Estonia to race one more full WRC driver, co-driver at next year's home rally
While Rally Estonia brings the best of the country's driving talent to the tracks of South Estonia every summer, all but one of these had driven in the lower categories.
Organizers aim to change this, however.
Both the organizers and a WRC spokesperson have confirmed that in addition to veteran pairing Ott Tänak and Martin Järveoja, a second Estonian team will also start Rally Estonia, this time in a top-tier Rally1 car.
Up to now, other Estonian drivers and co-drivers had raced before a home crowd in the WRC2, WRC3, or Junior WRC categories.
"It is not yet exactly known who will get this opportunity, but fortunately we can choose from at least three very strong candidates — Romet Jürgenson, Robert Virves, and Georg Linnamäe. The final decision will certainly depend on the outcome of the drivers' current season and also on what each of them is planning for the next season. In any case, it will be a very special and festive moment when, at a home World Championship round in small Estonia, not just one but two Estonian drivers start at the wheel of Rally1 cars, and I believe this will bring great excitement to all rally fans," Delfi's rally commentator Tarmo Hõbe said at a press conference held at the Kalev Yacht Club on Wednesday.
"Rally Estonia also played a very significant role in the decision during next year's state budget negotiations to allocate an additional two million euros in one of the Ministry of Culture's measures for sporting events. All these measures for international sports events support and complement each other, and although Rally Estonia does not fall directly under the measure for economic impact but under the major events measure, organizing such large-scale events certainly provides the state and government with a clear signal that these events continue to need support and that the scope of support measures should be increased," said Raido Mitt, deputy secretary general at the Ministry of Culture's sports department, speaking at the same press conference.
"The Ministry of Culture supported Rally Estonia this year with two million euros, and as the analysis and figures showed, in addition to its scale and impressive involvement of foreign tourists and media, the indicators of economic impact were also very positive," he added.
Rally Estonia director Urmo Aava and Delfi and Eesti Päevaleht editor-in-chief Urmo Soonvald signed an agreement at Wednesday's press conference, confirming that Delfi will continue as the event's title sponsor in 2026.
A 2025 economic impact study on this year's event, held in July, was also presented.
Rally Estonia 2025 brought 54,549 unique visitors, the organizers say, including 3,434 people involved in the actual organization.
Spectators from 51 different countries outside Estonia made up a quarter of the spectator base, with the nearby countries of Latvia, Finland, Lithuania, and Poland being most represented.
The impact study, conducted by Levellab, revealed that the Estonian state's investment in the 2025 event came to €2,000,000, tax revenues from foreign spectators and tourists amounted to €3,037,380, while the total additional turnover for the business sector reached €32,338,027.
The study also showed that while domestic tourists stayed in the event's region for an average of 2.8 days, foreign guests spent an average of 3.58 days in Estonia, spending an average of €251 per day compared with €121.45 spent by Estonians touring inside their own country.
As for next year's event, it takes place July 16-19, with Tartu as the base and on tracks, as in previous years, around Estonia's second city, and around Otepää, Elva, Kanepi, Kambja, Kastre, Nõo, Peipsiääre, and Mustvee municipalities.
The Estonian National Museum (ERM) in Tartu will host the rally, with the competition headquarters, service park, EXPO, Tartu vald stage, and many other attractions located there.
The start podium and grand opening ceremony will take place in Tartu's Town Hall Square as per tradition, while the finish podium and closing events will be held at the Kääriku sports center.
Rally Estonia had been held for many years before becoming a full WRC event in 2020. It has remained on the WRC calendar since then, save for one season where it was replaced by Rally Latvia.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte, Anders Nõmm
