Rally Sweden will continue to be based up in Umeå for the next two years in a newly agreed deal, after successfully moving to its new location in 2022.
The event organizer and WRC Promoter announced shortly after the conclusion of this year’s edition of the rally, the first to be held near Umeå, that it will remain in the World Rally Championship until at least 2024.
It moved 500 miles north from its previous host city of Karlstad this year in a bid to find deeper snow.
And although there were minor issues with the itinerary, as wandering reindeer causing the cancelation of two of the rally’s planned stages, the rally was labeled a “resounding success” by WRC Promoter event director Simon Larkin.
“This agreement secures Sweden’s place in the FIA World Rally Championship for the next two years and protects the future of the WRC’s only pure winter rally,” Larkin said.
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“The move north to Umeå has proved a resounding success and we thank the people of the Västerbotten region for the support and warm welcome they have extended to the championship this week.”
Rally Sweden’s CEO Glenn Olsson added: “I think we have delivered high above everyone’s expectations. We have had fantastic roads, good weather, good TV pictures, and many have told us that our officials had done a tremendous job out there.
“FIA, WRC Promoter, and the teams are all satisfied, and everyone thinks it has been an entirely right decision to move to Umeå, as a city suits Umeå very well for a WRC event.”
Toyota driver Kalle Rovanperä won the first ever Rally Sweden to be based in Umeå by 22 seconds from Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville.
