HEALTH CRISIS COULD FORCE RALLY GB AXE
Mass gathering ban might remain in place for rest of year after increased fears
Wales Rally GB was facing the very real threat of being cancelled as Motorsport News went to press.
It will represent another significant blow to the make up of the 2020 World Rally Championship, after Finland and New Zealand were dropped last week due to Covid-19. The cancellation threat comes amid comments from Dr Frank Atherton, the chief medical officer for Wales.
He was speaking following the postponement of the Cardiff Half Marathon, which had been scheduled to take place on October 4 – three weeks before Rally GB.
“It’s really hard for the organisers of these events because we don’t know where we will be come October.
“As we move into the autumn my anxiety is that we could face a resurgence of viral transmission. It’s difficult to see how we could have large-scale mass gatherings given the trajectory we’re on.”
Wales Rally GB, also a British championship round, is scheduled to start on October 29. Nobody from the event nor Motorsport UK was available for comment.
The World Rally Championship title will still be awarded in 2020, even if less than half the scheduled number of events take place.
In the aftermath of Rally Finland and Rally New Zealand being cancelled last week – and in the wake of news that Wales Rally GB could follow suit due to restrictions on mass gatherings – this season’s WRC could total six of the 14 rounds originally planned.
That will require the rallies in Turkey and Germany, plus Japan or Sardinia to go ahead amid the continued uncertainty caused by Covid-19.
However, question marks remain around Rally Japan due to logistical and quarantine issues, while local planning restrictions would prevent the postponed Sardinia-based Rally Italy from being rescheduled to an October date at the earliest.
Motorsport News, which first reported doubts about Finland and New Zealand in its April 29 issue, has learned the final number of events won’t get above six although that will still be enough for a champion to be declared.
A source said: “Six events will be enough, less than this we can’t say and maybe it will not be right to have a champion. But the signs are good for six rallies.”
No go for rallies in limbo
As well as the rallies still set to run, Rally Argentina and the Sardinia based Rally Italy remain postponed rather than cancelled.
However, contacts close to the South American event insist a visit to Carlos Paz is not on the cards this year, while Sardinia’s hopes of a 2020 slot rest on either Rally GB or Rally Japan not happening.
With Turkey not due to finish until September 27 and with the cars set to line up for Rally Germany on October 15, Sardinia could effectively take over from Rally GB on October 29 or from Rally Japan on November 19.
But in the event of Rally GB being saved and Japan running as planned, Sardinia would realistically have to look to December for a calendar gap or not run at all.
With Monte-carlo, Sweden and Mexico having gone ahead earlier this season, Turkey and Germany, plus a combination of Great Britain, Japan and Sardinia would make for at least six rounds.
Oliver Ciesla, boss of WRC Promoter, said last week: “Once all options have been identified and studied, we will confirm the shape of the calendar for the rest of the season.”
Hope for 2021
Rally Finland and Rally New Zealand bosses joined their Safari Rally counterparts by staking a claim to a slot on the 2021 calendar when they confirmed their events won’t happen in 2020.
While Finland and Kenya are understood to have long-term deals in place with WRC Promoter, New Zealand’s prospects are less clear.
The Auckland event is due to rotate with Rally Australia, which had been set to return in 2021, once it has completed a move away from the unloved Coffs Harbour.