The arrival of Mohammed ben Sulayem at the head of the FIA caused a real revolution within the international organization. Among the ‘portfolios’ that were left without an owner, the rally commission since Yves Matton stepped down as FIA rally director in December. And although the WRC started in January with the Monte Carlo Rally and the European Rally Championship (ERC) has opened its doors this week, it has not been until now when the FIA has chosen the substitute for the Belgian. his name is Andrew Wheatley.
Andrew Weathley is an old acquaintance of rally fans since he has been director of the WRC category after joining the FIA in 2019. After a long career in the World Rally Championship, a category to which he was linked for two decades as part of the M-Sport project, Weahtley faces the enormous challenge of being the new director of rallies of the FIA in a season that is marked in the history of the discipline by the debut of the new hybrid ‘Rally1’.
«In the last 12 months we have introduced a lot of technological changes across the spectrum of rallying. Of course, at this point the introduction in the WRC of hybrid powertrains and fossil-free fuels stands out. Our task in the future is to consolidate these steps and then take this approach to strengthen the base of the FIA rally pyramid to safeguard the future of our sport.” Andrew Weathley in one of his first speeches.
“Technology in the automotive industry and in the world of competition is evolving so rapidly that we need to make sure we keep pace with that change for the benefit of all stakeholders involved in rallying. We must involve all the actors of the discipline with regional objectives that also allow the future stars of tomorrow to be developed» added Weathley.
Andrew Wheatley has not only been part of the M-Sport rally project for 20 years, he also has competitive experience. After beginning his career in the motor world at the age of 16, Weathley has contested more than 70 rallies in Great Britain. In fact, Andrew still does a few national rallies in the UK when the opportunity arises, habit that he will try to maintain despite being the new director of rallies of the FIA.