Safari Rally confirmed in 2025 WRC calendar
Kalle Rovanpera and his navigator Jonne Halttunen in a Toyota Yaris compete in the Kasarani Super special stage of the 2024 WRC Safari Rally on March 28, 2024.
What you need to know:
- Monte Carlo will open thel season from January 23-26, followed by Sweden (February13-16) , before the Safari, the only event in the African continent.
- The WRC will take place in Africa, Asia, Europe and South America, a reflection of its truly gobal profile before arriving in Saudi Arabia in late November to complete the largest calendar in the championship since 2008.
The WRC Safari Rally Kenya has been confirmed as the third round of the Federation International De' I' Automobile (FIA) 2025 calendar.
The Safari will be held from March 20-23 away from the 2025 Easter holidays (April 18-21), announced the FIA In a press release. The calendar also includes new fixtures in Spain, Paraguay and Saudi Arabia in the largest WRC calendar since 2008.
“It is fantastic to see such a full calendar of events for the 2025 WRC season. Alongside classic locations fans know and love, the introduction of new rallies in Spain, Paraguay, and Saudi Arabia adds even more excitement and reflects the global diversity of competitors and rally fans alike,” said FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
This is a hugely exciting calendar which perfectly blends our traditional rallies with three exciting new challenges, two of which are outside of Europe, highlighting once again the global appeal of our championship,” remarked WRC Promoter Managing Director Jona Siebel.
“From the ice in the French Alps, knee-deep snow in Sweden, blinding dust in Kenya and Sardinia, high-speed gravel rollercoasters in Finland and Estonia and finally deserts in Saudi Arabia – the variety we are offering in 2025 is unrivalled.”
Monte Carlo will open the season from January 23-26, followed by Sweden (February13-16) , before the Safari, the only event in the African continent.
The WRC will take place inAfrica, Asia, Europe and South America, a reflection of its truly global profile before arriving in Saudi Arabia in late November to complete the largest calendar in the championship since 2008.
The first three rounds of 2025 take on a similar look and feel to 2024, with Umeå city gearing up to host Rally Sweden in February, while Safari Rally Kenya once again takes place in March.
Well-known to FIA European Rally Championship (ERC) fans, the Canary Islands are ready to welcome the WRC to their shores for the first time, also marking the WRC’s return to Spain following a two-year hiatus.
Providing winding smooth Tarmac surfaces, the high risk of fog as the rally makes its way into the island’s mountainous interiors gives this round its own unique challenge.
Hundreds of thousands of fans will disembark in northern Portugal in May for the Vodafone Rally de Portugal before the WRC makes its second island stop of the year, returning to Sardinia in June.
Another iconic rally on the calendar returning to its traditional date in June is EKO Acropolis Rally Greece, preceding the WRC’s high-speed European summer in Estonia and Finland.
Estonia returns to the calendar following a year break running in the European Rally Championship, highlighting the WRC’s successful transitioning of events between the ERC and WRC, such as Rally Islas Canaries, Rally Poland and Rally Latvia.
From the north of Europe, the WRC travels to the other side of the globe for Paraguay’s debut in late August, followed two weeks later by Rally Chile Bio.
The former, a rally-mad nation that has in recent years increased its global rallying presence with drivers in WRC’s support categories, will test drivers on red gravel roads running parallel to the spectacularly stunning Paraná River.
Back on the calendar for a third consecutive season, Central European Rally will see drivers battling changing Tarmac road surfaces across Austria, Czech Republic and Germany with Europe’s autumn conditions adding to the unique encounter.
Signing off from Europe, it is back to Japan in November for the final Tarmac test of the year, before the WRC season concludes with the highly-anticipated Saudi debut – where each of the three days will provide their own distinct terrain.
WRC Calendar
Monte Carlo Rally (January 23-26, Rally Sweden (February 13-16); Safari Rally Kenya (March 20-23); Rally Islas Canarias (April 24-27); Rally de Portugal (May 15-18); Rally Italia Sardegna (June 05-08); Acropolis Rally Greece (June 26-29); Rally Estonia (July 17-20); Rally Finland (July 31-August 03); Rally del Paraguay (August 28-31); Rally Chile (September 11-14); Central European Rally (October 16-19); Rally Japan (November 6-9); Rally Saudi Arabia (November 27-30)
