Safari Rally included in WRC 2027 calendar

By  Ayumba Ayodi

Correspondent

NMG Sport

The World Rally Championship (WTRC) Safari Rally will be held in Naivasha from March 18 to 21 next year.

It will be the third leg of the 15-round 2027 World Rally Championship.

A statement on the WRC website on Thursday said the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) World Motor Sport Council approved the Safari Rally as one of the legs in the 2027 calendar.

Fears arose over the Safari's status in the WRC after President William Ruto announced during this year’s event in Naivasha that the government would withdraw as title sponsor, passing responsibility to corporates.

The government has been the title sponsor of the Safari Rally since it regained its WRC status after a 19-year hiatus in 2021 following intense lobbying by former President Uhuru Kenyatta at the FIA.

The Kenyan government and the WRC Promoter first signed a five-year contract from 2021 to 2025 that was extended by one year to 2026.

Sports Minister Salim Mvurya recently revealed that they would seek another five-year contract.

President William Ruto welcomed the Safari Rally's inclusion in the WRC series.

“The Safari Rally stays home,” said the President on his social media handles. “I am delighted to confirm that Kenya will host the WRC Safari Rally in 2027.”

He added: “The Safari was born on Kenyan soil. It belongs on Kenyan soil. Every edition fills our hotels, energises our businesses and carries the beauty of our country to screens across the world.”

Ruto credited the Ministry of Sports, the WRC Safari Rally Project, private-sector partners, the FIA and the WRC Promoter for making it possible.

Three new legs have been included in the annual motorsport championships.

The 2027 WRC series will see the return of Rally USA on August 26-29 in Knoxville, Tennessee, and Rally Scotland in Aberdeenshire scheduled from September 30 to October 3. All will be run on gravel

The championship will visit the USA for the first time since 1988, while action will return to the United Kingdom for the first time since 2019.

For the first time, the world will witness Rally Italy on July 8-11 in Rome, with the rally being held on tarmac.

Besides the Safari Rally, the WRC calendar retains many of the championship's traditional fixtures, beginning with Rallye Monte-Carlo from January 21-24 before heading to Sweden.

Croatia, the Canary Islands and Japan provide three consecutive asphalt rounds before the EKO Acropolis Rally Greece opens the European summer gravel run.

Estonia and Finland then put two of the championship’s fastest and most spectacular events back-to-back, while continuing to showcase innovative approaches to rally format.

Estonia’s successful condensed programme has demonstrated how a full-length WRC challenge can be delivered within a tighter timeframe, while Finland’s fan-focused Super Sunday concept has created a spectacular climax to one of the championship’s most historic events.

Paraguay and Chile form a South American double-header before Rally Saudi Arabia concludes the season from November 25-28.

The calendar will also provide the global stage for the introduction of the WRC27 technical regulations, designed to reduce costs, broaden participation and create new opportunities for manufacturers and independent constructors.

“2027 represents the beginning of an exciting new chapter for the World Rally Championship, and this calendar reflects our ambition to build a stronger, more accessible and truly global championship," said CEO of WRC Promoter, Éric Boullier.

Boullier noted the return to the United States and United Kingdom, alongside bringing the WRC to an iconic destination such as Rome, creates tremendous opportunities for our manufacturers, commercial partners and fans.

“Combined with the introduction of new technical regulations, we have a unique opportunity to shape the future of the WRC, attract new investment and bring the excitement of rallying to more people around the world,” said Boullier.

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