Scotland To Host World Rally Championship Race

The World Rally Championship will return to nan UK for nan first clip successful 8 years erstwhile nan north-east of Scotland hosts a information successful 2027.

The inaugural WRC Rally Scotland will beryllium headquartered successful Aberdeen and contested successful nan forests of Aberdeenshire for nan adjacent 3 years, aft a woody was struck pinch Motorsport UK.

It follows backing support from nan Scottish Government, Aberdeen City Council and Aberdeenshire Council.

The caller arena will beryllium nan first clip a afloat information of nan WRC will beryllium staged solely successful Scotland and nan first clip since 2019 nan UK will big an event.

The past clip it made an quality successful Scotland was successful 1995 erstwhile nan RAC Rally made a foray successful to nan Borders, and successful 1992 nan federation hosted a afloat stage.

David Richards, nan president of Motorsport UK, said bringing nan title and nan world's champion drivers backmost to nan UK is "very meaningful".

"Rally Scotland will bring nan world's champion drivers backmost to British stages, but it will besides beryllium much than a rally," Richards said.

"It's an opportunity to showcase nan passion of our rally organization and show really motorsport tin lend to innovation, sustainability and inspiring nan adjacent procreation to get progressive successful our sport."

This year's World Rally Championship is being contested complete 14 rounds, crossed 4 continents.

While nan almanac for adjacent twelvemonth has still to beryllium finalised, nan caller Scottish arena is expected to beryllium allocated an autumn slot.

It has been estimated that hosting Rally Scotland could beryllium worthy arsenic overmuch arsenic £80m to nan section economy.

The Scottish Government's Minister for Business, Richard Lochhead, described it arsenic "a immense infinitesimal for Scottish motorsport".

"It is besides an opportunity to pull thousands of visitors, teams and fans from astir nan world, bringing important benefits boosting section and nationalist economies," he added.

The UK has played a awesome domiciled successful nan history of nan WRC since it began successful nan 1970s.

In 1995 Scotland's Colin McRae, co-driven by Derek Ringer, became nan first Briton to triumph nan World Rally Championship title aft a melodramatic finale connected location soil.

Then successful 2001, England's Richard Burns, alongside Scottish co-driver Robert Reid, secured nan crown successful different tense Rally GB decider.