WRC could have 15 events in 2019
The World Rally Championship could extend from 13 to 15 rounds in 2019.
The FIA is understood to be pressing the case for the WRC Promoter to include Corsica in next year’s schedule, having reportedly agreed that the French island event should be stood down in 2019.
The stakeholders in the series had signed off on a calendar including everything from this year except Corsica, but with Chile and Japan added to boost the number of rallies to 14.
Neither the promoter or the FIA would discuss the precise details of the calendar, but the teams were not happy at the potential for another event being added.
Toyota’s Tommi Makinen said: “I think we need to realise that having so many rallies isn’t always a good thing. We can have too many rallies, we need to build the excitement a little bit more otherwise these events will get lost.”
The rest of the manufacturers had significant cost concerns, with one team manager pointing out: “We agreed 14 rallies and now to bring the most expensive European rally back would seem a very strange decision.”
There will be an emergency meeting of the WRC Commission in Paris on Thursday before the World Motor Sport Council meets on Friday. It is possible the first half of the calendar will be revealed, with the second to follow at a later date.