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OPEN CHRONICLE SPORTS · MOTORSPORT

WORLD RALLY
CHAMPIONSHIP

Four continents. Fourteen rounds. Snow, asphalt, gravel and some of the most demanding roads in world motorsport.

2026 SEASON · CHILE DECIDER
14Rounds
4Continents
2Rounds after Chile
RALLY CHILE · ROUND 12

Rally Centre

Rally Chile Biobío reached its decisive final day with Oliver Solberg in control after a commanding Saturday performance.

10–13 SEP 2026
🇨🇱 RALLY CHILE BIOBÍO

Solberg takes a 19.1-second lead into the Chile finale

Oliver Solberg mastered changing grip, tyre management and Saturday's long gravel stages to lead Elfyn Evans by 19.1 seconds with four stages remaining. Sébastien Ogier climbed to third, just 20.4 seconds from the lead.

10–13September
GravelSurface
ConcepciónService Park
Round 12of 14
Official Rally Information ↗
2026 CHAMPIONSHIP

The Title Race

Chile has become a pivotal round in the drivers' championship. Evans arrived with a 20-point lead over Pajari, while Solberg's pace has pulled him deeper into the title fight.

Latest verified Rally Chile order after Saturday: Oliver Solberg leads Elfyn Evans by 19.1s; Sébastien Ogier is third at +20.4s, Adrien Fourmaux fourth and Sami Pajari fifth. Four stages remained for Sunday.
1🇬🇧
Elfyn EvansToyota GR Yaris Rally1
216
2🇫🇮
Sami PajariToyota GR Yaris Rally1
196
3🇸🇪
Oliver SolbergToyota GR Yaris Rally1
175
RALLY CHILE LEADER Oliver Solberg

Solberg led after both Friday and Saturday, extending his margin to 19.1 seconds before the final four stages.

MANUFACTURERS Toyota in control

Toyota entered Chile with a 173-point lead over Hyundai and needed only seven points from the event to make the manufacturers' title mathematically secure.

NEXT ROUND Rally Italia Sardegna

The championship moves to Sardinia for Round 13 on 1–4 October before the Saudi Arabia finale in November.

2026 SEASON

World Rally Calendar

Fourteen rounds across snow, asphalt and gravel — from Monte-Carlo to Saudi Arabia.

01
🇲🇨 Monte-Carlo22–25 Jan · Winner: Oliver Solberg
02
🇸🇪 Sweden12–15 Feb · Winner: Elfyn Evans
03
🇰🇪 Safari Rally Kenya12–15 Mar · Winner: Takamoto Katsuta
04
🇭🇷 Croatia9–12 Apr · Winner: Takamoto Katsuta
05
🇪🇸 Islas Canarias23–26 Apr · Winner: Sébastien Ogier
06
🇵🇹 Portugal7–10 May · Winner: Thierry Neuville
07
🇯🇵 Japan28–31 May · Winner: Elfyn Evans
08
🇬🇷 Acropolis25–28 Jun · Winner: Sébastien Ogier
09
🇪🇪 Estonia16–19 Jul · Winner: Sami Pajari
10
🇫🇮 Finland30 Jul–2 Aug · Winner: Sami Pajari
11
🇵🇾 Paraguay27–30 Aug · Winner: Sami Pajari
12
🇨🇱 Chile Biobío10–13 Sep · FINAL DAY
13
🇮🇹 Rally Italia Sardegna1–4 Oct
14
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia11–14 Nov · Season finale
NEXT CHAMPIONSHIP STOP

Rally Italia Sardegna · 1–4 October 2026

Round 13 is the penultimate rally of the season, followed by the Saudi Arabia finale on 11–14 November.

RALLY1

Teams & Drivers

The crews and manufacturers fighting at the highest level of world rallying.

TOYOTA GAZOO RACING WRT

GR Yaris Rally1

Elfyn Evans · Takamoto Katsuta · Sami Pajari · Oliver Solberg · Sébastien Ogier*

*Ogier competing on a partial 2026 programme.
HYUNDAI SHELL MOBIS WRT

i20 N Rally1

Thierry Neuville · Adrien Fourmaux · rotating third-car programme

A proven title-winning force chasing Toyota.
M-SPORT FORD WRT

Ford Puma Rally1

Josh McErlean · Jon Armstrong · additional selected crews

The independent British squad carrying Ford into Rally1.
THE ROAD TO RALLY1

WRC2

Rally2 machinery, factory-backed talent and ambitious privateers make WRC2 one of rallying's deepest competitive categories — and a crucial route toward the top class.

Toyota GR Yaris Rally2Škoda Fabia RS Rally2Ford Fiesta Rally2Hyundai i20 N Rally2
FUTURE STARS

Junior WRC

Five rounds in 2026, culminating with the double-points finale in Chile. Identical Rally3 machinery puts the emphasis on young drivers learning the craft.

Chile · Championship Finale
UNDERSTAND THE SPORT

The Rally World

World rallying changes character with every surface, weather system and pace note.

01

Gravel

Loose surfaces, road sweeping, ruts and changing grip reward adaptability and commitment.

02

Asphalt

Precision, braking confidence and perfect pace notes turn public roads into high-speed circuits.

03

Snow & Ice

Studded tyres and narrow frozen roads make Sweden a unique high-speed winter challenge.

04

Pace Notes

Driver and co-driver attack stages they cannot memorise corner by corner. Trust becomes performance.

05

Tyres & Strategy

Weather, compound choice, puncture risk and tyre preservation can decide an entire rally.

06

Rally Technology

Rally1 cars combine sophisticated chassis engineering, four-wheel drive and extreme durability.

HISTORY & LEGENDS

A Championship Built on Roads

Explore the rallies, drivers, machines and rivalries that created the mythology of the WRC.

FEATURED HISTORY

From Alpine passes to flying Finnish gravel

The World Rally Championship has always demanded something circuit racing cannot: mastery of roads that change by the kilometre and conditions that can transform between one stage and the next.

Greatest Drivers

Loeb, Ogier, McRae, Mäkinen, Kankkunen and generations of world champions.

Legendary Rallies

Monte-Carlo, Finland, Safari, Acropolis, Portugal and the events that define the championship.

Iconic Rally Cars

From Group B monsters to World Rally Cars and the modern Rally1 era.

Teams & Manufacturers

Lancia, Audi, Subaru, Mitsubishi, Ford, Citroën, Volkswagen, Toyota, Hyundai and more.

Rally Technology

Four-wheel drive, turbocharging, safety, suspension, tyres and the engineering of speed on real roads.

OPEN CHRONICLE NEWSROOM

Latest WRC Stories

The newest World Rally Championship reports, analysis and features from Open Chronicle.

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