EA Sports WRC Guide: How to Manage Hybrid in WRC Rally 1 Cars

Rally 1 cars in EA Sports WRC are tricky to drive for numerous reasons, but in this guide, we focus on how to optimise the hybrid systems and explain how they work with the best driving style adaptations.

Unfathomably fast, frenetic and frankly finicky to drive, modern Rally 1 cars are a step above the rest of the WRC ladder in EA Sports WRC, leading many to avoid driving them completely. These are aero-focused, high-power machines, and that isn't helped by the complex hybrid systems that require you to adapt your driving style.

But what if the system is not quite as tricky to comprehend once you get your head around its intricacies? Well, hopefully, after this guide, you too will be able to master Rally 1 car hybrid systems in EA Sports WRC, allowing you to optimise your hybrid usage.

Rally1 Hybrid Boost Explained in EA Sports WRC​

For the 2025 season, the top class of international professional rallying has dropped its hybrid systems following three years of complaints from fans, teams and drivers alike. But it is still very much omnipresent in the most up-to-date 2024 collection of cars. Weighing the cars down with heavy batteries and restricting braking performance with regenerative systems, these are far from the most impressive models through the corners. But get it right, and the burst out of a tight turn can be electrifying.


Ford Puma joins the trio of Rally1 cars with the hybrid boost in EA Sports WRC. Image credit: EA Sports

Essentially acting as a powerful mild hybrid system, the tech combines the base car's traditional engine with a tightly packaged hybrid unit. This includes a 750-volt 3.9kWh battery, inverter and motor, as well as plenty of cooling systems, the whole thing weighing around 80kg.

The small battery paired with the motor's 134 brake horsepower and a maximum of 12,500rpm, juice runs out rather fast, meaning only short bursts of torque boost the car out of corners. But with a unique set of rules, it is not as simple as providing power every time you hit the throttle.

Before activating the electric motor, the battery must be fully topped up via regenerative braking. And with charging speeds nowhere near draining speeds, you do not get the benefit of EV juice out of every corner. As soon as you reach the pre-defined throttle level that activates the electric motor, the battery will fully drain itself, forcing you to once again replenish charge by braking. That leads to a number of intricate driving style changes.

How to Optimise Hybrid Power in EA Sports WRC​

It is this unique ruleset limiting when you can make the most of Rally1 hybrid boost that requires you to alter your driving style in EA Sports WRC. As you must fully regen before being able to use the electric boost and can only use it once per throttle application, both your corner entry and corner exit must change completely versus traditional rallying - almost to the point of resembling circuit racing.


Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 in EA Sports WRC. Image credit: EA Sports

On corner entry, it is very important not to balance the brake with the throttle as you would do in other rally cars. Instead, hit the brake firmly and gradually bleed off the pressure as you approach a turn. We would recommend trail braking as much as you can bear, maximising regen.

As for the corner exit, beware not to pass the boost activation point in your throttle travel before you are confident of making the exit without a lift. With this in mind, adjusting your Hybrid profile in the setup menu before a rally is important.

Best Hybrid Setting in EA Sports WRC​

In EA Sports WRC, players get the option of three different hybrid boost settings. Available in the setup menu alongside repairs, tyres and setup, Rally1 cars also offer the ability to alter Boost Settings.


We recommend running the Cautious Hybrid Boost profile in EA Sports WRC. Image credit: EA Sports

Here, you get the choice of Aggressive, Balanced and Cautious, each setting hybrid boost deployment to a different throttle application rate. This means boost will kick in earlier or later out of a corner exit.

• Aggressive Boost deploys from 30% Throttle
• Balanced Boost deploys from 50% Throttle
• Cautious Boost deploys from 70% Throttle

To make the most of this setting and, by extension, the hybrid boost in general, we recommend opting for the cautious profile as it will avoid accidentally activating the system too early. However, rallies with lots of short apex turns like Kenya, Croatia, Japan and Sweden may benefit from running Balanced or even Aggressive in the most extreme cases.

Do you enjoy the hybrid boost system in EA Sports WRC? Let us know in the comments.