Italy seems set to host a spherical of the World Rally Championship and European Rally Championship for the foreseeable future with plans for a long-term dedication within the works.
Final weekend’s Rally Italy Sardinia marked the ultimate occasion of its present contract with the WRC.
Sardinia’s tough gravel roads have hosted the WRC yearly, barring 2009, for the reason that occasion moved from Sanremo on the mainland in 2004. Italy has additionally been represented within the WRC by Rally Monza in 2020 and 2021, when COVID-19 restrictions have been in place.
Italy has additionally been a mainstay on the ERC calendar that has seen the asphalt Rally Di Roma host a spherical since 2017.
Italy’s sports activities minister Andrea Abodi visited final weekend’s occasion the place discussions to safe Italy’s place on the WRC schedule from 2026 have been held.
“The Italian sports activities minister has been right here at the moment [Sunday] and we have now had a few conversations, and what I can say is WRC and Italy are very aligned for a long-term dedication for each the WRC and the ERC,” WRC occasion director Simon Larkin advised Motorsport.com.
Motorsport.com understands that Sardinia is more likely to stay on the 2026 calendar, though there’s nonetheless a want from Rally di Roma organisers to see their occasion transfer to the WRC sooner or later, as reported final 12 months.
Ought to Rome obtain the nod, it might must broaden its itinerary and most probably transfer its rally base away from the city of Fiuggi to accommodate all of the groups and personnel.
The WRC has welcomed various ERC rallies onto its schedule lately with Latvia and the Canary Islands graduating to the WRC in 2024 and 2025 respectively.
The WRC is aiming to finalise its 2026 calendar by July. It has already just lately secured a brand new take care of Rally De Portugal final month, whereas its fundamental goal is so as to add the USA to its schedule.
It was introduced within the Canary Islands in April that there was a multi-year contract in place to host a gravel rally based mostly out of Tennessee. The US becoming a member of the WRC calendar is nonetheless topic to the FIA approving the proposed 2026 calendar.
The trail to the 2026 calendar is at present being mentioned with the nationwide federation ACCUS and the sanctioning physique, USA. Satisfying their necessities and issues can also be an necessary think about assembly the timetable.
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