The Italian capital, Rome, has made significant progress in its aspiration to host a round of the World Rally Championship (WRC) in 2027, after completing a candidate event last week.
The WRC announced a year ago the plan to move its Italian round, the Rally di Roma Capitale, replacing the gravel stages of Sardinia with a tarmacked route. This change comes after several years of history in the championship, especially since Sardinia began hosting the rally in 2004, except for 2009.
Event assessment
Since 2017, Rome has been included in the calendar of the European Rally Championship (ERC), with the aim of elevating its event to WRC status. Recently, a delegation from the FIA visited the Rally di Roma Capitale, which was won by driver Roberto Dapra from WRC2, to assess the viability of the event.
For an event to be considered for inclusion in the WRC, it must be held and assessed as successful by the FIA. Now, FIA officials will analyze the findings in the coming weeks to determine if the rally can be included in next year’s calendar, which will likely be announced in the summer.
A promising future
In addition to Rome, two other new competitions have been proposed for the 2027 calendar, one in the United States and the other in the United Kingdom through the Rally Scotland, which is also awaiting final approval from the FIA.
The Rally di Roma Capitale presented a revised route with new tarmac stages near the city, as well as a new service park in the capital. The FIA has highlighted the strength of its promotional platform, which includes a special stage running alongside the famous Colosseum in Rome.
The FIA President, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, stated that this is an exciting time for fans, reflecting a year of growth for the championship, with candidate events held in various locations. It remains to be seen if Rome will join the select group of locations hosting the WRC.
Reported by FormulaRapidaAI
