Turkish Rally offers hope for more normal WRC calendar
World Rally Championship Safari Rally CEO Phineas Kimathi (left) explains a point to Tourism CS Najib Balala during an inspection tour of the rally’s Service Park in Naivasha on August 10, 2020.
What you need to know:
- Kenya had been progressing well with preparations before the Safari Rally was pushed to next year.
- Local organisers thus have an added year to fine tune this world famous rally raced African land so that it is held with remarkable success.
WRC Turkish Rally has offered a much needed silver lining to the FIA World Rally Championship for the inclusion of more cancelled or postponed events to conclude the 2020 calendar with a semblance of a fully-fledged championship.
The calendar was severely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
After analysing the situation on the ground, the organisers of the WRC Turkish Automobile Sports Federation (TOSFEED) are confident enough they can host a safe event after Covid-19 had ground WRC rounds including the Safari Rally.
TOSFEED, confirmed they are ready for the world and even requested their event to be brought forward by one week.
This means that the gravel roads WRC rally based in the sea-side resort of Marmaris will now be held on September 18-20 providing the rallying world the second action within two weeks after Estonia (September 4-6).
The WRC was halted after Mexico in March and the Argentina, Portugal, Italy and Kenya rounds shelved.
The world’s motorsport governing body, FIA and its WRC championship commercial rights holder, WRC Promoter accepted the change of dates which now paves way for a revised calendar that will accommodate four more rounds to bring to a total of seven in 2020 from a normal total of 13 rounds.
Before Turkey, a regular host of the WRC, the championship will go to uncharted territory of Estonia, which stepped in to fill the gap and exploit the situation to fast track their long held desire to join the WRC.
Estonia has produced several world class drivers including the current WRC world champion Ott Tanak.
By going to Turkey, Germany, Japan and Italy at the beginning the Covid-19 epicentre the world of sport is slowly, but surely entering an era of on-site spectator free action, a scenario which will continue for some time before a vaccine to cure the disease is found.
However, rallying and football have offered the impetus for other sporting organisations to follow suit.
TOSFED president Eren Üçlertopraği is confident that they have the time to produce a successful event from the experience of their last two events having the health and safety of all in attendance.
Jona Siebel, is ecstatic and thanked Turkey’s Ministry of Youth and Sports and TOSFED for the changes which will squeeze more events as Japan is slated to hold the last round in November according to the revised calendar.
Turkey will, of course, run with Covid-19 protocols of the FIA and WRC Promoter guidelines and Turkey’s health rules to create a safe environment for all involved and for fans to enjoy, opined Siebel.
Marmaris, a popular holiday resort in Turkey and surrounding roads have an uncanny semblance to Kenya’s Safari Rally and the fact that it is a tourist’s destination is a confidence booster for a country which has lifted the Covid-19 enforced lockdown.
Turkey is now open for business and tourists.
Kenya had been progressing well with preparations before the Safari Rally was pushed to next year.
Local organisers thus have an added year to fine tune this world famous rally raced African land so that it is held with remarkable success.
The 2020 calendar:
Monte Carlo, January 23-26
Sweden, February 13-16
Mexico, March 12-15
Estonia, September 4-6
Turkey, September 18-20
Germany, October 15-18
Italy, November 29-October 1
Japan, November 19-22
