Following the news last week that Rally Scotland has secured a three-year deal for a slot on the World Rally Championship calendar from 2027, questions have been raised regarding the future of an Irish WRC bid.
On the day of the Scotland announcement, Kerry Motorsport News submitted a formal media request to Motorsport Ireland (MI) seeking clarity on the situation. We were asked to wait for the conclusion of the governing body’s Tuesday board meeting, and we now have that official response.
The meeting took place on Tuesday this week, and the outcome confirms that Motorsport Ireland is now in a “wait and see” position. The delay is linked to the ongoing global search for a new WRC commercial rights holder, as current owners Red Bull and KW25 look to exit the series. Until the FIA confirms who will be running the championship’s commercial arm, the Irish bid remains on hold.
A Motorsport Ireland spokesperson told Kerry Motorsport News:
“Following board meeting yesterday Motorsport Ireland’s position is that we are awaiting the announcement from the FIA regarding the new World Rally Championship commercial rights holder before seeing how to proceed and that we have no further comment to make at this stage.”
The news of Scotland’s successful bid, which is backed by the Scottish Government and based in Aberdeen, adds a new dynamic to the process. While Ireland had previously shortlisted Kerry, Limerick, and Waterford as potential rotating hubs, the local project must now wait for the FIA to clarify the championship’s new commercial landscape.
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Kerry Motorsport News 