Rally Ireland could return to the WRC calendar in 2026. Motorsport Ireland will try to negotiate this as they do their best to find a world round.

The last World Round in Ireland dates back to 2009, when Sébastien Loeb took the last victory with his Citroen C4 WRC. Promoter Motorsport Ireland is now targeting 2026 for a return to the calendar.

Rally Ireland on WRC calendar for 2026?

Motorsport Ireland confirms that it will continue to work with Minister Thomas Burn and the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media as the World Rally Championship (WRC) returns to Ireland. This follows recent talks with the WRC promoter, leaving open the possibility of hosting the WRC from 2026 onwards.

Minister Byrne and his department have advised Motorsport Ireland that any decision by the Government to provide public funding to support the hosting of major sporting events should be underpinned by an independent financial analysis to assess the feasibility of hosting the WRC in Ireland in 2026. The business case should address the following:

• A detailed and comprehensive inventory of essential services provided by national and local governments (including transportation, security, and other considerations);
• Assessment of financial benefits and costs arising from the event;
• An analysis of event sustainability.

Motorsport Ireland looks forward to working closely with Department officials on this exciting project. Commenting on the latest news, Motorsport Ireland Chairman Aidan Harper said:

“This is a progressive step in Motorsport Ireland's plans to bring the World Rally Championship back to the island. We have had constructive discussions with Minister Byrne and the WRC promoter over the past month and we look forward to assisting departmental officials with further information. They may need to carry out their analysis and Minister Byrne's assessment to undertake the necessary assessments to consider an event of this nature. I greatly appreciate the commitment and it can host international motorsport events again in the future.”