Rally Croatia organisers have announced that they have succeeded in securing the government guarantees necessary to prepare for a return to the World Rally Championship.
The asphalt event made its WRC debut in 2021 quickly becoming a regular hosting four editions of the event before losing its place on the 2025 calendar.
The 14-round 2025 WRC calendar was announced in July with three new rallies with the Canary Islands, Paraguay and Saudi Arabia joining the schedule.
The WRC Promoter was in discussions to renew its agreement with a three-year deal on the table, but Croatia Rally organisers were unable to secure the support and guarantees from the local government.
Plan "B" was to host a European Rally Championship round in 2025 and try to secure a place on the WRC calendar for 2026 and 2027. This too was uncertain, as the government delayed sending the relevant documents.
However, rally organisers have announced that the future of the rally has been secured and a new deal is expected to agreed with WRC Promoter.
In an official statement, organisers have communicated that "all necessary documentation for hosting the European Rally Championship (ERC) and the World Rally Championship (WRC) in Croatia from 2025 to 2027 has been collected. In the coming days, the official signing of the agreement between the Croatia Rally organisers and the WRC promoter is expected, followed by the start of preparations.”
Daniel Saskin, chairman of the Croatia Rally organising committee, said: “In 2025, we are bringing the European Rally Championship to Croatia, and then in 2026 and 2027, the WRC Croatia Rally will return. We thank all the institutions for their support, especially the Government of the Republic of Croatia and the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, who recognised the value of this motorsport event for Croatia.
"Starting today, together with the WRC promoter and our local partners, counties, and municipalities, we begin negotiations on the preparation and execution of the event. We thank the City of Zagreb and the Croatian Auto and Karting Association for their continued support as important partners in these events.”
WRC Promoter, also responsible for the ERC, is still working on next year's schedule, which should comprise eight rounds including Wales’ Rali Ceredigion.
