Wales Rally GB will have a radical new look this year with closed public roads being used for the first time. The focus of the event will centre on the forest tracks and venues of North Wales and the event will not have an English element as it did with the Chester time control in 2017. Nor will there be a spectator stage at Cholmondley Park. The legal change by the Welsh government now enables closed-road motorsport.
So rally organisers are redesigning the four-day event’s route around Wales to make it better for both fans and competitors. There will be some completely new stage locations. This will be most noticeable in North Wales, where some of the smaller forests can now feature extended mileage by closing a short stretch of public road. This will create new speed tests worthy of the World Rally Championship.
The detailed route will not be announced until the FIA gives its approval and tickets go on sale in April. But organisers have released an outline route to help fans, marshals, and accommodation providers as they plan for the rally.
It will kick off with a crowd-friendly curtain-raiser at Tir Prince on Thursday evening, before Friday’s North Wales stages, many located in Conwy County, which has renewed its role as the rally’s official host county.
Then the lengthy Saturday run… labelled “Super Saturday” which will feature many classic forest tests around Aberystwyth. Previously such runs have been part of the Friday schedule. On the Sunday, the event will move back to North Wales and feature a new Power Stage venue.
There will also be a lengthened National Rally attached to the WRC event. It will run to a longer two-day format and will include all Friday’s and Saturday’s WRC stages in its 85 miles of competition. The winners will be crowned on their return to service on Saturday afternoon.
Ben Taylor, event boss, says the law change will allow them to deliver a "fresh take" on Rally GB and expects record crowds as a result.
"We are taking full advantage of this new legislation to deliver a fresh take on this thrilling event. The new WRC cars and Elfyn Evans’ historic victory brought us record crowds last year and we are expecting even bigger numbers in October.
"Shifting the focus to north Wales is not only closer to cities such as Liverpool and Manchester but it also allows us to challenge the crews with some spectacular stages that have never before been included on this rally.
“We won’t announce the final route until the middle of April but we know lots of people are already making their plans and booking hotels and other accommodation in the region, so it’s only right that we share the changes with them.”
Last year’s event attracted 103,438 visitors, a record since the rally moved to north Wales in 2013, and delivered £9.4m of economic benefit to Wales.
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