WRC reveals biggest calendar for 17 years
The 2025 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) season will be the biggest since 2008 with an expanded 14-round calendar.
The season will kick off in the traditional surrounds of the famous Rallye Monte Carlo in January, but there will be three new rounds including Canary Islands, Paraguay and Saudi Arabia.
The trip to Saudi Arabia will wrap up the season in November.
With 14 rounds it will be the biggest WRC season since 2008 when 15 rallies were held.
Despite the new editions there will be a traditional feel with Monte Carlo followed by the snow of Sweden and the annual trip to Kenya.
Rally Islas Canarias sees WRC return to Spain after two years away with the asphalt event taking the spot from Croatia.
Seven straight gravel rallies then follow with Portugal followed by the familiar Italia Sardinia and Acropolis Greece events.
Estonia rejoins WRC in place of Latvia with Finland being held at the start of August prior to the inaugural Paraguay event.
That will be the first of two straight South American rounds followed by Chile, which ends the run of gravel rallies.
The Central European Rally will return and incorporate stages in Germany, Austria and Czech Republic.
Japan will remain on the run home being the penultimate round before the new season finale of Saudi Arabia on November 27-30, which has been listed as a gravel event.
“This is a hugely exciting calendar which perfectly blends our traditional rallies with three exciting new challenges, two of which are outside of Europe, highlighting once again the global appeal of our championship,” said WRC Promoter Managing Director Jona Siebel.
“From the ice in the French Alps, knee-deep snow in Sweden, blinding dust in Kenya and Sardinia, high-speed gravel rollercoasters in Finland and Estonia and finally deserts in Saudi Arabia – the variety we are offering in 2025 is unrivalled.”
“It is fantastic to see such a full calendar of events for the 2025 WRC season. Alongside classic locations fans know and love, the introduction of new rallies in Spain, Paraguay, and Saudi Arabia adds even more excitement and reflects the global diversity of competitors and rally fans alike,” FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem said.
The 2024 FIA WRC resumes in Finland this weekend.
2025 FIA WRC calendar
Round 1: Rallye Monte-Carlo 23 – 26 January
Round 2: Rally Sweden 13 – 16 February
Round 3: Safari Rally Kenya 20 – 23 March
Round 4: Rally Islas Canarias 24 – 27 April
Round 5: Rally de Portugal 15 – 18 May
Round 6: Rally Italia Sardegna 05 – 08 June
Round 7: Acropolis Rally Greece 26 – 29 June
Round 8: Rally Estonia 17 – 20 July
Round 9: Rally Finland 31 July – 03 August
Round 10: Rally del Paraguay 28 – 31 August
Round 11: Rally Chile Bio Bío 11 – 14 September
Round 12: Central European Rally 16 – 19 October
Round 13: Rally Japan 06 – 09 November
Round 14: Rally Saudi Arabia 27 – 30 November
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