The final round of the 2026 World Rally Championship has been moved from Saudi Arabia to Italy because of continuing unrest and uncertainty in the Middle East, with the season shortened to 13 rounds.
Rally Saudi Arabia had been scheduled to bring the championship to a conclusion in Jeddah from November 11-14, but the FIA has confirmed the WRC will instead finish with Rally Italia in Sardinia from October 1-4.
The Saudi event will still take place on its original dates, but will form part of the Middle East Rally Championship rather than the WRC calendar.
The FIA said Saudi Arabia remained ready to stage the rally safely, but cited “ongoing uncertainty in the region and its effect on logistical arrangements” for the decision.
FIA president Mohammed ben Sulayem said organisers had explored every option to retain the rally as a WRC round.
“We have worked closely with our partners in Saudi Arabia, our Member Club the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation, WRC Promoter and our championship stakeholders in recent months to explore every possible route that would allow Rally Saudi Arabia to take place as planned," Ben Sulayem said.
“However, ongoing regional developments mean that the WRC element of Rally Saudi Arabia will not proceed this year. These are never easy decisions, particularly after the significant work undertaken by everyone involved in preparing for the event.
“While the WRC element of the event will not take place this year, our confidence in the organisers and in the long-term future of the rally remains unchanged ...
“Our focus now is firmly on the future. We will continue working together with our partners in Saudi Arabia and WRC Promoter towards bringing the FIA World Rally Championship back in 2027.
The decision adds another layer of uncertainty to a title race being led by Great Britain's Elfyn Evans.
Evans heads Finland's Sami Pajari by 17 points with a maximum of 35 available in Sardinia. The Welshman has finished runner-up in the championship five times and is seeking to become only the third British world champion, following Colin McRae and Richard Burns.
The move comes against a backdrop of conflicts across the region, including the Israel-Gaza war, the conflict involving Israel, the United States and Iran, and Saudi Arabia's continuing confrontation with Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Motor sport has already been forced to alter its schedule this year. The FIA cancelled the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Formula One races in April, with the Bahrain event subsequently relocated to Malaysia. The Qatar and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix remain scheduled to go ahead later in the season.
