overcome is the engine, as the brand does not have a power unit that meets WRC regulations. However, Bin Sulayem has suggested that Toyota can help in this area.

“I see positive signs from the chairman of Toyota to convince Subaru to come back and make the engine available, because Subaru’s problem is the engine. It’s not the car, it’s the engine they have. And I see “True there are signs of hope,” says bin Sulayem.