WRC 2023 Calendar
The championship kicks off with the traditional curtain raiser, Rally Monte Carlo. Monte Carlo 2023 features 3 up to the summit of the infamous Col de Turini, starting in La Bollène Vésubie, forming both the opening stage and the closing Wolf Power Stage. There is a new extra long stage, La Cabanette / Col de Castillon, comprised of stages used many times in the past, access to the stage will be busy, add to the stage maps where to watch!.
The WRC then heads to the snow and ice of Rally Sweden's new base in Umeå. The rally moved north to the more snow sure area from the Värmland region in 2022 due to a persistent lack of snow over the past few years further south.
The WRC Calendar 2023 then takes us to Rally México from 16 - 19 March before heading back to the Croatia rally for the championships' first asphalt event based in Zagreb.
From the tarmac of Croatia, the championship then follows a similar format to the 2022 WRC Calendar taking in the familiar gravel rallies of Portugal, Sardinia, Kenya, Estonia, Finland and Greece, all retaining spots on the calendar. 2023 marks the 20th anniversary of the Italian round of the WRC running on the island of Sardinia.
Portugal in particular is a popular event amongst drivers and fans and attracts a lot of spectators. Reasonably priced accommodation is available throughout most of Portugal and many of the budget operators fly to Porto making this a great rally to watch.
The WRC then heads back over the Atlantic to Rally Chile Biobío. Chile had its debut rally in 2019 and was due to return in 2020 but was cancelled due to civil unrest in the Latin country. It is now included for 2023 at the end of September.
It is then back over to Europe for something completely new. Sadly neither the ERC nor the WRC are including Rally Catalunya, Spain in their respective 2023 calendars, having been a mainstay of the WRC since 1991. Instead, however, there is an all-new Central European Rally tarmac event replacing it. Based out of Passau in southeast Germany the rally will take in Austria and the Czech Republic, it will start in Prague.
Rallye Monte Carlo
19 – 21 January
Iconic highly specialised sealed surface rally. Takes in the high Alpine passes including the famous Col de Turini
Rally Sweden
9 – 12 Febrary
The only pure snow event of the championship, moved further north in 2021 to ensure snow safe rally stages
Rally Guanajuato México
16 – 19 March
Loose dirt and mud typifies this event, set in stunning scenery. Moved to earlier in the year for 2024 from being held in June.
Croatia Rally
20 – 23 April
A sealed surface event, varying from well maintained to very broken. Has drawn large crowds since its 2021 debut
Vodafone Rally de Portugal
11 – 14 May
One of the oldest and most popular rounds of the WRC. Fast and technical gravel roads with plenty of tricky corners hidden by crests
Rally Italia Sardinia
1 May – 4 June
Narrow, twisty, sandy and bumpy mountain roads around the town of Alghero or Olbia.
Orlen 80th Rally Poland
25 – 26 June
2005, marked a shift from asphalt, to high speed gravel roads around Mikołajki in the Masurian lake district.
Rally Estonia
20 – 23 July
Originally the rally was designed as a snow rally, in 2016 was moved to a September date, becoming a gravel rally, held in October since 2017.
Secto Rally Finland
3 – 6 August
Smooth and blisteringly quick gravel roads, set around the forests and lakes, expect huge flat out jumps. This is the fastest rally in the championship and one every driver wants to win.
Eco Acropolis Rally Greece
7 – 10 September
A gruelling course, and high summer temperatures on twisty, dusty, rock-strewn mountain roads, make the this rally one of the toughest rallies of the championship.
Rally Chile Bio Bío
28 September – 1 October
Rally Chile is based in Concepción and held on gravel roads throughout the Biobio region of Chile
Central European Rally
26 – 29 October
A sealed surface rally held accross 3 countries, Austria, the Czech Republic and Germany.
Forum 8 Rally Japan
16 – 19 November
A sealed surface event and for the second year running home to the reigning Manufacturers Champions.
As expected the WRC calendar 2023 does not include the Ypres Rally in Belgium, it is also not included in the ERC calendar. The 2020 WRC calendar added the Ypres rally at the last minute to replace Rally Japan after the latter was cancelled due to the Covid pandemic. The Ypres rally was often a round of the ERC; hence, it was relatively easy to prepare to host a round of the WRC. Ultimately Ypres was cancelled that year also but was then included in both the 2021 and 2022 championships. This marked the first time the WRC included the Ypres rally
Repco Rally New Zealand is not included amid funding shortages, with a possibility of returning in 2024.
Rally GB is absent for the fourth year in a row. This marks the longest the rally has not been included on the WRC calendar since its inception.
It had been anticipated the WRC Calendar 2023 would include 14 rounds. A Jeddah based rally in Saudi Arabia which had been touted for inclusion is absent with the FIA yet to comment as to the reasons behind this. We will have to wait and see if the 2024 WRC calendar includes the Jeddah rally
