Wales Rally GB
Wales Rally GB was the United Kingdom’s top international motor rally and a regular round of the World Rally Championship from 1973 until its final running in 2019. It had a long history under different names, with the RAC Rally and later titles such as Lombard RAC Rally and Network Q Rally of Great Britain. From 2003 the Welsh Government sponsored the event, and it became known as Wales Rally GB. The last event took place in 2019; the planned 2020 rally was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic and sponsorship difficulties. Since then the rally has not returned, and attempts to run a UK event have not succeeded as of 2024. There have been talks of reviving Rally GB with a base in Scotland for 2026, but nothing has been confirmed.
Origins go back to 1932 as the Royal Automobile Club Rally, a multi-start event finishing in Torquay. After World War II the rally grew into a national competition across Britain, testing cars on standard production models and a mix of road and test stages. In the 1950s it became the RAC International Rally of Great Britain, and in the 1960s the format shifted toward more forest stages and timed tests, making it one of the sport’s toughest events.
The 1970s brought title sponsorship and the modern era of rallying. The event’s name changed with sponsors, becoming the Daily Mirror RAC International Rally of Great Britain, then Lombard RAC Rally, and later the Network Q RAC Rally. In 1998 the RAC branding faded, and the rally was known simply as Rally GB. From 2003 onward, sponsorship by the Welsh Government helped mark the rally’s Welsh identity as Wales Rally GB.
The route moved over the years, but by the 2000s the rally was centered in Wales, with Cardiff as a base and later North Wales and Deeside as key locations. The World Rally Championship format brought a compact set of stages and a central service park, focusing more on forest stages in Wales and nearby regions.
Wales Rally GB produced many memorable title battles. In the early 1990s drivers like Juha Kankkunen and Carlos Sainz fought for the championship. Colin McRae won in 1995 in front of large crowds, and Tommi Mäkinën’s 1998 title came after dramatic moments on stage. In 2003 Petter Solberg won after Carlos Sainz crashed, and in 2005co-driver Michael Park died in a crash involving Markko Märtin; Sébastien Loeb briefly appeared set to win before Solberg claimed the title. The event’s weather—often cold, wet, and muddy in November—added to the challenge, with forests providing fast but tricky roads.
Nordic drivers have had notable success at the event, and the rally’s history includes many famous moments and close championships. In recent years, the calendar shifts saw Britain’s rally stop appearing on the World Championship lists, and efforts to revive it have so far not materialized. In parallel to the modern rally, two events celebrate the era’s heritage: the RAC Revival Rally, using newer but less powerful cars, and the Roger Albert Clark Rally, a historic event using pre-1972 machinery.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 20:11 (CET).