Rally Argentina is on the road back to the World Rally Championship for 2028.
The South American classic has been absent from the WRC calendar since 2019. A candidate rally, running as a round of the FIA CODASUR Rally Championship, in March is the stepping stone back to a calendar slot in 2028.
If the FIA and WRC Promoter are satisfied with the candidate rally and the post-event report is approved by the World Motor Sport Council, Rally Argentina will return with a three-year agreement, starting from 2028.
Plans for the Córdoba-based event include a return to the Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes for the service park and wider, fan-friendly WRC Arena along with some of the world-renowned stages like El Condor.
The 2020 Rally Argentina was lost to the COVID-19 pandemic and precluded from an all-European calendar the following season. Financial and logistical difficulties complicated an immediate return, with Villa Carlos Paz – the former hub of the event – hit by fires late in 2023.
As reported by DirtFish, work began on a plan to bring Rally Argentina back early last year.
Argentina was last a WRC round back in 2019
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has fond memories of competing in the country. The 1993 event was the scene of his finest hour in the World Rally Championship, finishing sixth overall and taking a 21-minute victory in the prestigious Group N class aboard his Ford Escort RS Cosworth.
Ben Sulayem said: “Argentina is a country with motorsport in its blood, passionate fans and remarkable terrain. It has an incredible rallying heritage, and I have great personal memories of competing in Córdoba. When I visited Argentina earlier this year, I repeated my commitment to bringing world-class competition back to the country and I am proud to announce the first step to achieving that vision.
“Following the historic ‘deal of the century’ and our partnership with the new WRC Promoter, the championship is entering a new era with increased investment and a clear vision to drive continued growth worldwide. Securing a return to Argentina will not only deliver great excitement for fans but it will build on the global momentum of our sport. I wish the organizing team every success as preparations get underway.”
Éric Boullier, CEO of WRC Promoter, added: “Argentina has always held a special place in the history of the WRC. Few events can match the passion of the fans in Córdoba or the atmosphere surrounding its legendary stages, and bringing the championship back is something we are incredibly excited about.
“This multi-year commitment is about more than simply returning to a familiar destination. It is about building a sustainable, long-term future for Rally Argentina and reconnecting the WRC with a country where rallying means so much to so many people.”
Throughout the three-day candidate rally, FIA delegates will work alongside Argentina’s governing body of motorsport, the Automóvil Club Argentino, as well as local organizers, to assess sporting operations, safety and medical arrangements, infrastructure and organizational capabilities, including the proposed stages and service park facilities, to determine its suitability to host a future FIA WRC round.
