WRC Calendar 2023

[Eli]

There was an interview with Urmo Aava (Director of Rally Estonia). Currently the situation is that they have an offer to organize the event in 2023 and extend it to until 2026. They are waiting for the government decision about how much they can support this event. Ticket sales were so-so. About 30 000 unique spectators, of which half of them had the rally pass and other half bought daily tickets.

& if they don’t get the support from the government, will the FIA bring a different European event or just let it slide and have 1 event less?

[flat_right]

& if they don’t get the support from the government, will the FIA bring a different European event or just let it slide and have 1 event less?

In the same interview it was mentioned that they see Latvia or Cyprus as the potential additions to the calendar. This info is from Simon Larkin and not from Aava.

[EstWRC]

There was an interview with Urmo Aava (Director of Rally Estonia). Currently the situation is that they have an offer to organize the event in 2023 and extend it to until 2026. They are waiting for the government decision about how much they can support this event. Ticket sales were so-so. About 30 000 unique spectators, of which half of them had the rally pass and other half bought daily tickets.

That’s a really low number

Lower when it was candidate event but it’s their own fault also partly with boring spectator places

[Eli]

Anyone here has the number of spectators for Finland?

[flat_right]

That’s a really low number

Lower when it was candidate event but it’s their own fault also partly with boring spectator places

Yeah, they said that because there are no restrictions because of covid, the summer was full other events and they consider their number good. I would say also that it is rather low and for me it was the price and I would be really surprised if they don't lower it for next year (if the event will take place).

[AndersX]

I doubt we would see big spectator numbers on stages any more, at least not in Europe. All-live for hardcore fans, different alternatives to the left and right, plus, spectating rally nowadays is not that cool any more - in majority of cases you are allowed to designated areas only, where you have to sit all day. It was an adventure in the past - today, due to security demands - close to nature racing event. New reality even for organizers.

[cali]

That’s a really low number

Lower when it was candidate event but it’s their own fault also partly with boring spectator places

Boring places and AllLive. Also Tänak's lack of success before Estonia.
But on the other hand you got no traffic jams and this is very comfortable for organizer and spectators as well.
And I doubt rally pass prices will go lower, if the event goes on than 100 € pass is likely.

Sent from my DN2103 using Tapatalk

[flat_right]

And I doubt rally pass prices will go lower, if the event goes on than 100 € pass is likely.

When Aava visited rally studio during the event, Kalev Kruus directly asked him that if he thought that pass price was too high and Aava admitted that maybe a bit too high (I think by then he already had some first numbers about ticket sales) and said that ideally it would have been around 70€ and this is a thing they will look into next year. So based on this and low numbers, I personally think that it would come down a bit or definitely stay the same.

[rallyfiend]

[QUOTE=AndersX;1307706]I doubt we would see big spectator numbers on stages any more, at least not in Europe. All-live for hardcore fans, different alternatives to the left and right, plus, spectating rally nowadays is not that cool any more - in majority of cases you are allowed to designated areas only, where you have to sit all day. It was an adventure in the past - today, due to security demands - close to nature racing event. New reality even for organizers.[/QUOTE

Seeing the numbers of spectators in Finland and Ypres I'm not sure I agree with this. And they are both heavily ticketed events.

I wonder if the general economic situation plus anxiety about the war was an Estonia-specific issue...

[AnttiL]

Anyone here has the number of spectators for Finland?

I think they are usually announced a couple of months later. But I would expect a huge number thanks to Kalle (and also first Summer WRC rally since 2019)