Irish bid for 2025 WRC event falls through over funding issues

• Motorsport Ireland required €15m investment across three years
• Plan was to rotate rally across three locations – Waterford, Kerry and Limerick
• March deadline was made ‘very clear’ to Irish government

Motorsport Ireland has confirmed its bid for a World Rally Championship (WRC) event in 2025 has fallen through over funding issues.

Ireland had hoped to secure a three-year contract to return to the WRC calendar for the first time since 2009, with a plan to rotate between three different locations – Waterford, Kerry and Limerick – during the lifetime of the deal.

When announcing the plan, Motorsport Ireland confirmed it was seeking €15 million (US$15.96 million) in funding over the three years, with an expected economic benefit to the country of €300 million (US$319.14 million).

However, Thomas Byrne, minister of state for sport, physical education and the Gaeltacht, confirmed this week that his department would need a further six months to analyse the proposal.

Aiden Harper, president of Motorsport Ireland, said: “I am saddened that it has come to this but unfortunately, we are left with no option.

“We always stated that the FIA World Rally Championship could only come to Ireland with the financial support of government while always being aware that the funding may not be forthcoming.

“It is a great shame to have to hand this great opportunity, and the economic benefit it would bring, over to another awaiting country.

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“In January of this year, Motorsport Ireland announced the three regions, Kerry, Limerick and the South East, that would host the events should funding be secured. Non-inclusion in 2025 is in no way any reflection on any of those areas.

“The work that has been put in by them has been incredible and I thank them for that. I would like to thank the WRC Promoter GmbH, especially Simon Larkin, for all his assistance throughout this process and hopefully we will be in a position to revisit this magnificent opportunity in the future.

“For now, we will continue as always to deliver our motorsport calendar here in Ireland, to the highest standards, across all our disciplines.”

In its statement, Motorsport Ireland reiterated that it was ‘very clear’ with the Irish government that March 2024 ‘was the cutoff’ for securing funding. WRC even granted a two-week extension in an effort to ensure the event could go ahead.

Motorsport Ireland’s focus will now turn to the further economic analysis being carried out by minister Byrne ahead of a potential resurrection of the bid in the future.