Drivin' in Czechia
All you need to drive smart in the Czech Republic
This year’s World Rally Championship season is in full swing, even though fans are already turning their eyes to the upcoming season. The organisers are starting to reveal the first details of the upcoming season, and the WRC has already unveiled its calendar for 2026. Which rallies can we look forward to?
WRC 2026 without the Central European Rally in the Czech Republic
The 2026 WRC season will, like this year, comprise 14 rounds, taking place across four continents—a number the teams view as the ceiling for both logistical and financial reasons. The campaign will get underway in the traditional manner at Rallye Monte-Carlo from 22 to 25 January 2026, while the season finale is set for Saudi Arabia on 11–14 November 2026.
Czech fans are disappointed, because the calendar will not include the Central European Rally, which partly runs on Czech territory. Instead, Rally Croatia returns. Another talking point is a lack of information about Rally Italy; it is not yet clear whether the event will stay on Sardinia or move elsewhere. There is open speculation that Rally Roma could take over.
The Promoters are nevertheless promising a diverse season, especially during the first half, with events on Swedish snow, Canary Island asphalt and Kenyan gravel, plus the loose surfaces of Portugal.
“This calendar has been put together with purpose. It is varied, flows smoothly and reflects the feedback we have received from teams, drivers and stakeholders. We really thought about how the sequence of events can influence the sporting contest,” says WRC promoter Jona Siebel. A case in point is moving Rally Japan to a May date—otherwise the crews would have tackled several gravel rallies in a row.
2026 WRC calendar
Drivers and vehicles for 2026
No major changes are expected. Ford (via M-Sport), Hyundai and Toyota should again field the Ford Puma Rally1, Hyundai i20 N Rally1 and Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 respectively.
Confirmation of the driver line-ups is still pending, but Kalle Rovanperä (Toyota) and Ott Tänak (Hyundai) are widely tipped to stay put—though factory rosters could yet be reshuffled.
