WRC 2016 dates confirmed

The FIA World Rally Championship calendar for 2016 has been announced today (Tuesday) by WRC Promoter.

The 14-round championship will begin with the traditional season-opening Rallye Monte-Carlo in January and will feature a mix of gravel, asphalt, snow and ice action across five continents.

Exciting innovations for 2016 are:

— Asia becomes the fifth continent to join the WRC with Rally China returning for the first time since 1999. The all-asphalt event will run as the 10th round on 9 - 11 September, based in the Huairou district just 70km from central Beijing. Huairou, which hosted the 1999 rally, benefited from huge investment ahead of the 2014 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting.

— Rally Australia will move from its September date in 2014 to end the championship on 18 - 20 November next year. It will be followed by a glamorous and high-profile gala finale to the season in Sydney.

— Rally GB will remain the final European fixture as the championship’s penultimate round. It will be based in Wales on 28 - 30 October, following the completion of Britain’s national rally calendar, preserving the likelihood of tricky late-year conditions which make the event so challenging.

Following this year’s successful inaugural event, celebrities from the worlds of sport and entertainment will kick-start the 2016 championship at a spectacular opening in Monaco immediately ahead of the start of Rallye Monte-Carlo.

WRC Promoter managing director Oliver Ciesla said the 2016 calendar offered a mix of tradition and innovation.

“It brings an enticing blend of the WRC’s heritage, in the form of classic and long-standing events such as Sweden, Argentina and Finland, with a new and exciting challenge on asphalt roads in China,” he said.

The 2016 calendar is:

1. Monte-Carlo* 22 - 24 January
2. Sweden 12 - 14 February
3. Mexico 4 - 6 March
4. Argentina 22 - 24 April
5. Portugal 20 - 22 May
6. Italy 10 - 12 June
7. Poland 1 - 3 July
8. Finland 29 - 31 July
9. Germany 19 - 21 August
10. China** 9 - 11 September
11. France* 30 September - 2 October
12. Spain 14 - 16 October
13. Great Britain 28 - 30 October
14. Australia 18 - 20 November

* Inclusion remains subject to formalisation of contracts with FIA and WRC Promoter

** Inclusion remains subject to fulfilment of FIA requirements after candidate event