WRC: Both sides claim progress at promotional meeting

World Rally Championship stakeholders reported a positive outcome from their meeting in Munich on Thursday to resolve disputes over promotional issues. Further meetings are being scheduled for as early as next week.

The meeting was called at the last WRC round in Portugal earlier this month after the latest dispute between manufacturers and the WRC promoter affected the coverage of the Faro-based event. The lowpoint of the quarrel came when world champion Sebastien Ogier and his factory driving colleagues were instructed not to talk to the WRC Promoter's television crews.

The two parties met in Munich, where the promoter presented its targets and plans for the short- and medium-term future of the WRC.

A source in the meeting told AUTOSPORT: "This was definitely a step forward and I think everybody feels quite positive about the way the meeting went. To be brutally honest, we couldn't have got much further apart – the feeling and the situation in Portugal was not good. But now I think there is more understanding between the promoter and the manufacturers.

"We have much work to do, but this was a good first step."

Despite the positive outcome, AUTOSPORT is led to believe the manufacturers have still not signed WRC Promoters' contract for 2014.