The World Rally Championship is set to feature new event formats for selected rounds next season as it looks to add more variety to its calendar.
The championship has long been investigating changes to the length of its events with Rally Italy Sardinia trialling a condensed 48-hour concept earlier this year.
This followed a raft of proposals made by the FIA’s newly created working group designed to address the future of rallying in February.
This list of proposals included a push for event organisers to have more flexibility when determining routes for WRC rounds instead of being prescribed to a set format. It is expected that all rallies will, however, continue to finish on Sundays.
It is hoped that a variety in event lengths would add extra character to rallies and therefore add extra storytelling capabilities.
WRC announced its expanded 14-round 2025 calendar in July and according to the WRC Promoter, selected events will run different formats next year.
“There will be a couple of events next year that will run slightly different formats. I know one event that’s probably going to run a bit longer and I know an event that’s going to run, a tighter format,” said event director Simon Larkin in a media round table at Acropolis Rally Greece.
Thierry Neuville, Martijn Wydaeghe, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1
Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool
“We have always said we don’t want there to be different brands of events. We don’t want there to be something called a WRC sprint. We don’t want there to be something called a WRC Endurance.
“We’re constantly told by a lot of our multi-millionaire drivers things are too complicated. We don’t need to make it more complicated.
“I already know there’s going to be one event that’s going to run quite a bit longer next year, which is great, and a couple of others that will run slightly modified, for me. It’s good.”
Which events will operate different lengths next season is inclear, but it is understood Safari Rally Kenya did harbour a wish to run a longer format.