The rally will be organised for the 15th time this year. However, concern has now arisen in Estonia about the future of the country’s WRC round.
The worry has been caused by neighbouring Latvia’s strong entry into the WRC. Latvia’s WRC rally was held for the first time last year. The debut was impressive, and WRC Promoter’s event director Simon Larkin has already stated that Latvia’s first WRC round laid a strong foundation for future events.
Originally, the plan was for Estonia and Latvia to alternate in the WRC calendar. However, Latvia is now reportedly planning to organise a WRC event in consecutive years, 2027 and 2028. If this plan materialises, it would likely mean Estonia would lose its place in the calendar. The two events are very similar in profile and are geographically close to one another.
But the Estonians also have a plan. It centres around moving the rally headquarters from Tartu in southern Estonia to the north, near the capital Tallinn. Organisers say that negotiations with the WRC Promoter have already begun and that a major behind-the-scenes effort is underway to ensure Estonia remains part of the WRC in the future.
“The WRC series is extremely popular. There are about 30 countries around the world that would like to host a round. The promoter company negotiates with everyone, and some rallies might publicly announce that discussions are taking place. But unfortunately – or fortunately – that doesn’t guarantee anything yet. A final agreement is only made once it’s signed and the event is included in the calendar,” Tarmo Hõbe, the commercial director of Estonia’s WRC round, told Estonian newspaper Postimees.
The organisers of Estonia’s WRC rally have chosen not to publicly comment on the negotiations. That decision has been deliberate.
“We haven’t seen the need to announce separately that we are negotiating with the promoter. Of course, we are negotiating,” Hõbe said.
“We want to be able to announce that the WRC rally will be held this year, and that the matter is certain and clear. Otherwise, it might raise premature expectations and give the impression that a deal has already been made. And if the deal then doesn’t happen for some reason, the disappointment would be huge,” he added.
The fast gravel roads of southern Estonia have provided great entertainment for rally fans, but it would also be possible to organise the event in Tallinn. Tallinn could serve as an attraction that would help secure the future of Estonia’s WRC round in the calendar.
“Southern Estonia offers extremely attractive roads, jumps, and beautiful scenery. It’s difficult to compete with southern Estonia elsewhere in the country. But we must always be ready because the entire WRC series is developing – expectations, requirements, and visions are changing. We are constantly working on different scenarios,” Hõbe said.
“If it ever happens that for some reason the WRC event needs to be organised in northern Estonia, even partly in Tallinn, I can say that we have gone through those scenarios. Imagine that the promoter says: ‘Yes, you have the right to organise the WRC event in 2028, but it’s important for us to be in the capital because we need more spectators and connections.’ In that case, we won’t hesitate – we are ready,” Hõbe revealed.
