World Rally Championship bosses don’t feel southern hemisphere rounds necessarily represent good value despite the support base that exists for the competition in Australia and New Zealand.
Both countries are set to miss out on a slot in the 2024 calendar, which could be ratified by the FIA via e-vote on October 6, or 13 days later when the World Motor Sport Council meets virtually.
WRC Promoter Simon Larkin was frank about the future role Rally Australia and Rally New Zealand have to play in the series in the face of growing competition from new and existing markets. He is also under growing pressure by stakeholders to reach deals with both the United States and China.
During a round table discussion with journalists at last weekend’s Acropolis Rally in Greece, Larkin was asked about Australia – which most recently saw WRC action in 2018 – and its neighbour which last year hosted a WRC fixture for the first time since 2012.
“New Zealand is absolutely determined to come back in the future. Is this on a year-by-year basis? This is something we are negotiating,” said Larkin.
“We think 14 events is the maximum viable number in the medium-term – and New Zealand may not be the best use of an annual slot.
“But the roads offer a unique sporting challenge and even though it is a small market – and a long way away – it is one of those events we should maintain in the World Championship,” he added.
Throwing the World Rally Championship net as far and as wide as possible is important for Larkin, whose phone is currently red-hot with nations either wanting to renew contracts or ink new ones.
“We have to create a different flavour of events to suit the market and the type of story that we are trying to tell,” continued Larkin.
“The cliche we always talk about is, if we are going to be a championship of 14 events, we look at the season as a book.
“We want to make sure those 14 chapters of the story we are telling are exceptionally different because we are not like other forms of motorsport.
“We are not circuit racing. We are out in the environments of the countries we are in and we can cut our cloth quite well to suit those individual countries and create something really special.”
