Both the UK and Ireland are working on returns to the World Rally Championship calendar in the future – but they can’t both win a spot, according to WRC Promoter.
The UK had been a mainstay on the WRC calendar ever since its inception until it lost its place after 2019 amid the Welsh government pulling back its funding.
Ireland meanwhile last appeared in the world championship back in 2009, but launched a 2025 calendar bid that ultimately failed also due to a lack of government funding.
Motorsport Ireland is currently trying again to secure a future calendar slot, while Motorsport UK is working on a feasibility study to bring the WRC to Scotland – which DirtFish understands was targeted to be completed and submitted to the Scottish government last month.
Both ASNs are targeting a 2026 date, but WRC Promoter event director Simon Larkin confessed it’s “unlikely” that the two events could feature on the same calendar.
Sébastien Loeb won both previous editions of Rally Ireland, in 2007 and 2009
“No, I don’t – [it’s] unlikely,” Larkin said when asked if he could see both the UK and Ireland on the same calendar.
“I think either or would hit the right target.
“I think going to Ireland – I’ve said this before, I’ve been there a few times this year – I think Ireland would be fantastic and I think it would be a great event to then represent, if you like, the British Isles. I think that’s where we want to be.”
Despite seeming to have a preference for Ireland over the UK, Larkin did confirm that WRC Promoter is in “negotiations” with Motorsport UK about its event but suggested it couldn’t join the calendar until 2027 at the earliest.
“We’re working with Motorsport UK on a potential return. Again, it would not be before 2027,” said Larkin.
USA the priority for 2026
WRC Promoter’s big target for 2026, however, is finally securing USA’s return to the championship.
The US hasn’t featured since the 1988 Olympus Rally, but as previously reported by DirtFish a calendar slot has been reserved for 2026.
The WRC's only recent trips to North America have come in México
“Our target is absolutely 2026 in Tennessee,” Larkin confirmed.
“Everything’s progressing really well there. And we’ll announce a likely test or candidate event. It will happen at some point next year, in 2025, and then 2026 WRC.”
It feeds into a wider strategy from WRC Promoter which wants to expand the calendar further outside Europe.
Of next year’s 14 events, five aren’t in Europe – the most since 2008.
“We want to expand outside Europe,” Larkin said. “The USA in 2026, that’s our number one target. And every other country has been secondary against the US for 2026.
“We’re happy with our progress there. We’re involved in a joint venture in terms of the promotion of that event. We’re a partner onboard. And we would like to see a second event in Asia. That’s something that I don’t foresee before 2027.”
Next year's first trip to the Middle East since Jordan featured in 2010-11 increases the WRC's non-European event count
Larkin added that the championship will be helping subsidize the costs of further long-haul events for teams.
“We would like to slightly expand the number of events. And how we’re doing this, because we don’t want to just increase costs of competition, in Central Europe Rally, we provided the infrastructure for M-Sport as a test. And that’s part of what we’re trying to do, because for long-haul events next year – except Kenya, so in Paraguay, Chile, Japan, Saudi Arabia – we will provide the team structures.
“And it’s all leading up to 2027 with new cars, lighter regulations, easier to rebuild cars, cheaper to rebuild cars, so that if we increase the number of events, it’s actually easier for the teams as well.
“They can have redundant chassis; we don’t need to have such big rebuild time in between events. So we can try to slightly increase the number of events, in particular being more portable outside of Europe.”
Potential snow event for ERC
Larkin has also addressed the calendar in the European Rally Championship, which has never been more relevant for the WRC given Latvia, Poland and now the Canary Islands have all been promoted from the ERC in the past two years.
Estonia (2024) and Croatia (2025) have also been demoted to the European schedule before a return to the world stage.
The 2025 ERC calendar features five asphalt rallies and three gravel, but Larkin admitted a snow event is being investigated for 2026.
The ERC hasn't had a winter rally since Rally Liepāja in 2015, won by Craig Breen
“We’re very, very happy with the ERC at the moment,” he said. “I mean, we had eight events this year, eight different winners, four different tire manufacturers, each won an event – it doesn’t get much better than that.
“The level of competition is exceptional. We’re seeing drivers legitimately see it as a stepping stone to the WRC. We know that we have a great platform there for customer motorsport and it can also be a great platform for the drivers.
“We’d love to add a snow event to the ERC and that’s something that we’re looking at for 2026. Other than that we’re very, very happy with it and it’s a great platform.”
The ERC last included a winter event in 2015 when both Jänner Rallye (January) and Rally Liepāja (February) featured and comprised what was known as a mini ‘Ice Master’ series.
