After the closing date of entries on March 1 2018, Motorsport.com understands that permanent entrants will only be able to run at World RX venues at three official tests at Loheac, Silverstone and in Riga, in a bid to reduce costs.

The first two official tests will be pre-season, ahead of World RX’s opening round in Barcelona on April 14-15.

The first, at Loheac in France, will run on March 7-8, while Silverstone will host the second on March 26-27, a week after the British Rallycross Championship holds the first ever event on the new circuit.

It’s understood that the Loheac and Silverstone tests will be restricted to permanent World RX teams and individual entrants, nominated wildcard drivers and regular round-by-round entrants (that will take part in three rounds or more in 2018).

An in-season test in Riga will be run over at least two days in mid-July and will also include track time for European Championship Supercar and Super 1600 competitors.

Testing on non-World RX circuits will remain unrestricted, while non-permanent World RX racers can continue to test at World RX venues through the year, but not within 56 days before the event at each specific circuit.

The news comes less than a week after a number of other cost-cutting measures were introduced by the series.