The World Rally Championship’s Promoter Managing Director says the sport remains dedicated to “sustainability and innovation” after announcing a two-year deal with Belgium’s FuelsEurope.

As part of the tie-up that was announced on Thursday, Jona Siebel said FuelsEurope will help promote the World Rally Championship’s switch to fossil-free fuels as part of its current Rally1 ruleset. 

The switch to a 100 percent sustainable fuel came into effect at the beginning of the 2022 season and was in line with the introduction of the new generation of hybrid-powered ‘Rally1’ cars.

Created by P1 Racing Fuels, the hydrocarbon-based fuel uses a blend of synthetic and bio-fuel components, yet despite the significant changes in its make-up, the environmentally friendly alternative is claimed to have the same performance characteristics as its predecessor. 

“We are excited to announce this partnership, which highlights the World Rally Championship’s leadership in the transition to sustainable fuels and our dedication to sustainability and innovation in the motorsport industry,” said Siebel.  

“This collaboration showcases the value of our efforts to become a leader in the field of sustainable mobility, and we are eager to continue driving positive change in the industry,” he added. 

The World Rally Championship will be a major case study in FuelsEurope’s ‘Clean Fuels for All’ – a campaign that explains the origin, role and potential of sustainable fuels, and how they can help to achieve the European Union’s climate neutrality targets by 2050.  

The campaign will be present with information in the service parks of all European-based World Rally Championship rounds, Siebel confirmed.

As well as containing no fossil components, the energy required to produce the fuel for Rally1 cars is obtained entirely from renewable sources such as wind, solar and hydropower.  

In a step that further aligns the sport with the automotive industry, last January P1 Fuels announced that a road version of the same fuel used in the World Rally Championship will soon be available at service forecourts.

Alain Mathuren, Communication Director at FuelsEurope, said: “With this partnership, we have a unique platform to promote renewable fuels in a number of European countries and better inform the general public about their origin, sustainability and benefits for reducing emissions from transport. 

“The availability and benefits of renewable fuels are ignored by a vast majority of citizens and drivers.

“The World Rally Championship, in particular since it transitioned into a competition using 100 percent sustainable fuels, presents an outstanding opportunity to showcase what renewable fuels are and how easily they can be used in existing and new vehicles without any technical modifications.”