The WRC promoter’s event director Simon Larkin promised at the early June Rally Sardinia that the calendar would be announced by early July. Similar promises have been made before, but almost every year the calendar announcement has been delayed.
It is practically certain that the 2025 rally season will start traditionally with Monte Carlo, followed by the Swedish snow rally in February and Kenya’s legendary Safari Rally in March. Many other competitions already have contracts for next season, but dates have not yet been announced. Negotiations are still ongoing for a few rallies.
“We are quite close. There are still a few agreements we need to finalise. The goal is to have everything ready by the end of June so that the calendar can be addressed at the World Motor Sport Council meeting at the beginning of July. A few things remain,” Larkin said.
There are question marks, especially concerning South America. The promoter has hoped for two events in the region, given the large fan base in Latin America and the significant automotive market potential.
Argentina has been eager to return to the WRC, and there would likely be no objections from competitors to the legendary rally’s return. Paraguay has been competing for the second South American spot. However, economic issues have repeatedly hindered the WRC dream for both countries, along with other challenges.
“We are negotiating with both Paraguay and Argentina. These are among the issues we need to resolve in the next couple of weeks. Chile is included, regardless,” Larkin confirmed.
Next season, Estonia will return to the WRC calendar, as Latvia, included this July, will be back in the European Rally Championship. The two Baltic countries alternate annually between the two rally series. There have also been rumours that the Italian round could move away from Sardinia, as Rome has been eyeing the upgrade of its ERC rally to WRC status.
“We have a contract with Sardinia from 2025. That is one hundred percent certain,” Larkin stated.
