Toyota team principal Jari-Matti Latvala doesn’t believe the World Rally Championship should visit Saudi Arabia this year when other FIA world championships are not.
Formula 1’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix was due to be held in April, but did not go ahead due to conflict in the Middle East. The rescheduled Bahrain Grand Prix in October will proceed, but it will be hosted in Malaysia instead of Bahrain.
Last week, the World Endurance Championship also announced it was relocating its final two rounds from Qatar and Bahrain to Europe, in Spain and Italy respectively.
Rally Saudi Arabia is currently set to run on November 11-14 as the 14th and final round of the WRC season.
Latvala feels the WRC should follow the lead of other motorsports, with everyone’s safety the priority.
“If we look at what other sports, what has happened, for me, it should be basically the same side as the F1 and the WEC,” Latvala told DirtFish.
Rally Saudi Arabia is scheduled to run in November, with the FIA setting a deadline of mid-September to make a decision
“I think if they don’t run it, why should the WRC run it? I know they want to organize it, but the most important thing is the people’s safety. That is the priority, and that’s what counts first.”
The FIA has set a deadline of mid-September for a final decision on whether the rally will go ahead.
Road sport director, Emilia Abel, said: “At the current stage we are very working very closely with the promoter to try to find the best way forward. As we all know this situation can very quickly change and even if we take the positive decision one day, then it can still happen that one week after the situation has changed.
“But currently we are really actively discussing this, also with the manufacturer teams, because based on what has happened in other championships, we know also that this can become a constraint.
“Somewhere around the middle of September would be the time to take [a decision] because obviously we are working also with the logistics of the championship, and we all know that it’s taking a bit more time than it used to take.”
What if Rally Saudi Arabia doesn’t go ahead?
In the event that the rally is cancelled, the 2026 season would either become a 13-round affair or a substitute round could be added.
Latvala doesn’t think the WRC would need to find a replacement.
If the WRC lost a round, there would be ramifications for WRC2 competitors who may have wished to go there
“For me, there is enough events in the calendar,” he said. “I don’t think we need a replacement for the season.”
However Abel admitted there would be complications in not finding a replacement.
“For the moment we are still working hard that it [Rally Saudi Arabia] will happen, to stick to the actual championship,” she said, “because obviously the choices the WRC2 competitors have been making, dedicating it and making a choice of this event for the surface and so on.
“So it’s not as simple as that, and we all know how long is the lead time to prepare a WRC event.”
Reigning world champion Sébastien Ogier would favor a Tarmac round, should Saudi Arabia be cancelled and a replacement found.
“I don’t know, but for me a Tarmac rally is good because then you don’t penalize the leader of the championship,” he told DirtFish.
“Even [between] first and second it’s pretty fair condition, not big difference, so a Tarmac rally with not too many cut maybe. I’ve always been a fan of fair condition as much as we can in rally, so if that could happen that would be ideal in case of fighting [for the championship] on the final rally.”
Championship leader Elfyn Evans added: “I’ve not really played the situation out too much. I think there’s nothing to really do at the moment other than do the best job you can. There’s still loads of points on offer over these last rallies, so it doesn’t change anything for me.
“Replacement… I don’t know. I’m happy to finish in October [in Sardinia]! But let’s see.”
