That is a massive twist for the championship. As Motorsport.com reports, the World Rally Championship season finale in Saudi Arabia has been cancelled and will not be replaced, meaning Rally Sardinia is now officially the last round of the year.
The event was originally scheduled for 11-14 November. Unfortunately, ongoing conflict in the Middle East created severe uncertainty. Weeks of discussions followed, accelerating after both Toyota and Hyundai communicated to the FIA that team members could not travel to the region due to company-wide travel policies.
Meanwhile, M-Sport-Ford had been prepared to make the trip as of last week. The British foreign office had previously declared it safe to travel to Jeddah and the surrounding area, and the British team sought safety assurances from event organisers. But the situation shifted when the foreign office updated its advice, warning against travel to parts of Saudi Arabia.
Faced with these developments, the FIA and WRC monitored the situation closely while talking with event organisers and teams to find a way forward. Ultimately, the governing body chose to pull the plug. FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem explained that every possible route had been explored alongside partners like the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation and WRC Promoter, but ongoing regional developments meant the WRC element could not proceed this year. He noted that confidence in the organisers and the long-term future of the rally remains unchanged, pointing out that the FIA Middle East Rally Championship event will continue as planned in November, with an eye toward bringing the WRC back in 2027. Rally Saudi Arabia originally made its WRC debut last year under a 10-year deal signed in 2024.
Ending the season at Rally Sardinia on 1-4 October comes as a genuine surprise. Many anticipated a replacement round to fill the gap and maintain the 14-round calendar, with speculation pointing toward Rally Catalunya in Spain taking the spot. Instead, the championship will simply cut a round short.
Here is the kicker: that abrupt finish completely alters the title race. Only 21 points covered the top three drivers after Oliver Solberg pulled himself into contention by winning in Chile last weekend. Now, Elfyn Evans is set to become Britain's first WRC champion since Richard Burns in 2001, with the Welshman currently leading his Toyota team-mate Sami Pajari by 17 points.
