Wales Rally GB organiser Motorsport UK says the FIA World Rally Championship will be returning to Wales in 2020.
Talks to move it to Irealand next season broke down when agreement couldn’t be reached although the global governing body of motor sport, the FIA, has indicated it’s not happy with Wales holding onto the event.
Appealing to the purists, the UK’s round of the WRC will move back to a more traditional end-of-season date and be staged from Thursday 29 October to Sunday 1 November for the penultimate round in the calendar.
The season opens in Monte Carlo in late January and finishes in Japan in late November, Wales once again is certain to deliver maximum excitement as the 2020 title race reaches its thrilling finale.
Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism Dafydd Elis Thomas said, “It was amazing to attend some of the stages of this year’s Wales Rally GB, including Llyn Brenig and the finish at Llandudno. It’s a great event, taking advantage of some of the stunning locations north and mid Wales have to offer while showcasing these to a world-wide audience. We look forward to seeing the organiser’s post event report and hearing the proposals for next year’s event in Wales.”
Hugh Chambers, CEO of Motorsport UK, organiser of Wales Rally GB added,“We are absolutely delighted to be back in Wales next year – even more so after all the hugely positive feedback we’ve already had to what was an incredible 2019 event.
“With Wales as the centre-piece, the whole rally benefited from the increased profile and fan support right from the start in Liverpool and the following spectator-friendly opening stage at Oulton Park.
“Every year we challenge ourselves to make our round of the World Rally Championship even better than the previous one and, now Wales has been confirmed for 2020, we can start striving for even more exciting innovations for the WRC’s return in little more than 12 months’ time.”