Daniel Šaškin, the chairman of the Croatia Rally organising committee, told Nova TV that there is a fear the best drivers in the world will only race through Croatian cities next year. The WRC returns to Croatia next year, with the Croatia Rally scheduled for 8-11 April.
The agreement for the WRC in Croatia was signed in 2024, but no written confirmation has been received from the Ministry of Tourism and Sport regarding what will happen after that race. Consequently, the holding of the WRC Croatia Rally from 2028 to 2030 is in question, and it is almost certain that Croatia will not be in the WRC calendar. Both promoters and the FIA have expressed interest in Croatia remaining in the calendar.
According to studies by the Faculty of Economics, since 2021 the WRC has brought €100 million directly into the state budget, while the promotion of Croatia is worth over €2 billion. Images from the races have reached 165 countries. The budget for the Croatia Rally is €3-4 million, with the state contributing between 40 and 50 per cent of this budget. Without government support, the organizers cannot raise this amount of money.
Minister Tonči Glavina stated that they are negotiating and discussing the matter, and that they are investing funds which generate motivation for the visit to Croatia and a specific structure of guests, particularly in months when it is important to attract new guests. He highlighted that while all projects are important, they have their own budgets and everything depends on other events taking place in those years.
Šaškin concluded that for months they have been waiting for a financial framework of how much the state could allocate to be part of the WRC calendar from 2028 to 2030. The deadline is on Monday, and Šaškin fears that for Croatia the WRC is a thing of the past, with it only being watched in 2027. The rally has attracted many guests to Croatia in recent years, with drivers praising the Croatian roads and their unpredictability and diversity.
