The season of the World Rally Championship (WRC) will end earlier than expected, as the International Automobile Federation (FIA) has confirmed the cancellation of the rally that was to take place in Saudi Arabia from November 11 to 14. Thus, the Sardinia Rally, which will be held from October 1 to 4, will become the last event of the season.
The decision to cancel the event in Saudi Arabia is due to the uncertainty surrounding various motorsport events in the region, due to the ongoing conflict. This situation has made travel difficult for all teams, including Toyota and Hyundai, which have informed the FIA that their members cannot travel to the area.
Although the British team M-Sport-Ford had prepared to travel, the situation changed with the update of the British government travel advisories. Initially, the foreign office had declared that it was safe to travel to Jeddah, but it withdrew this support shortly after.
The FIA president, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, stated that despite the effort to maintain the event, current circumstances did not allow for its execution. Nevertheless, he reaffirmed confidence in the organizers and the future of the rally, indicating that the axis of the Middle East Rally Championship would continue as planned.
This cancellation implies a significant change in the title fight, where Elfyn Evans has a 17-point lead over his Toyota teammate, Sami Pajari. If he maintains this position, Evans will become the first Briton to win the WRC title since Richard Burns in 2001.
At the same time, the news has positioned Robert Virves as champion in the WRC2 category, adding a substantial victory with a 32-point lead.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
SourceID: SRC_54fa0f3ff588e9ebcea370ad4dc239e3bae26dba