WRC confirms return to U.S. for 2027

A landmark 15-round calendar for the 2027 FIA World Rally Championship was confirmed Thursday, following its approval by the FIA World Motor Sport Council, which includes a return to the United States for the first time since 1988.

The inclusion of Rally US, scheduled for Aug. 26-29, follows a successful WRC candidate event this past June and builds on the continued development of rallying in the U.S. Specifics of the event will be announced at a later date.

The return of both a U.S. and a U.K. event – the latter returning for the first time since 2019 with an Aberdeen-based Rally Scotland, set to take place from Sept. 30-Oct. 3. – together with a move to Rome for Rally d'Italia, will strengthen the championship in both important new markets and its traditional rallying heartlands.

The announcement follows last week’s confirmation that Ford will return to the FIA WRC, adding to the growing momentum behind the championship as it prepares to introduce new technical regulations from 2027 and enters a new phase of commercial development under new promoter leadership.

Rally d'Italia will provide a third major addition to the 2027 calendar, stepping up from the FIA European Rally Championship to join the WRC from July 8-11. The tarmac event will combine stages across the Lazio region with a high-profile setting in Rome, demonstrating the pathway between the FIA’s regional and world championship events.

The 2027 season will begin with its traditional opener, Rallye Monte-Carlo, from Jan. 21-24, before moving to two of the championship’s classic events with Rally Sweden and Safari Rally Kenya.

Croatia, the Canary Islands and Japan will then form three consecutive tarmac rounds, before Acropolis Rally Greece opens the European summer gravel sequence.

Rally d'Italia will bring a return to the tarmac of Rome in July, before Estonia and Finland place two of the championship’s fastest gravel events back-to-back, in a region where rallying enjoys exceptional levels of participation and fan support.

Both events will continue to build on alternative approaches to rally format, following the successful introduction of Estonia’s condensed program and Finland’s fan-focused Super Sunday concept.

Following Rally US, the championship will return to Europe for Rally Scotland, before traveling to South America for rounds in Paraguay and Chile. The final round of the season will be contested on the desert dust of Rally Saudi Arabia from Nov. 25-28.

Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President of the FIA, said: “The 2027 FIA World Rally Championship calendar reflects the strong momentum behind the WRC, with new events in the United Kingdom and Italy strengthening the Championship in countries with a proud rallying heritage, while the United States gives us an exciting opportunity to grow in a country where interest in rallying continues to rise.

“With the introduction of the WRC27 technical regulations, a new promoter thanks to the deal of the century that will bring long-term investment and ambition to the championship, and a strong global calendar, the future of rallying is extremely bright.”

Éric Boullier, CEO of WRC Promoter, said: “2027 represents the beginning of an exciting new chapter for the World Rally Championship, and this calendar reflects our ambition to build a stronger, more accessible and truly global championship.

“Returning to the United States and United Kingdom, alongside bringing the WRC to an iconic destination such as Rome, creates tremendous opportunities for our manufacturers, commercial partners and fans.

“Combined with the introduction of new technical regulations, we have a unique opportunity to shape the future of the WRC, attract new investment and bring the excitement of rallying to more people around the world.”

Julien Vial, COO of WRC Promoter, added: “Our vision is to build a championship that combines the unique sporting challenges of rallying with world-class events capable of engaging audiences around the globe.

“This calendar strikes that balance, bringing together some of the sport's most celebrated rallies with exciting new destinations. Working closely with our organizers and partners, we want to continue raising the standard of our events and delivering an exceptional experience for fans, competitors and stakeholders.”