WRC promoter extends Sweden deal by further three years
Rally Sweden’s breathtaking snow and ice spectacle will remain in the FIA World Rally Championship until at least 2027 following a new three-year agreement with WRC Promoter.
The event will stay in the city of Umeå after the resounding successes of the previous two editions there. WRC first visited the forests of the Västerbotten region in the northeast of the country in 2022.
The event will stay in the city of Umeå after the resounding successes of the previous two editions there. WRC first visited the forests of the Västerbotten region in the northeast of the country in 2022.
Rally Sweden was a founding member of the WRC’s inaugural season in 1973, and the move north to Umeå has proven popular with teams, competitors, and fans, who enjoyed four days of perfect winter conditions on both occasions.
“This agreement secures Sweden's place in the FIA World Rally Championship and the future of the WRC's only pure winter rally,” said WRC Promoter event director Simon Larkin. “The move to Umeå has proven to be a resounding success and we thank Umeå for the will to develop with us and Rally Sweden, and also a big thank you to the Västerbotten region for its support and welcome during Rally Sweden week.”
Rally Sweden CEO Anna Nordkvist said the WRC’s move to Umeå had exceeded expectations.
Rally Sweden CEO Anna Nordkvist said the WRC’s move to Umeå had exceeded expectations.
“I think that both Rally Sweden and Umeå have delivered beyond everyone's expectations since the move. We have had two fantastic WRC competitions with plenty of snow and a development of the public part of Rally Sweden where Red Barn Arena is the heart.
“When we saw the aerial photos of Red Barn last winter, I think many of us were amazed at what an enormously public event Rally Sweden is. Now knowing that together with Umeå, the region, landowners, partners, associations and all our beloved officials get to continue building this for three more years after next year's rally is only positive.”
Hans Lindberg, chairman of the Municipal Board in Umeå, added: “Rally Sweden is an event that suits Umeå and the region well. It is sport at the highest elite level, but it also creates meeting places for the residents for four wonderful days and puts Umeå on the world map, and it gives back financially to the business community in the region. I think it shows how important the municipality sees the rally when all parties agree to keep Rally Sweden in our region.”
