Latvia integrated into the WRC in 2024

This almost happened when the covid pandemic appeared. The promoter of WRC and the Liepaja organizers were in contact, but it didn't work. However, the links had not been broken and this will come to fruition in a few months.

The Liepaja is an event that is still young since its first edition dates back to 2013. Since then, it has always appeared in the calendar of theERC where until now she has never really had a dedicated period. Indeed, at the beginning it was scheduled for February (2013 to 2015) before being moved to the end of the season (2016 to 2018), then being positioned in May (2019) and taking place in summer for 4 years. Wedged between Estonia to the North, Lithuania to the East and the Baltic Sea to the West, Latvia is a country of less than 2 million inhabitants. Located on the coast just opposite Sweden, the town of Liepaja which gave its name to the event is almost a three-hour drive west of Riga, the capital where the WRC is due to take place in 2024.

The Liepaja offers fast and visibly dusty paths as Yoann Bonato was able to test in 2021 (Photo Grégory Lenormand / DPPI)

Le rally takes place on gravel and the stages offered are generally very fast. Winner in 2022, Martin Sesks won at an average of 119 km/h with his Skoda Fabia Rally2. Latvia's arrival in the elite creates a casualty as Estonia will lose its place and fall back to the ERC. The promoter thus implements its philosophy according to which the European Championship must serve as a reservoir for the WRC both for the drivers and for the rounds.

« Our aim has always been to keep at least one slot available in the WRC calendar to allow an event to move from the ERC to the WRC », Explains Peter Thul, sporting director of the promoter who manages both the WRC and the ERC. “ The fact that Rally Latvia is the first to be granted this slot is a clear recognition of its sporting and promotional excellence and the Latvian government's commitment to the rally. This decision underlines the strategic importance of the Baltic regions for the WRC. »

The addition of Latvia to the 2024 WRC program still needs to be approved by the World Council and at the moment no specific date has been given. It was also not indicated whether Latvia would take the place in another round, but it seems that Estonia will pay the price for this arrival.