Rally Chile has captured the hearts of World Rally Championship drivers. Since its debut in 2019, the event has quickly become a favorite, and now many hope the South American round remains on the WRC calendar for years to come.
The journey of Rally Chile has not always been smooth. After its debut as part of a double-header with Rally Argentina, the 2020 edition was cancelled due to political and social unrest. The coronavirus pandemic then complicated its return, which eventually came in September 2023. Since then, Rally Chile has been a consistent presence, even forming a double-header with Paraguay since 2025. Its popularity among drivers is mainly driven by the enthusiasm of the fans and the quality of the challenging special stages.
Jon Armstrong, one of the drivers competing in Rally Chile, expressed his admiration. "I've enjoyed being here," he told DirtFish. "I really like the people, I like the stages, I like the mountains – the roads are nice and also the cold weather suits me really well! So yeah I think it should come back and I think it's now almost a modern classic of sorts. We don't have Wales Rally GB, this is as close as we can get. OK we've got Scotland next year but this is definitely a nice rally too."
Oliver Solberg, who won Rally Chile, stated that the event "100%" needs to remain on the calendar. Although a deal is expected, the 2027 calendar is not yet confirmed. "We spoke a lot, us drivers together, through the weekend," said Solberg. "For us, it's a beautiful rally. Beautiful stages. Beautiful scenery. It really has all you can ask in a rally really, and a challenge. So I feel it deserves to be in the championship."
Takamoto Katsuta was also impressed by the organization. "For me, the most important thing here is every time there are a lot of fans and a lot of spectators, and it's organized well with no any big delay or anything, and no issues," he explained. "So for me, I don't know what is the main point for making a contract between rally and things in the calendar, but this is the kind of rally that should still stay because a lot of fans are waiting [for us here] and that's most important."
Adrien Fourmaux, the Hyundai driver, praised the "pure driving" nature of the event, but suggested that Saturday's stages could be refreshed to renew the challenge. "It demands a lot of driving in the stages, with very different profile from Friday to Saturday and Sunday stages," he said. "I think they have also other roads to do maybe new stages for Saturday, that would be interesting, but globally also the fans are there, the show is there so it's definitely one of the rallies that I like in the championship."
World champion Sebastien Ogier concluded, "Honestly, in terms of driving, it's a beautiful rally. I love the profile of the roads here. I mean, if you just think about the sporting challenge, definitely [it deserves a place on the calendar but] I mean, then all together, I don't know, there are different aspects of course to take into consideration. If it's not for next year, I hope the rally is coming back at some point for the future. Not regarding myself, probably, but still, they're really fantastic roads here."
With such comments, it is clear that Rally Chile has left a deep impression on the drivers. The quality of the stages, the fervent support of the fans, and the solid organization are the main reasons why this event is considered worthy of retention. Although the future of the WRC calendar remains uncertain, the drivers' hope for Rally Chile to stay is very strong. Now the ball is in the promoters' and FIA's court to ensure this rally continues to grace future seasons.
Baca Juga
Pembalap WRC berharap Rally Chile tetap di kalender. Event ini disebut klasik modern dengan stage menantang dan penggemar fanatik.
Esapekka Lappi mengakui Hyundai salah memilihnya untuk Rally Chile dan menyebut Hayden Paddon lebih layak tampil setelah performa impresif di Paraguay.
Mikko Lukka, 52 tahun, dinobatkan sebagai juara co-driver Junior WRC 2025 setelah kemenangan di Chile bersama Leevi Lassila. Simak kisahnya.
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