SEPTEMBER 10, 2003

Mexico gets a World Rally Championship event

The increasing interest in motor sport in Mexico has been highlighted by the announcement yesterday by the FIA that the country will host a round of the World Rally Championship next year. Japan has also joined the expanded 16-event calendar. The rally will be held in the area around the city of Leon.

In order to enable the calendar to expand, however, the FIA has controversially forced teams to accept that they are allowed to enter only two cars each. Many of the teams have already signed third drivers.

The logic behind the change is to make the WRC more easily transportable from venue to venue by reducing the amount of equipment that each team takes to each event. The new regulations have been pushed through despite opposition from the major teams. The new calendar also sees a major change for British motorsport with the Rally of Great Britain taking place in mid September rather than on its traditional November date.