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I've been following the World Rally Championship since mid 2002 - I was 8 at the time. Since then it's changed massively, and a lot of the change hasn't been for the best. A loss of manufacturers... Mitsubishi, Peugeot, Subaru to name three, and hell even Ford considered quitting at one point.
Now we're down to 2 manufacturers, while the IRC has a good few. But then this is only due to the fact that it's completely independent, so if any driver comes and competes in a Subaru for example, they're entitled to put Subaru in the manufacturer's championship list. In the IRC I can only see Peugeot and Skoda as serious manufacturer contenders, now that Abarth have quit, however Subaru seem to be entering next year (?)
I can't think of many FIA rule changes that have benefited the WRC much. For example the format of the rallies - they are a lot shorter and less demanding that they used to be. And a single tyre supplier - which tyre company would want to compete in a sport which has no competition? Costs of competing in the WRC are coming down, but are still very high. The IRC attracts more competitors because it's a lot cheaper, not only because of the car specs (electronics, engine spec) but also entry costs. I can remember Kronos Racing manager Marc van Dalen saying for the price of two WRC events, you could enter a whole IRC season.
I've been to the Rally GB, and despite the WRC losing out on entrants, the spectacle of it is still amazing.
With a new car formula being introduced soon, and a new S2000 Cup in the WRC next year, I can just see the WRC and the IRC becoming one giant amalgamation of world rallying in the not-too-distant-future.
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