The Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), the global governing body for motor sport and the federation for mobility organisations worldwide, has today announced the conclusion of a constructive candidate event held during Rally di Roma Capitale 2026, marking an important step towards the event’s potential inclusion in the FIA World Rally Championship.

Organised in collaboration with the Automobile Club d’Italia, the three-day candidate event took place from 3-5 July and saw delegates from the FIA’s sporting and safety departments assess Rally di Roma Capitale’s preparedness for a potential FIA World Rally Championship round.

Having made its debut in the FIA European Rally Championship (ERC) in 2017, Rally di Roma Capitale has quickly established itself as one of the championship’s standout events, combining challenging asphalt stages with strong promotion, significant fan engagement and a unique setting in the heart of one of Europe’s most recognisable capital cities.

Returning to the ERC for the ninth time, the 2026 edition served as an important live-event assessment of Rally di Roma Capitale’s ability to step up to the FIA World Rally Championship, showcasing the continued development of the event through a redesigned route, new landmark locations in central Rome and fresh special stages held in the shadow of the city’s iconic Colosseum.

Across the three-day event, FIA delegates worked closely with local officials and organisers involved in the delivery of the rally to assess Rally di Roma Capitale’s preparedness for a potential step up to the FIA World Rally Championship.

A central feature of the 2026 event noted by the delegation was the strength of its promotional platform, including activity in the heart of Rome and a special stage around the grounds of Rome’s historic Colosseum. The delivery of rallying in such an iconic location, combined with the scale of fan engagement and city-centre visibility, demonstrated the event’s potential to bring the FIA World Rally Championship in front of new audiences.

With the candidate event now complete, the FIA will finalise its delegates’ reports and share its findings over the coming weeks. These findings will support the next stage of Rally di Roma Capitale’s proposed inclusion in the FIA World Rally Championship calendar, marking the completion of an important first step towards bringing the WRC to the heart of Rome.

President of the FIA, H.E. Mohammed Ben Sulayem, said: “The completion of the Rally di Roma Capitale candidate event marks an important step towards bringing the FIA World Rally Championship to a new landmark location in the heart of Rome.

“This is another exciting moment for fans, reflecting a year of growth for the Championship in 2026, with candidate events in the United States, United Kingdom and the historic capital of Italy. There is global momentum behind rallying, across both growth and heritage markets, highlighting our commitment to bringing the Championship to new audiences around the world.

“I would like to thank our Member Club the Automobile Club d’Italia, the local organisers and all those who have worked together to support this process. With the candidate event now complete, our focus turns to finalising our reports and sharing our learnings with the local organisers.”

Automobile Club d'Italia President (ACI), Geronimo La Russa said: “Rally di Roma Capitale has become one of Italian motor sport’s most important international events, and this year’s candidate event has underlined the strength of the project that has been built under the guidance of the Automobile Club d'Italia by the organisers, regional and local authorities, volunteers, and everyone involved in delivering the event.”

“The 2026 edition demonstrated the ambition of Rally di Roma Capitale, with a renewed sporting route, a strong operational base in EUR and a promotional platform that brought rallying to some of Rome’s most iconic locations. For ACI, it is a source of pride to support an Italian event with the organisation, profile and long-term vision to be considered for the FIA World Rally Championship.

“We are grateful to the FIA and WRC Promoter for their work throughout the candidate event, and we look forward to continuing to support the evaluation process as Rally di Roma Capitale takes the next step in its development.”

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