WRC: Drivers plan GPDA-style group

World Rally Championship drivers are working to form a group similar to Formula 1's Grand Prix Drivers' Association, with GPDA chairman Alex Wurz interested in collaborating.

Leading WRC drivers and co-drivers will meet in Mexico next week to discuss their plans.

The crews' concerns surfaced at Rally Sweden earlier this month, when they felt excluded from the decision-making process over which stages were cancelled and which were run amid the changeable weather.

Privately, there is not a huge amount of enthusiasm for a WRCDA within the championship's hierarchy, with some fearing it will add a further layer of debate to an already overly bureaucratic process. But Wurz is keen to emphasize the benefits of drivers' groups.

"Such a body is very beneficial to the entire system," he said. "Some people can think of this as a union that makes problems and stops things happening, but this is not the case. If you want the sport to be optimized in any shape or form then having the drivers speaking with one voice is so important."

Wurz is ready to investigate the potential for the GPDA working with a proposed WRCDA.

"We would definitely welcome discussions with the drivers from the World Rally Championship to look at some sort of co-operation between the two bodies," he said. "I'd happily talk to some of the [WRC] drivers and then talk to my guys to see what we can do. I think this can be really helpful for all stakeholders."

The two-time Le Mans 24 Hours winner was also quick to identify 2001 World Rally champion co-driver Robert Reid as a potential opposite number on the rally side.

"Robert is a world champion and he's been enough involved to know what's going on," said Wurz. "He understands the mindset. When you are still competing, you think of everything in terms of the immediacy of damper settings being changed, but when you are working with stakeholders, it can take months to get these changes and you need somebody working with you who understands that."

FIA rally director and WRC manager Jarmo Mahonen confirmed earlier this month that he intends to meet with the crews in Guanajuato next week to discuss the issues between them and series organizers.

Originally on Autosport.com