2020 WRC calendar brings more global championship
The 2020 FIA World Rally Championship calendar has been released, featuring fourteen events, the same number as in 2019 but with three new events in Japan, Kenya and New Zealand.
In a fact, all three new events are returning to the championship because all three countries hosted WRC rallies before – New Zealand thirty-two times between 1977 and 2012, Kenya/East Africa thirty times between 1973 and 2002, Japan six times between 2004 and 2010. The rallies which dropped out from calendar are Tour de Corse, Rally Catalunya and Rally Australia.
It is the first time the WRC has included six continents – Europe, North America, South America, Asia, Africa and Australasia – in its 48-year history. Not since 1999 have Africa and Asia appeared side-by-side in the fixture list.
Japan hosted WRC round for the last time in 2010
“It’s no secret we wanted to further globalise the series by incorporating more events outside Europe and we’ve achieved that next year with this exciting new-look calendar. The return of Japan and Kenya provide a presence in the world’s largest two continents by size for the first time in more than two decades. The last time Asia and Africa appeared in the WRC together was 1999. The two continents are huge markets for the WRC and I thank everyone involved from both countries and the FIA who have been instrumental in returning the rallies to the calendar for 2020,” said Oliver Ciesla, managing director of WRC Promoter.
“This is the most varied WRC calendar ever in terms of geographic locations, visiting six of the world’s seven continents. The additions provide a refreshing new feel to our fixture list and open an exciting new chapter to the championship, one that will appeal to both competitors and fans alike,” added Ciesla.
New Zealand hosted 32 WRC events between 1977 and 2012
Unlike previous editions of Rally Japan, which were held on the northern island of Hokkaido, the 2020 event will be based in Nagoya, on the country’s main island of Honshu. It is about three hours’ drive from capital city Tokyo. The all-new asphalt rally will be the final round of the championship, taking place on November 19-22.
The Safari was notorious for being the WRC’s toughest round as open-road gravel tracks, unpredictable weather and a route three times longer than other rallies created hazards unmatched elsewhere. It has evolved to fit the modern-day WRC, but its character remains with challenging closed dirt roads, superb picture-postcard scenery and exotic wildlife. The East African event will form the championship’s eighth round on July 16-19.
Rally New Zealand returns after a seven-year hiatus as the tenth round of the championship on September 3-6. The base of the rally would be in Auckland on the North Island.
The season will kick-off with Rallye Monte-Carlo
2020 WRC calendar:
1. Monte-Carlo (23- 26 January)
2. Sweden (13-16 February)
3. Mexico (12-15 March)
4. Chile (16-19 April)
5. Argentina (30 April -3 May)
6. Portugal (21-24 May)
7. Italy (4- 7 June)
8. Kenya (16-19 July)
9. Finland (6-9 August)
10. New Zealand (3-6 September)
11. Turkey (24-27 September)
12. Germany (15-18 October)
13. Great Britain (29 October – 1 November)
14. Japan (19-22 November)
Photos: WRC,
