This archive report was first published on 27 September 2019.
Published on September 27, 2019, the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) announced the return of the Safari Rally to the World Rally Championship (WRC) calendar.
After a 17-year hiatus, the Safari Rally will be part of the 14 events in the 2020 WRC series, scheduled to take place from July 19.
The announcement follows an e-vote by the World Motor Sport Council this week, which also saw the inclusion of three new rounds: Rally Kenya, Rally New-Zealand, and the season-closing Rally Japan.
According to FIA Rally Director Yves Matton, the expansion strategy aims to further globalize the championship, with a focus on hosting events outside of Europe.
“In order to further globalise the championship, we needed to have more WRC rounds outside Europe. I am glad to see the results of our expansion strategy, with emblematic events such as Kenya and Japan coming back to the WRC calendar next year, alongside New Zealand replacing Australia, while long-standing, iconic European events provide a great balance and preserve the DNA of the sport,” Matton commented.
