Earlier this month, it was confirmed that as of next year, the World Rally Championship will feature Hybrid vehicles for the very first time. This announcement was supported by M-Sport, Hyundai WRC and Toyota Gazoo Racing, with all three manufacturers committing to the new WRC era to at least 2024.
And now, courtesy of M-Sport, the world has been afforded its first glimpse of this new era courtesy of a series of testing photos (with one pictured above). The M-Sport Fiesta donned in a typical testing camo livery has been put through its paces via a private research and development program.
The Hybrid test-bed vehicle has so far been tested on a variety of asphalt and gravel surfaces amidst mixed weather conditions in Britain. However, the vehicle is reportedly ready to undergo its next phase of testing, so expect it to be snapped exploring new horizons soon.
With all three of the current manufacturers committed to the new Hybrid era that gets underway with the 2022 Monte Carlo Rally, it is only a matter of time until Toyota Gazoo Racing and Hyundai WRC follow M-Sports lead and release images of their Hybrid vehicles in testing.
For now though, the Rallying community can pour over the new testing images courtesy of M-Sport.
