By Timothy Albrite
The 2025 season of the WRC Safari rally will see the removal of hybrid power from Rally 1 cars, meaning that the hybrid systems introduced in 2022 will no longer be part of the cars competing in the event. This shift marks a significant move back to traditional combustion engines for the rally.
The decision to eliminate hybrid systems was driven by rising costs and new safety protocols. The FIA World Motor Sport Council confirmed that Rally1 cars will revert to relying solely on 1.6-liter turbocharged internal combustion engines powered by 100% sustainable fuel.
With the Safari Rally in Naivasha set to take place from March 20th to March 23rd, the event will feature 10 Rally1 cars, as well as 16 WRC2 entries, all of which will be running traditional combustion engines.
This decision has generated a mixed response, with some rally fans disappointed by the absence of hybrid technology but others acknowledging that the tough terrain of the Safari Rally requires the rugged reliability of combustion-powered cars.
Despite the removal of hybrid systems, sustainability remains a core focus for the 2025 Safari Rally.
Last year, spectators accustomed to the loud blast of the exhaust sound from rally car engines were left confused, as all the rally 1 cars left the flag-off point with muted sounds like small toys before coming back to life upon entering Parliament road.
The muted cars were the effect of the hybrid system, an 87 kilogram plug-in device introduced in 2022 on all rally 1 cars as part of the FIA’s clean energy and climate action sustainability objective.
By abolishing the hybrid system and other technical requirements, FIA hopes to help manufacturers to reduce the cost of a Rally 1 car .