“The Deal of the Century”
During the Rally Finland, the WRC World Championship (as well as the European ERC) passed into the hands of a new commercial rights holder. The announcement was officially made by the FIA, with the French company Cosmobilis and the British private credit investor Park Square Capital who, after lengthy negotiations, took over WRC Promoter GmbH. A change of ownership that the FIA President himself, Mohammed ben Sulayem, described as “the deal of the century for rallying”.
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According to the International Federation, this represents “a crucial moment, the greatest in the history of the WRC and the ERC. Cosmobilis and Park Square Capital have outlined ambitious plans to take the WRC and ERC to the next level, putting fans at the heart of the sport and making rallying more exciting, accessible, and engaging. Thanks to more impactful storytelling, improved distribution, and new multiplatform content, fans will be closer to the action than ever before.”
New ‘adventure’ for Boullier
Thus begins a new era for the WRC, which will have as its Promoter a figure already well known in the motorsport world, especially in Formula 1: Eric Boullier. From 2010 to 2013, the French engineer served as Team Principal of Lotus, then continued his experience at McLaren as Racing Director, ending in 2018. Since then, after his resignation, he has been one of the organizers of the French Grand Prix, whose last edition was held in 2022. The 52-year-old is already looking to the future of the WRC, determined to make rally competitions even more thrilling: “I face this challenge with enthusiasm and determination, but also with humility and a strong sense of responsibility: to make these exceptional championships even more exciting,” he said. Together with the FIA and our partners, we want every stage to be a spectacular event, designed to thrill fans worldwide. The goal is clear: to establish the WRC and ERC as global world-class brands and engines of sustainable growth, in line with today’s technological and environmental challenges.”
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These words were joined by those of Jean-Louis Mosca, President and CEO of Cosmobilis: “This acquisition marks an important milestone in the transformation of Cosmobilis. Since our creation, our ambition has been to build a group capable of connecting the entire automotive ecosystem through technology, data, and platforms that create value. The WRC and ERC represent a huge acceleration of this strategy. We are not simply acquiring the commercial rights of a world championship: we are building an international platform where manufacturers, partners, media, technology, and fans meet. Our goal is clear: to make the WRC the global reference point for motorsport, while at the same time creating a sustainable growth engine for the entire Cosmobilis ecosystem.”
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