The 2025 World Rally Championship calendar is now all-but settled as the organizer of Croatia Rally confirmed the event will not be part of the schedule next year.
Croatia joined the WRC calendar back in 2021 and instantly produced a classic – an incident on a road section for Sébastien Ogier contributing to the closest-ever finish on asphalt in WRC history (0.6 seconds).
In fact, on three of the four editions of the Zagreb-based event, the winning margin has been less than 10 seconds.
But despite Croatia being offered a three-year contract covering 2025-2027 by WRC Promoter, it has missed out as the organizer was unable to secure the relevant guarantees from the local authorities in time.
Daniel Šaškin, president of the Croatia Rally organizing committee, explained: “After the successful WRC Croatia Rally 2023, we were offered a new, three-year contract for the period from 2025 to 2027.
“For its signing and the continuation of the WRC rally competition in Croatia, we tried to obtain all the necessary documentation, specifically guarantees from local institutions, but unfortunately we have not been able to obtain everything until today.
“At the moment, we see as the only realistic option the possibility of being included in the calendar of the European Rally Championship in 2025, and then returning to the WRC in the seasons of 2026 and 2027. Of course, the next years too – 2026 and 2027, depend on the guarantees of certain institutions and we hope that they will be issued to us in the near future.
“Hereby I would like to thank all partners who stand by us. The support of the City of Zagreb, which confirmed the three-year support for the WRC project in a timely manner by the timely decision of the City Assembly, is extremely useful in the current negotiations.”
Šaškin wanted to “assure” that “the story of Croatia Rally does not end here”, but added “the institutions will have to react quickly”.
He continued: “We do not want to be without the WRC permanently, and there are many interested parties, in three countries next year the World Championship will be held for the first time. Therefore, it is already necessary to sign a contract with the WRC Promoter and the FIA for the 2026 and 2027 seasons, and we cannot sign the contract without guarantees from these institutions.
“The pressure on the WRC Promoter and the FIA is great, there are only 14 countries in the calendar, and there are significantly more interested parties.”
The confirmation of Croatia’s exit makes the 2025 calendar picture clear. Rally Spain will effectively replace it as the season’s second all-Tarmac event in Europe, joining other European events in Monte Carlo, Sweden, Portugal, Sardinia, Estonia (back in place of Latvia), Finland, Greece and Central Europe.
A second event, Rally Paraguay, has been added in the Americas alongside Rally Chile, Africa is represented by Safari Rally Kenya, Asia by Japan and the WRC heads to the Middle East for its season finale in Saudi Arabia.
