WRC 2023 EVENT GUIDE
Monte Carlo Rally
Dates: January 19-22
Base: Monaco
Surface: Asphalt
2022 winners: Loeb/Galmiche
(Ford Puma)
In short: Mountain roads, snow, ice, black ice and night stages combine to make the WRC’s traditional season opener a rally not to be messed with. Picking the right tyres for the right conditions can be the difference between success and failure.
Rally Sweden
Dates: February 9-12
Base: Umea
Surface: Snow/ice
2022 winners: Rovanpera/ Halttunen (Toyota Yaris)
In short: Rallying on snow and ice creates a spectacle to behold. Drivers must lean on snowbanks and trust the grip of their studded tyres to reach corner speeds impossible for us mortals. Retaining tyre studs on exposed gravel is a must.
Rally Mexico
Dates: March 16-19
Base: Leon
Surface: Gravel
2022 winners: Event not held
In short: The WRC returns to North America after two years of Covid-19 restrictions to an event where rocks and concrete culverts should be avoided and power loss on the highaltitude stages understood. Fans must use sunblock and visit the Guanajuato start.
Croatia Rally
Dates: April 20-23
Base: Zagreb
Surface: Asphalt
2022 winners: Rovanpera/ Halttunen (Toyota Yaris)
In short: Spring weather means sunshine or showers but there’s always a warm welcome in a country that’s hosting the WRC for the third time. Stages in forests, national parks and mountain ranges are a mixture of good, bad and ugly Tarmac.
Rally of Portugal
Dates: May 11-14
Base: Matosinhos
Surface: Gravel
2022 winners: Rovanpera/Halttunen (Toyota Yaris)
In short: Roads are fast and spectacular, but the weather can be changeable, road order is often crucial thanks to the sandy surface, while there’s plenty of bedrock waiting to strike when stages are repeated. Fans and great atmosphere are never lacking.
Rally Italy
Dates: June 1-4
Base: Olbia
Surface: Gravel
2022 winners: Tanak/Jarveoja (Hyundai i20)
In short: Big heat, big rocks and narrow stages ensured the first 19 editions of Italy’s Sardinia-based WRC counter were tough nuts to crack. This must-visit rally returns to Olbia for its 20th anniversary. Don’t miss the jumps but mind the dust.
Safari Rally
Dates: June 22-25
Base: Naivasha, Kenya
Surface: Gravel
2022 winners: Rovanpera/ Halttunen (Toyota Yaris)
In short: Much shorter and less arduous than the Safaris of old, the modern-day version still packs a punch. Preserving cars and tyres is vital, while river crossings and extremely slippery mud, resulting from intermittent heavy rain fall, add to the challenge.
Rally Estonia
Dates: July 20-23
Base: Tartu
Surface: Gravel
2022 winners: Rovanpera/ Halttunen (Toyota Yaris)
In short: Super-high and superlong jumps on super-fast gravel roads, which are super-smooth for the first pass but super-rutted when used again, make for an exciting Baltic blast. As one of the WRC’s newest rallies, fans are not left wanting for much.
Rally Finland
Dates: August 3-6
Base: Jyvaskyla
Surface: Gravel
2022 winners: Tanak/Jarveoja (Hyundai i20)
In short: Estonia on steroids with more lakes, Finland is the ultimate high-speed roller coaster rally. Despite its fast-paced route, there are technical forest sections, like Estonia, but on a harder surface than Estonia. Save before you go as Jyvaskyla is not cheap.
Acropolis Rally
Dates: September 7-10
Base: Lamia, Greece
Surface: Gravel
2022 winners: Neuville/ Wydaeghe (Hyundai i20)
In short: While the gravel roads are not as brutal as they once were, they are not to be underestimated. Hanging dust is a nuisance and while it’s often hot, central Greece is no stranger to rain or excellent food and drink.
Rally Chile
Dates: September 28-October 1
Base: Concepcion
Surface: Gravel
2022 winners: Event not held
In short: The mainly forestbased stages were likened to
Rally GB when Chile made, to date, its one and only World championship appearance in 2019. With Covid-19 not considered such a menace, the championship is set for its longawaited South American return.
Central European Rally
Dates: October 26-29
Base: Passau, Germany
Surface: Asphalt
2022 winners: New event for 2023
In short: With action in Austria, Czech Republic and Germany this WRC newcomer is a rally the United Nations would be proud of. Starting in Prague and finishing in the Lower Bavarian city of Passau, challenging stages and big crowds are expected.
Rally Japan
Dates: November 16-19
Base: Toyota City, Aichi
Surface: Asphalt
2022 winners: Neuville/ Wydaeghe
In short: Having swapped gravel for asphalt and Hokkaido for Honshu, Rally Japan returned to the WRC in 2022 after 12 years away with a route featuring narrow, technical, mountainous stages. Cold and damp conditions and plenty of ‘pollution’ were also factors.