US and Britain return to WRC in 2027 as Portugal drops off the calendar

Calendar overhaul for 2027

The FIA and the championship promoter released the 2027 World Rally Championship calendar on Thursday, 8 October, with 15 rounds, up from 13 contested in 2026. Reuters reports that the United States returns for the first time since 1988 as the 11th round, from 26 to 29 August, using the stages in Tennessee and Kentucky that were tested at a candidate event last June. The previous US round, the Olympus Rally in Washington state, ran on the calendar from 1986 to 1988. Britain returns for the first time since 2019 with Rally Scotland, based in Aberdeen, although sources differ on its dates. Reuters, SIC Notícias and Notícias ao Minuto give 30 September to 3 October, while the BBC gives 3 to 7 October and calls it the 12th round.

Italy moves to Rome

Italy's round switches from Sardinia to Rome and the asphalt roads of the Lazio region. SIC Notícias and Notícias ao Minuto date it from 8 to 11 July, earlier than its October slot in 2026. WRC Promoter CEO Eric Boullier framed the changes in a statement, and his comments on the new technical regulations were carried by Reuters.

Combined with the introduction of new technical regulations, we have a unique opportunity to shape the future of the WRC, attract new investment and bring the excitement of rallying to more people around the world.

Portugal leaves the calendar

Rally de Portugal, which hosted the sixth round of 2026 between 7 and 10 May according to SIC Notícias, is not on the 2027 calendar. Notícias ao Minuto reports that Portugal was dropped to raise the calendar from 14 to 15 rounds, and that the event had already been given dates before the change. The Automóvel Club de Portugal (ACP) confirmed in a written reply to Lusa that the 2027 edition is cancelled. It said the event had been scheduled for 13 to 16 May before the promoter changed calendar dates on the last day of preparation. The ACP rejected financial reasons and the proposed move of the rally's centre from Matosinhos to Viseu as causes.

There is no room for any kind of compensation, since, despite the contracts, sporting calendars are ratified annually by the promoter and the FIA.

SAPO notes that 2027 would be only the second year since the first Rali de Portugal in 1967 without the rally, after 2020, when the pandemic caused its cancellation. The ACP had said on 29 September that it expected a return in 2028.

Season shape and returning rounds

The season opens with Monte Carlo from 21 to 24 January, followed by Sweden from 18 to 21 February and the Safari in Kenya in March, according to Notícias ao Minuto. Croatia from 8 to 11 April is the first asphalt event on the list, before the Canary Islands, Japan and Greece. The Canaries move from April to May and Japan from May to June, while Estonia and Finland stay in July, with Finland ending on 1 August, per SIC Notícias. After Scotland, the series heads to Paraguay from 21 to 24 October. Saudi Arabia returns as the final round from 25 to 28 November, after its 2026 round was cancelled, which SIC Notícias links to logistical difficulties tied to the war in the Middle East.

Manufacturers and the new era

The 2027 calendar comes with a new promoter and new technical regulations. Ouest France reports that Ford has announced an official return to the WRC from 2028. In the meantime, Ford will increase its support for M-Sport, its historic partner, which has run Fords for several seasons without an official manufacturer programme. BBC reports that Elfyn Evans won the 2026 title in Sardinia on Sunday after Oliver Solberg crashed at the end of the final stage. Evans is the first UK champion in 25 years, and Rally Scotland will be his home round.