The FIA has opted to cancel Rally Saudi Arabia as the closing round of this year's World Rally Championship, seemingly intensifying the pressure on F1 to reconsider its own end-of-season visits to the Middle East.
The FIA and WRC Promoter have confirmed that Rally Saudi Arabia, originally scheduled for November 12-15, will not form part of the 2026 WRC season.
The governing body said it had worked "extensively" in recent months with the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation (SAMF), the local organising team and championship stakeholders to find a way for the event to go ahead as planned.
Despite those efforts, the FIA said "ongoing uncertainty in the region and its effect on logistical arrangements" meant the WRC element of the event could not proceed.
The rally itself will still take place on the same dates as part of the FIA Middle East Rally Championship, with Saudi Arabia stressing it "remained ready to host the event safely and successfully" and that the Kingdom "continues to operate normally with national systems fully functional".
The WRC season will now instead conclude with the Sardinia Rally from October 1-4, becoming the 13th and final round of the year.
[Article continues below]
The F1 knock-on
The WRC calendar change comes just over two months before F1's own season finale swings through the Middle East, with Qatar's Lusail International Circuit hosting on November 29 and Abu Dhabi's Yas Marina Circuit closing out the campaign on December 6.
Addressing the WRC situation directly, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem said: "We have worked closely with our partners in Saudi Arabia, our member club, the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation, WRC Promoter and our championship stakeholders in recent months to explore every possible route that would allow Rally Saudi Arabia to take place as planned.
"However, ongoing regional developments mean that the WRC element of Rally Saudi Arabia will not proceed this year. These are never easy decisions, particularly after the significant work undertaken by everyone involved in preparing for the event."
"While the WRC element of the event will not take place this year, our confidence in the organisers and in the long-term future of the rally remains unchanged.
"The FIA Middle East Rally Championship event will continue as planned in November, and we will continue to work closely with SAMF, SMC and the organising team to support the successful delivery of the event in November."
"Our focus now is firmly on the future. We will continue working together with our partners in Saudi Arabia and WRC Promoter towards bringing the FIA World Rally Championship back in 2027."
The calendar change still requires approval from the FIA World Motor Sport Council. F1's own calendar remains unaltered for now.
Get the latest F1 news from RacingNews365 directly in your Google feed! Click on the link below and you’ll see your favourite F1 website appearing even more often. That way, you’ll never miss any news, analyses, interviews, or exclusives.
Follow RacingNews365 on GoogleMost read
In this article
Never miss a thing from the Formula 1 season! Add the 2026 F1 schedule to your calendar at the touch of a button. Subscribe below and put the dates and times of every race directly on your PC or smartphone, so you don't miss a second from the new season.
Download the F1 calendar Download the F1 calendar
A variant with just the race and qualifying is also available.
Click here to download it..
Join the conversation!