Motorsport Ireland pauses WRC bid process until after 2027

Motorsport Ireland pauses WRC bid process until after 2027

Motorsport Ireland confirmed that its bid to bring a round of the World Rally Championship to Ireland had been paused until at least after 2027.

At its annual congress in Athlone last month the governing body said it was appointing an independent facilitator to assess all areas of the sport and help set future strategic goals.

Motorsport Ireland said all Commission and Council appointments for 2026 would remain unchanged. Clubs were told that no new Commission nominations would be sought for next year and that the make-up of the Motorsport Council, including the President, would stay as it was.

The organisation said the pause was needed while the full strategic review of the organisation was underway.

This pause will now include the WRC bid.

In the first week of December, Motorsport Ireland wrote to the three WRC bid teams , Kerry, Limerick and Waterford, confirming that efforts were being put on hold until after the findings of the assessment are published.

The communication said: “It has been decided to pause efforts while the strategic review is taking place over the coming month. This means there is no possibility of inclusion on the 2027 WRC calendar but following the review an attempt a looking for date beyond that will be possible.”

Kerry Motorsport News is the official media partner of the Kerry bid team.

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