Saudi Arabia WRC round dropped from calendar, season to end in Sardinia
FIA and WRC organizers have officially removed the Saudi Arabia rally from this year's world championship calendar, meaning the season will now conclude with the Sardinia round in Italy.
The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), together with the WRC promoter, has confirmed that the Saudi Arabia rally will not be included in this year's World Rally Championship (WRC) calendar. Regional conditions and related logistical challenges were cited as the reason. The event, originally scheduled for November 12–15, will still take place during that window, but as a round of the Middle East Rally Championship (MERC) rather than part of the WRC standings.
Season to finish earlier
As a result of the decision, the 2026 WRC season will now end sooner than originally planned. Rally Italia Sardegna, set for October 1–4, has been officially confirmed as the final, 13th round of the season. Earlier reports suggested another event, possibly Rally Catalunya in Spain, might replace the Saudi Arabia round on the calendar. It has now become clear that no replacement will be added, and the season will conclude immediately after the Sardinia round.
A decisive battle for the title
With only a narrow points gap separating the championship leaders ahead of the final round, Sardinia's demanding and technical gravel stages are expected to play a decisive role in determining the world champion. Elfyn Evans currently leads the standings, holding a 17-point advantage over Sami Pajari and a 21-point advantage over Oliver Solberg. Martins Sesks and Renars Francis were also entered to compete in both the Sardinia round and the originally planned Saudi Arabia event.
FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem said cooperation with local partners and organizers in Saudi Arabia would continue, with hopes that the round will return to the WRC calendar next year.
