The information was still pending, and although rumors had suggested it, it was only yesterday that it was officially confirmed. The next Rally The Rally Italia Sardegna, the penultimate round of the 2026 World Rally Championship, which will take place from October 1st to 4th, will indeed be held in Sardinia. Organized in Olbia in early June this year, the event changes dates and returns to one of its historic hubs by once again being held in Alghero. “The Rally Italia Sardegna is preparing for its 23rd edition. Organized by the ACI with the support of the Sardinia region, the event brings the World Rally Championship back to the Riviera del Corallo for the tenth time. This will be the last European round and the penultimate round of the world championship calendar: an autumnal challenge on difficult terrain that could prove decisive in the title race,” reads the press release published by the organizers. In the past, the Rally of Sardinia has often alternated between the two cities of Alghero and Olbia. But as already announced, this 2026 edition will, for the time being, be the last to be held as part of the World Rally Championship. From 2027 onwards, it will be theERC which will host this destination.
Back to asphalt by 2027
Indeed, Rome will host the round of the World Rally Championship from this date, adding an asphalt event to a calendar that has increasingly featured gravel rallies in recent years – a first for Italy since the Sanremo Rally was dropped from the calendar. Having become a major round of the ERC calendar over the seasons, the Rally di Roma Capitale will therefore welcome the world’s best rally drivers in 2027. A five-year contract has been signed between all parties involved, thus guaranteeing Rome’s presence in the ERC. WRC and Sardinia in the ERC between 2027 and 2031. For now, it’s difficult to say for sure about the potential dates of the two events, but it’s highly likely that Sardinia’s move to the 2026 calendar was initiated precisely to prepare for a 2027 edition in the autumn. As for the Rally of Rome, it usually takes place at the beginning of July: it could therefore be slotted between the Acropolis Rally at the end of June and the Estonia Rally in mid-July.
ALSO READ >Â Rally Italy will go to Rome in 2027