WRC finale moved to Sardinia as Saudi Arabia dropped from 2026 calendar
Saudi Arabia has been removed from the 2026 World Rally Championship calendar and the season will now finish in Italy rather than in Jeddah. The championship has been cut to 13 rounds and will conclude with the Rally Italia in Sardinia from 1-4 October, while the Saudi event will take place on its planned dates as part of the Middle East Rally Championship.
Saudi Arabia had been due to stage the 14th and final round of the 2026 WRC from 11-14 November after the Rally Saudi Arabia joined the championship in 2025. Belgium's Thierry Neuville won the inaugural Rally Saudi Arabia in 2025.
The FIA said the decision was prompted by "ongoing uncertainty in the region and its effect on logistical arrangements" while noting Saudi Arabia "remained ready to host the event safely". In a statement, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem said: "We have worked closely with our partners to explore every possible route that would allow Rally Saudi Arabia to take place as planned. "These are never easy decisions, particularly after the significant work undertaken by everyone involved in preparing for the event. "While the WRC element of the event will not take place this year, our confidence in the organisers and in the long-term future of the rally remains unchanged."
Great Britain's Elfyn Evans leads the WRC standings ahead of the final round, 17 points clear of Finland's Sami Pajari, with a maximum of 35 points available from the remaining round. Evans has finished runner-up in the championship five times and is seeking to join former British winners Colin McRae and Richard Burns in claiming the title.
The move comes amid multiple conflicts across the Middle East, including the Israel-Gaza war, with Israel and the United States at war with Iran and Saudi Arabia battling Houthi rebels in Yemen. The region's security situation has already affected other events in the sport calendar.
The WRC is not the first sporting series to alter plans in the region: the FIA cancelled Formula One Grands Prix in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia in April, with the Bahrain race relocated to Malaysia to be staged in early October. Races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi later in the season are scheduled to go ahead as planned; in February tennis players, staff and media were left stranded in Dubai following missile strikes on the United Arab Emirates and in March an ATP Challenger event in the country was disrupted by drone strikes.
Sporting authorities are reportedly considering replacement hosts for regional events in the 2027 season, and English golfer Matt Fitzpatrick said he is not "100% comfortable" with the prospect of travelling to Dubai for his DP World Tour Championship title defence in November.
With the Saudi round removed from the WRC list, the championship will now conclude at the Rally Italia in Sardinia from 1-4 October, bringing the season to a close after 13 rounds.