Last year, the WRC Promoter signed a major ten-year deal with Saudi Arabia. From 1–3 May, the country will host a candidate event designed to assess the organising team’s ability to host a WRC event.
The rally, known as the Saudi International Rally, will also serve as the third round of this year’s Middle East Rally Championship. It goes without saying that the candidate event will pass the FIA’s approval process, paving the way for Saudi Arabia’s first-ever WRC round at the end of November.
The candidate event’s service park will be based at the Jeddah F1 circuit, ensuring top-class infrastructure. For now, it is expected that the rally cars will be serviced in the F1 pit garages.
The event will feature 12 special stages, covering a total of 192 kilometres, with the full route measuring just under 510 kilometres. It remains to be seen whether WRC teams will be able to send any cars to the candidate rally, as the Canary Islands WRC round takes place just a week earlier.
In the Middle East Rally Championship, former WRC driver and multiple Dakar Rally winner Nasser Al-Attiyah has made a flawless start to the season. The Qatari driver secured victories in both the season opener in Oman in January and his home event in early February.
The Saudi Arabian WRC round will take place from 27–30 November, serving as the final rally of the WRC season.
