WRC set for UK return in 2027 as Rally Scotland marks a major victory for Motorsport UK
The World Rally Championship’s long-awaited return to the UK is finally on the horizon, with Rally Scotland set to bring top-level rallying back in 2027 alongside a new era of WRC27 machinery
We all need a bit of cheering up every now and then, especially at times like these, and nothing cheered me more than the news that the World Rally Championship will be returning to the UK for the first time in eight years.
All being well, the forest roads around Aberdeen will play host to Rally Scotland in 2027 at a date yet to be confirmed but hopefully in the traditional autumn slot for the British round of the world championship. The news marks a significant victory for the UK governing body Motorsport UK which has campaigned for a return of the WRC since Wales Rally GB was axed from the calendar after Covid and waning support from the Welsh government.
“Rally fans will be dusting off their bobble hats in keen anticipation”
The timing coincides with the introduction of the new WRC27 Rally1 cars for the top tier category conforming to a new set of regulations aimed at reducing costs and increasing accessibility. Rather than cars being derived from current production models, teams will be free to develop anything from production-inspired designs to bespoke rally concepts while costs will be capped at €345,000 (about £300,000) – half the current level.
Whether the new rules or indeed Rally Scotland can boost the popularity of the championship, which has struggled to define itself in recent years, remains to be seen. But one thing is for sure: rally fans in the UK will be dusting off their bobble hats and Thermos flasks in keen anticipation.
One unanswered question is whether one of the most famous marques in rallying will be entering a WRC27 car. Lancia, which became inextricably linked to the sport with the Stratos, 037 and Delta Integrale in the 1970s and ’80s, has been running in the lower Rally2 category this season for the first time since leaving the stages in 1991. And as Anthony Peacock reports in this issue, the Italian marque is rumoured to be eyeing a return to the top class. If it does – and in doing so injects some glamour and nostalgia to the WRC – then the final piece of the relaunched rally jigsaw might have slotted into place. Then again, as Anthony reports, “The final decision will have to be signed off by the [Lancia’s owner] Stellantis board and it’s highly unlikely that they will get too sentimental over Markku Alén and Martini stripes.” Fingers crossed.
Joe Dunn, editor
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