Rally Argentina has been absent from the World Championship calendar since 2019. Now the FIA and officials in Córdoba have agreed on a concrete timetable for the return. In March 2027 a three-day rally will be held as part of the South American FIA-CODASUR championship, during which the organisers must demonstrate their suitability for the World Rally Championship.
FIA observers will review the sporting procedures, the safety concept, medical care and infrastructure. The planned special stages and the service park must also meet the requirements of a World Championship event.
If the assessment is positive, Argentina could be readmitted to the WRC calendar from 2028. However, this would not yet represent a definitive confirmation as a World Championship round.
Legendary El Cóndor stage to return
Plans for 2028 are already under way. Organisers are also considering the return of the famous El Cóndor special stage, which with its rough gravel roads in the mountains around Córdoba is one of the best-known sections of the World Rally Championship.
As the new centre of the event a so-called WRC Arena is planned in the sports complex around the Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes in Córdoba. The service park and additional spectator facilities are to be located there.
Rally Argentina was first held in 1980 and developed into a regular part of the World Championship. The huge crowds in the mountains and the demanding gravel stages made the WRC round one of the most popular on the calendar. In the most recent edition in 2019 Thierry Neuville won in the Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC.
Córdoba firmly expects the return
Martín Llaryora, governor of the province of Córdoba, already expects the World Championship to return in 2028.
"We have worked very hard to bring the World Rally Championship back to Córdoba. Today we can announce that it will take place again in our province in 2028. The candidate event in 2027 is an important step to prepare us and to show that we are up to this challenge," explained Llaryora.
WRC promoter CEO Eric Boullier also supports the project and speaks of a long-term collaboration. The aim is to establish Rally Argentina permanently in the World Championship.
