WRC Promoter’s event director Simon Larkin is currently a very busy man. Larkin faces an abundance of interest from new events eager to join the WRC calendar.
Already this season, two brand-new rallies will be held: Rally Islas Canarias in April and the season finale in Saudi Arabia. In addition, the United States is likely to join the calendar next year, and there has also been talk about a WRC round returning to Scotland.
With the current 14-round calendar already crowded, there’s no shortage of candidates. Pierre Gosselin, president of France’s motorsport federation FFSA, has already stated that he wants France to return to the WRC calendar.
The legendary Tour de Corse, or Rally Corsica, last featured in the WRC in 2019, but its return could now be on the horizon.
“That was excellent news,” Larkin told AutoHebdo, referring to Gosselin’s comments.
“Pierre contacted us to gather information about the modern WRC. We felt it was better to meet face-to-face rather than just send him a PowerPoint presentation. During the meeting, we reviewed the current state of the WRC, our strategy, and our future plans. We also provided technical and marketing documents… and now we’re waiting for their response,” Larkin explained.
Although the WRC has faced various challenges in recent years, the promoter’s door is still crowded with interest. In addition to the United States, Indonesia has been mentioned as a potential returning round. Furthermore, both Croatia and Latvia are set to make temporary exits from the calendar and return again next year.
However, France has better chances than many others to secure a spot. According to Larkin, there’s a clear reason for that.
“France is a very important market for us,” Larkin said.
“People shouldn’t think that there hasn’t been any contact between us and FFSA in recent years. We have been in touch, and there are French people working in WRC who are great partners. It’s positive that they want to make changes,” Larkin continued.
Still, the return of the French WRC round should not be expected immediately.
“We are now waiting for an official proposal. We have excellent relations with Canal+, there are French drivers in the championship, and the fact that the event would be on asphalt is also important. But we won’t go to France just for the sake of it,” Larkin stated.
Larkin also reminded that WRC already partially runs on French soil.
“Let’s not forget that Monte Carlo is already on the calendar, and its stages run through France. If we add a new round, it should not undermine Monte Carlo’s position. The project must be strong and provide added value. The same philosophy applies to the United Kingdom, where several ideas are in development – in England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland – and where we would like to return if it adds value to our programme,” Larkin outlined.
If a WRC event is held in France in the future, Corsica may not necessarily serve as the host location. Many things have changed since 2019, and today organising a WRC rally on the island would likely be far more expensive than it was back then. Fortunately, France has another option.
“Personally, I would prefer a setup like we had in Alsace (used between 2010–2014) rather than Corsica. Corsica is a difficult place to work – I say that from experience because I’m an islander myself,” said the Australian Larkin.
