The WRC event director, Simon Larkin, says that FIA and WRC Promoter want to add Middle East and US to WRC calendar of 2023 and are already working on this project.
Rally Jordan was the represantive event of Middle East three times in the past and included desert stages which looked like Dakar Rally. The last winner of that rally was Sebastien Ogier in 2011 who drove a Citroen DS3 WRC.
In comparison with Middle East, US has not hosted a WRC event for almost three decades as the last time that World Rally Championship organised a rally there was in 1988 in Washington where Miki Biasion won with a Lancia Delta Integrale.
Last but not least, it must be mentioned that Mexico and South America are absent from WRC calendar the recent years due to the coronavirus situation, but it is tipped that Guanajuato city may hist a WRC event again next year.
"If we look at the calendar right now, we have got a good snow event, we have got Africa, we have the Acropolis rally in Greece and these are the events we wanted to bring back", Larkin said.
"I think to have an event in the Middle East and particularly a desert event is the one that is missing from that puzzle.
"It is our ambition to bring one into the World Rally Championship and even as soon as next year, and we are working towards that goal.
"We would love to realise a calendar where we are competing on every continent except Antarctica. "That is what the world championship needs and that was what we were planning for 2020, and we want a return to absolute normality next year.
"The US remains our number one target for end event in the future no question.
"We are still working towards that for this year.
"In Q4 this year we expect to have something whether it is a demonstration, roadshow or test event.
"The US is attractive for every single stakeholder in the championship.
"We know there is a great fanbase because we see from fan engagement numbers across all of our platforms.
"There is not many other countries that we go to where we have existing ambassadors such as Travis Pastrana and Ken Block already participating in the sport.
"We see it is a great launchpad for the WRC to have an event there.
"We just need to find the right fit for a city".
Source: Motorsport.com
Photo Credits: Red Bull Content Pool
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