Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Edition

Global Global

Why the FIA is confident WRC will head to USA in 2027 after 2026 calendar miss

The World Rally Championship’s governing body explained why the USA missed out on hosting a rally in 2026, but hasn’t shut the door on an event in 2027

Miki Biasion / Tiziano Siviero, Lancia Delta.

The FIA is confident the World Rally Championship is on track to host a round in the USA in 2027 following its omission from the 2026 schedule.

The WRC has long held an ambition to return to the USA for the first time since the 1988 Olympus Rally, with the project a key part of its plan to grow the category.

Last year, the championship announced it had developed a “clear roadmap” to achieving a USA event in 2026 that included direct investment and involvement in event promotion from WRC Promoter.

In April, the WRC Promoter confirmed that a multi-year deal was in place and the event was included on a proposed 2026 calendar. The USA joining the schedule was however subject to approval from the FIA and USA’s national federation ACCUS.

The FIA has today confirmed that a mutual decision was made between the governing body, the WRC Promoter and ACCUS to delay the USA’s appearance on the WRC calendar until 2027 at the earliest.

“The FIA is working hard together with the promoter and ACCUS to bring Rally USA to the WRC calendar. However, it has been a mutual decision that it will require another year to get prepared," said FIA's Road Sport Director Emilia Abel in a media roundtable at Rally Finland.

“We're still working on delivering the candidate event so the discussion is certainly ongoing. However, it could have also meant that the calendar would have been a 15-event calendar.

Miki Biasion, Tiziano Siviero, Lancia Delta Integrale

Miki Biasion, Tiziano Siviero, Lancia Delta Integrale

Photo by: Motorsport Images

“So it has been decided for now that we still work together with the organisers and the ASN and the promoter to make sure of that once we are entering the new continent.

“As we all know, rallying is a slightly different discipline and perceived slightly different [in the USA] than in Europe.

“We have decided that we want to be 100% confident that they are following exactly the same requirements as the FIA, and just need another year to be prepared and trained for the event, just purely from the organisational point of view.”

When asked if the FIA was confident the USA would appear on the WRC calendar in 2027, Abel added: “Yes, confident, 100%. We see some very good progress already over the last month. We see a dedicated team, so it's certainly on a good path.”

Read Also:

Details regarding the candidate event for Rally USA are yet to be defined, although it has been potentially earmarked for September.

“It [the candidate event] is in progress. There is no official application yet, but it is in progress, and it's considered to be at the moment at the end of September, but there is no official application. So until the official application is there, I can't say that it is 100% happening,” said Abel, referring to the candidate event that is needed before a rally formally joins the WRC calendar.

Securing insurance to host a WRC round in the USA had been one of the initial hurdles in bringing rallying’s top tier to North America, but the FIA has confirmed that this is not a concern moving forward.

“Yes, it has indeed been a topic as well, but I believe that the organiser had found the solution for that,” said Abel.

In this article
Be the first to know and subscribe for real-time news email updates on these topics
Previous article USA misses out as WRC reveals 2026 calendar
Next article Hyundai's WRC future confirmed for 2026 season

Top Comments

Recommended for you

Denny Hamlin fires back after Mamba Smith's Daytona prank in viral X social media exchange

Denny Hamlin fires back after Mamba Smith's Daytona prank in viral X social media exchange

NASCAR Cup
Daytona II
Denny Hamlin fires back after Mamba Smith's Daytona prank in viral X social media exchange
Ryan Blaney responds to Alex Bowman's promise of "seven million beers" with counter-offer

Ryan Blaney responds to Alex Bowman's promise of "seven million beers" with counter-offer

NASCAR Cup
Daytona II
Ryan Blaney responds to Alex Bowman's promise of "seven million beers" with counter-offer
Leigh Diffey confronts criticism after Daytona regular season finale

Leigh Diffey confronts criticism after Daytona regular season finale

NASCAR Cup
Daytona II
Leigh Diffey confronts criticism after Daytona regular season finale
Alexander Rossi thrilled for ECR’s Milwaukee success after “missed opportunities”

Alexander Rossi thrilled for ECR’s Milwaukee success after “missed opportunities”

IndyCar
Milwaukee
Alexander Rossi thrilled for ECR’s Milwaukee success after “missed opportunities”
Denny Hamlin says Bubba Wallace at fault for pileup crash: "Not clear"

Denny Hamlin says Bubba Wallace at fault for pileup crash: "Not clear"

NASCAR Cup
Daytona II
Denny Hamlin says Bubba Wallace at fault for pileup crash: "Not clear"
Christian Rasmussen steals maiden IndyCar win after late weather caution

Christian Rasmussen steals maiden IndyCar win after late weather caution

IndyCar
Milwaukee
Christian Rasmussen steals maiden IndyCar win after late weather caution
Winners and losers from an unbelievable NASCAR Cup finish at Daytona

Winners and losers from an unbelievable NASCAR Cup finish at Daytona

NASCAR Cup
Daytona II
Winners and losers from an unbelievable NASCAR Cup finish at Daytona
Pedro Acosta owns up to qualifying “mess”, admits need to “cool down”

Pedro Acosta owns up to qualifying “mess”, admits need to “cool down”

MotoGP
Hungarian GP
Pedro Acosta owns up to qualifying “mess”, admits need to “cool down”

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Edition

Global Global
Filters