World Rallycross 2025 delay: What is happening to this year’s World RX calendar?

As the World Rallycross Championship misses its start date, we speak to teams about the delay, the lack of a promoter and when racing will begin

The opening round of the 2025 World Rallycross season should have taken place from January 23 – 25, with the championship’s 11 drivers and five teams heading to Canada for the first ever World RX ice race.

That date, along with the rest of the calendar, was confirmed in September 2024 but following the 2024 season ender in Turkey, the FIA announced that it was dropping World RX’s promoter – World Rallycross Promoter GmbH – for 2025.

And without a promoter, the 2025 World RX season cannot go ahead. The official calendar published last year has been recently replaced by an ‘Info coming soon!’ page on the official World RX website. This lack of a promoter means that all teams and drivers involved with the championship, including those running all-electric RXe cars, are stuck in limbo.

While teams and drivers hope a new promoter will be found shortly, here’s everything we know about why the 2025 World RX season is delayed, and when racing might get underway.

Why is World Rallycross 2025 delayed?

In simple terms, the lack of a promoter has put the entire event on hold, although no reason for the decision has been given.

When the FIA pulled the World RX promoter, there was no official statement from either the championship or the promoter. The only official statement from the FIA was from its president, Mohammed Ben Sulayem.

He said: “We are now seeking a promoter with strong passion and drive to create an incredible rallycross spectacle, attracting manufacturers to compete and ensuring the continued development of the championship.”

“The FIA members are at the heart of everything we do, and we know that a top-level off-road FIA World Championship is crucial to attracting more competitors at the grass roots so that we can continue towards our goal of doubling global motor sport participation.”

Since World Rallycross Promoter GmbH took over the running of the sport in 2021, it has had far from an easy time of things. A lack of support from manufacturers has seen the number of teams and attendees dwindle from the sport’s heyday in the mid-2010s. The promoter’s decision to move World RX EV power only from 2023 onwards was marred by paddock fire at Lydden Hill that year. The fire destroyed both of the Special One team’s Lancia Delta Evo-e cars, and caused severe damage throughout the paddock.

The re-introduction of ICE cars for 2024 in what the promoter dubbed ‘The Battle of the Technologies’ further muddied the waters between the promoter and the FIA. ‘The Battle of the Technologies’ pitted ICE cars powered by sustainable gasoline against EVs in the top-flight supercar category for the outright event win. Johan Kristofferson in the petrol-powered Volkswagen Polo would go on to claim a record breaking seventh World RX driver’s title, while the ICE cars won six events from 10.

What does the lack of a promoter mean for the 2025 World RX Championship?

The World RX promoter’s job is to ensure the season happens. Without it there is no racing, as it is responsible for developing the championship’s calendar, and securing race venues and dates. The body is also responsible for overseeing marketing and promotional activities to bring in new partners, fans, and media. The final part of the championship promoter’s role is to boost fan engagement, improve TV rights, and work efficiently with media and its external communications drive.

In simple terms, the promoter is responsible for structuring World RX as a business that is commercially viable for its competing teams. No promoter = no rallycross.

When will the 2025 World Rallycross season start?

According to Micke Jansson, the CEO of PWR Group – the Swedish motorsport outfit responsible for running the all-electric CE Dealer Team by Volvo Construction Equipment in World RX – the issues facing the sport are expected to be resolved by the end of January 2025.

He told EV Powered: “The FIA’s tender for the World RX promoter closes at the end of January, so I hope we’ll have everything in place including technical regulations and a calendar by the end of February.”

“We haven’t announced any drivers yet, but we should do so around then, too. Hopefully we won’t have to wait too long to go racing afterwards.”

When the FIA was approached by EV Powered about its progress in finding a new World RX promoter, it was unavailable for comment.

What have the teams said about the 2025 World RX situation?

Despite the current issues, WRX team bosses told EV Powered they were confident that a season feature EV and ICE cars would go ahead this year.

Jansson said: “We’ve had some good conversations with the FIA about what they want to do for the championship, and what we can do to make things happen from a team side.

“We’re pushing what we think is necessary, and they have their agenda. All in all, I think we work well together, so I’m positive about solving the problems we face and making improvements to our championship.”

Tommy Kristofferson, the team principal and owner of last year’s World RX title winning KMS Motorsport team, echoed Jansson’s optimism.

“I have full trust in the FIA that they will find a good promoter with strong ideas to bring World RX forward,” he added. “All of us in our sport have been through some tough times in recent years, so it’s not right to blame anybody in this group. All of us have tried our very best and communications between the teams and the FIA have been very transparent.

“I still think our decision to introduce EVs into World RX was the right choice, as they reflect what is happening in both the world of motorsport and the automotive market. Like Micke, I think we will see a full calendar for the 2025 World RX season at the end of February at the very latest.”