Rally Australia Binned For 2021

Australia is out of the World Rally Championship.

The ongoing threat from Covid-19 means there is too much uncertainty around Australia and New Zealand for their inclusion in the planned championship in 2021.

The devastating blow comes despite plans to move Rally Australia to Bathurst next year, with a ceremonial start and finish in Sydney to lift the national and international profile of the event and the sport.

Rally New Zealand had also been mounting a renewed bid for a return to the series, after it was injected into the 2020 calendar at the expense of the troubled Rally Australia at Coffs Harbour.

Senior WRC sources in Europe have confirmed to Race News the loss of world title status next year, as the rally calendar is shaped to continue a focus on non-flyaway events in Europe.

The move also raises doubts around the Australian Grand Prix, despite optimism from the Melbourne organisers that the event can continue its position as the season opener in March.

The WRC calendar is still being massaged for 2021, but the WRC insider has given some solid pointers on the way it will look and the reasoning behind some of the choices – including the loss of Wales Rally GB in favour of a new event in Ireland.

“There must be a minimum number of events for the championship and the WRC television,” he tells Race News.

“They want to avoid any events which could be cancelled because of COVID-19.”

Even so, the provisional calendar includes the Safari Rally in Kenya, with Japan continuing at the end of the series.

Other changes would see Estonia continue on the schedule alongside Finland, which it replaced at the last minute this year, as well as the return of Rally Chile after it was forced to withdraw from this year’s championship.

POTENTIAL WRC CALENDAR 2021