The World Rally Championship will soon be back in Scotland for the first time in three decades, if the Scottish Government looks favorably on a feasibility study currently being undertaken.
Motorsport UK is targeting a Rally GB return in 2026 with the aim of securing a three-year deal for an event based around the city of Aberdeen. The UK hasn’t featured on a WRC calendar since it departed Wales at the end of 2019.
“We are working with the Scottish Government and various different stakeholder agencies in Scotland,” Motorsport UK CEO Hugh Chambers told DirtFish. “We have full support and agreement with Scottish Government to conduct a three-month feasibility study and we’re in the midst of that right now.
“As you can imagine, it’s a complex process – it’s not just the matter of creating the route, it’s about how that event structure, that product, would work with all the different stakeholders. It’s about engagement and creating a holistic business mode. The fact that we’ve been welcomed [by the Scottish Government] to do that study means they’re taking this very seriously.”
ERC was last international championship to visit Scotland when Andreas Mikkelsen won 2011 event
Understandably, Chambers is focused on fixing the commercial side of a possible British return to the WRC, but he did offer some insight into the route.
He said: “The epicenter would be around Aberdeen. There are some incredible roads up there and you’ve got the P&J Live centre – a world-class event arena. The infrastructure is all there, the hotels are within walking distance and, of course, Aberdeen itself is a vibrant community with a very powerful commercial center based on the oil and gas industry.”
Researching the route some more, DirtFish understands a ceremonial start out of Edinburgh is likely with a possible superspecial at the nearby Knockhill race circuit. An overnight halt around the capital on Thursday night would allow the route to head north through the Perthshire forests on Friday before Saturday and Sunday based in the nation’s north-east woods.
Chambers added: “This is one that has definitely got some momentum behind it. Nothing is ever done until it’s done, and there’s still some hard yards to go, but I do genuinely think we’re in better shape now than we probably have been for 10 years and so is the potential for Rally GB. We’ve got fresh thinking, fresh stakeholders and fresh momentum.
“WRC Promoter is fully abreast of everything we’re doing and they’re very, very supportive and very keen as is [FIA road sport director] Andrew Wheatley. I genuinely think we’ve got things aligned, but the next six months are going to be critical.”
