FIA to ‘work with’ Red Bull over $550million sale amid major WRC announcement
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The FIA has announced that it is to open a tender process to find a new commercial rights holder for the World Rally Championship (WRC).
And F1’s governing body has vowed to “work with” current rights holders Red Bull and KW25, along with banking giant JP Morgan, in the search for a buyer.
FIA to support Red Bull in potential $550million WRC sale
Additional reporting by Mat Coch
Red Bull and KW25, a German investment company, have been exploring the sale of WRC Promoter GmbH for the last 12 months.
A report in June claimed that the current rights holders have held talks with interested parties, including private equity firm EQT, with other potential suitors in Europe, the United States and the Middle East.
PlanetF1.com understands that F1 commercial rights holder Liberty Media, which has recently acquired a majority stake in MotoGP, is not among the interested parties.
It has been claimed that the potential sale of the WRC has been valued at around $550million (€500m).
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In a statement, the FIA has confirmed that it is to open a tender process to find a new commercial rights holder for the WRC.
The FIA said: “The Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), the global governing body for motor sport and the federation for mobility organisations worldwide, has today announced that a tender process will be run for a new commercial rights holder of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC).
“This follows an extensive period of discussions with Red Bull and KW25, the current commercial rights holders of the FIA World Rally Championship, who have taken the decision to commence the process.
“The FIA World Rally Championship has surged in popularity in recent years, with a 1.3bn cumulative television audience and over 4m on-site visitors in 2024.
“With almost half of those in-person fans between the ages of 18-34, the Championship has huge further growth potential in the years to come.
“The next round of the Championship is on 28th August at the Rally del Paraguay, which is making its debut as a host country this year.
“The FIA’s priority is to ensure that the WRC is best placed to maximise on this potential and deliver value to all its stakeholders, including drivers, teams, manufacturers, organisers and fans, while also preserving its strong heritage.
“The FIA will work with Red Bull and KW25 to seek a new commercial rights holder which is committed to long-term investment in the Championship and to securing the best possible future for WRC.
“This is an exciting opportunity for a new enterprise to take the Championship to the next level and to build out engagement with a new generation of fans.
“J.P. Morgan, the global financial services company, will be acting as financial advisor to Red Bull and KW25, supporting them through the tender process.”
Mohammed Ben Sulayem, the FIA president, said: “The FIA World Rally Championship is at an exciting moment in its history.
“Millions of fans around the world are following the action and new, younger audiences are driving its global growth.
“This Championship has enormous potential and it is our responsibility as governing body to ensure it continues to grow and reaches new heights.
“This process is an important step and will shape the long-term vision for the WRC and I am confident that, together with the right partner, we can take the championship to the next level, preserve its proud heritage, and grow its global reach for generations of fans to come.”
Malcolm Wilson, the founder of the M-Sport team and FIA Deputy President for Sport, added: “The FIA World Rally Championship is the longest-running motorsport series of its kind, one of the most thrilling competitions in the world, with a unique heritage and an exciting growth trajectory ahead.
“The tender process for the commercial rights holder is a big opportunity for a new enterprise to take the Championship into its next chapter with renewed energy and investment.
“We will work with Red Bull and KW25 to find the best fit for this important role.”
Toyota driver Elfyn Evans leads the drivers’ standings with five rounds of the 2025 WRC season remaining.
The Welshman holds a three-point lead over Toyota team-mate and two-time champion Kalle Rovanpera entering next weekend’s Rally Paraguay.
Sebastien Ogier, the eight-time WRC champion, is a further 10 points back, with the Frenchman recently committing to participating in all of the remaining rounds in his bid to equal Sebastien Loeb’s all-time record of nine titles.
Ott Tanak, the Hyundai driver and 2019 WRC champion, is the highest-placed non-Toyota driver in fourth. He sits level with Ogier on 163 points.
