Junior WRC 2027: five rounds and seven WRC2 starts to win

The FIA and WRC Promoter have unveiled the calendar and new rules for Junior WRC 2027, the world championship for young rally drivers. The stated aim: make the series more accessible and affordable while strengthening its role as a stepping stone to WRC2 and then the WRC.

The 2027 calendar: five rounds, all in Europe

The season has five rallies, all in Europe, which limits freight and travel costs. The dates published by Rallye-Magazin are:

• Rally Sweden, 18-21 February: snow and ice;
• Croatia Rally, 8-11 April: asphalt;
• Rally d'Italia, 8-11 July: asphalt;
• Rally Finland, 29 July-1 August: gravel;
• Rally Scotland, 30 September-3 October: gravel, with the finale in Scotland.

Seven WRC2 events for the champion

The main change concerns the prize. The 2027 Junior WRC champion will receive a seven-round WRC2 programme for the 2028 season in a Rally2 car. The prize rises from four to seven events, giving more time to adapt to more powerful cars. FIA Deputy President for Sport Malcolm Wilson presents the measures as a significant step towards making the World Rally Championship more accessible and affordable at every level.

Free tyres and a best-results rule

Hankook, the WRC tyre supplier, will provide an allocation of free tyres to crews throughout the 2027 season. How many tyres each team receives has not yet been announced.

The sporting format changes too:

• points from all five rallies count, but only each crew's best four results go into the final classification;
• taking part in the final round in Scotland remains compulsory to be classified in the championship;
• double points for the last round are gone: Scotland awards the same points as the other four rallies.

What it changes

By letting crews drop a retirement or a poor result, the best-results rule should reward consistency and keep the title fight alive until the end. For young drivers, an all-European calendar mainly cuts the cost of a season. Junior WRC director Maciej Woda calls it a major step for the future champion and says the series will be cheaper overall in 2027.

Key points

• Five European rallies, from Sweden (February) to Scotland (late September).
• Prize: seven WRC2 events in 2028, up from four.
• Best four results from five, free Hankook tyres, no more double points.