The World Rally Championship (WRC) is set to return to the UK in 2027, after an eight-year absence, with Rally Scotland taking center stage in Aberdeen.
This marks a significant comeback for the UK, which hasn’t hosted a WRC event since Wales Rally GB in 2019. The rally will feature gravel stages in Aberdeenshire and Moray, showcasing Scotland’s stunning landscapes and rallying heritage. Headquartered in Aberdeen with the service park at P&J Live, the event will utilize forests in Aberdeenshire and northeast Scotland.
The bid was led by Motorsport UK in partnership with the Scottish Government, Aberdeenshire Council, and Aberdeen City Council. A candidate event will be held in 2026 to allow FIA observers to approve the route and logistics before the official 2027 entry.
The return coincides with new WRC technical regulations set for 2027, making it a new era for the championship’s UK chapter. This move brings the premier international rally series back to British forests, designed to showcase local regions for tourism and economic growth.
FIA Deputy President for Sport, Malcolm Wilson, who founded Ford WRC partner M-Sport and finished third as a driver on the UK’s WRC-counting RAC Rally in 1993, said: “This is a huge announcement for the FIA World Rally Championship; it really demonstrates the positive direction we are now taking. The United Kingdom has incredible heritage and passion for our sport, and the return of a flagship world championship event in Scotland is the start of the next chapter in this long history.
While the WRC has been missing a UK-based round since the demise of Rally GB in 2019, British presence on the championship remains high, with Rally1 manufacturer M-Sport Ford, Toyota Gazoo Racing driver Elfyn Evans and his co-driver, Scott Martin, and Oliver Solberg’s co-driver Elliott Edmondson among the series’ regular participants.
This announcement is a huge boost for British rallying, and fans are eagerly awaiting the return of the WRC.
That’s fantastic news! It’s great to see the WRC back on British soil after so long – Rally GB always had a special atmosphere.