World Rally Championship Rally1 competitors will benefit from an expanded tyre allowance to navigate the punishing gravel stages at Rally Chile this weekend.
To prevent a recurrence of the punctures and tyre delaminations that marred Rally Paraguay last month, the FIA has adjusted the tyre allocation for the upcoming Chilean round.
While Rally1 crews typically receive 28 tyres for a gravel rally, the allocation has been increased to 36 tyres, according to an FIA bulletin. Rally2 crews remain on the original 30-tyre allocation.
Chile’s stages have historically presented a significant puncture risk, with the 2023 edition resulting in multiple tyre failures for then-supplier Pirelli.
Following an analysis of the Paraguay failures, current WRC tyre supplier Hankook attributes the unexpected wear to unusually warm temperatures combined with the highly abrasive nature of the stages.
“What we experienced on Friday morning was significantly more wear than anticipated, and more than we saw last year,” Hankook’s Steven Cho told Motorsport.com. “When you see that level of wear, it indicates the surface is exceptionally abrasive and rough.”
“Friday’s stages were particularly long, and with temperatures running hotter than last year, the conditions—including heavily compacted clay and exposed bedrock—proved extremely demanding on the tyres. The drivers and teams all found the aggressiveness of the roads to be far greater than anyone expected.”
Oliver Solberg, Elliott Edmondson, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1
Photo by: Toyota Racing
“I understand the drivers’ frustrations. Ultimately, they are the ones in the cockpit, and they possess the most direct experience and feeling of the challenges on the circuit. However, they also sometimes lack the complete picture from an engineering perspective.”
“We genuinely feel that we have made progress with the current tyre specification overall. However, it is clear that we are still challenged under certain specific conditions.”
“We encountered cooler temperatures and moisture in Portugal, and those same tyres performed well there. We remain open to hearing everyone’s opinions and comments, and we will make the best possible decision moving forward.”
Hankook continues to develop its tyre compound for 2027, with exact specifications yet to be finalized ahead of the WRC’s upcoming technical regulation changes.
“We are working diligently on development alongside the manufacturers. We are not yet completely fixed on what we will implement for 2027,” Cho added.