The 2026 World Rally Championship started in January with Monte-Carlo, where drivers tackled icy roads and city stages in Monaco. Then, the teams moved to Sweden for fast snow-covered tracks. In March, Kenya’s Safari Rally brought tough gravel roads and wildlife obstacles.
April’s stop in Croatia challenged crews on winding tarmac. Spain’s Canary Islands followed with more asphalt before Portugal, where the fight continued on rough gravel. Japan, usually the season’s end, was held in May, adding new strategy with its city and mountain roads.
Summer’s events included Greece (the rocky Acropolis Rally), Estonia, and Finland — all fast, gravel-heavy rallies with unique local challenges. The teams visited South America for rounds in Paraguay and Chile, each offering tricky gravel and passionate fans.
October brought the series to Italy, with the specific location (Sardinia or Rome) still to be decided. The championship ended in November in Saudi Arabia, where the last points were fought for on desert terrain.
The WRC 2026 calendar covered a wide range of surfaces, countries, and climates, testing every aspect of driver and team skill as they raced for the championship.
Central Europe Rally out
Following the scheduled staging of the Central European Rally as a World Championship round between 2023 and 2025, the rally will not be part of the WRC calendar next year. Economic conditions prevent an extension of the current agreement with the World Championship promoter. The WRC Promoter and the organizing company, CER GmbH, are in constructive dialogue about ways to continue presenting top-class international rallying in the future and are also examining the appropriate accolades for an event in the three-country region in the future.
Hyundai commits
Hyundai has officially confirmed its commitment to the World Rally Championship for the 2026 season, continuing its full factory program at the top level. However, the manufacturer has not made any commitments beyond 2026, with the future depending on forthcoming regulatory changes and internal strategic considerations. Team principal Cyril Abiteboul expressed satisfaction with the regulatory support for 2026 but indicated that the brand is still evaluating its long-term involvement as the WRC moves toward major technical changes for 2027. Hyundai’s program for 2026 will remain full manufacturer level—there are no plans for a reduced effort
