WRC Delfi Rally Estonia 2026 takes place on the roads around Tartu, Otepää, Elva, and other locations in South Estonia, from today, Thursday, to Sunday.

Competitors will be contesting 18 special stages and covering a total competitive distance of 301.8 kilometers.

Events outside of racing also take place in Tartu, including at the Estonian National Museum (ERM), and at other locations, while the race proper starts with the first special stage at lunchtime on Friday.

Rally Estonia spectators in Elva can enjoy a free Red Bull Drift Show before Friday evening's special stage, with Oliver Randalu and Michael Reiljan driving 2,000-horsepower BMW drift cars. Beginning at 6:20 p.m., the pair will complete two runs on the 1.7-kilometer city stage and perform a tandem drift in front of Elva railway station.

Randalu and Reiljan will also score the rally drivers' performances in the style of a drift competition, with the highest-rated driver winning a Panasonic television. Randalu said a similar event proved popular last year and expects another entertaining show despite rally cars not being designed for drifting. Before the rally action begins at 7:35 p.m., spectators will also see five historic rally cars on the stage, including the legendary LADA VFTS and Ford Escort WRC.

The full itinerary from Thursday evening onwards is as follows:

Thursday

• 6:00 p.m. – Meet the crews on the start podium (Tartu Town Hall Square)
• 6:20 p.m. – WRC "family photo" (Tartu Town Hall Square)
• 6:30 p.m. – Official opening ceremony featuring NOËP and An-Marlen (Tartu Town Hall Square)
• 7:00 p.m. – Start podium ceremony (Tartu Town Hall Square)
• 8:15 p.m. – Rally1 car demonstration run (Vabaduse Puiestee, Tartu)
• 10:00 p.m. – Live concert from NOËP presented by the City of Tartu (Tartu Town Hall Square)

Friday

• 8:01 a.m. – RMK Shakedown Kastre (Kastre)
• 10:00 a.m. – Service Park and EXPO open (ERM)
• 1:03 p.m. – Special Stage One (SS1) TV3 / Raanitsa 1 (Paalimäe)
• 1:56 p.m. – SS2 Nord Metallik / Karaski 1 (Karaski)
• 2:49 p.m. – SS3 Circle K / Kanepi 1 (Mügra)
• 4:46 p.m. – SS4 Cramo / Raanitsa 2 (Paalimäe)
• 5:39 p.m. – SS5 CFMOTO / Karaski 2 (Karaski)
• 6:20 p.m. – Historic rally car run and Red Bull Drift Show (Elva)
• 6:32 p.m. – SS6 Aldar / Kanepi 2 (Mügra)
• 7:35 p.m. – SSS7 Gram / Elva (Elva)
• 8:30 p.m. – Official Rally Estonia concert featuring 5MIINUST, Smilers, and Kermo Murel (Tartu Song Festival Grounds; gates open 6:00 p.m.)
• 8:45 p.m. – Service A (45 min) (ERM)
• 8:50 p.m. – Meet the crews with the top three drivers (Service Park, Estonian National Museum)

Saturday

• 9:56 a.m. – SS8 Saku / Peipsiääre 1 (Selgise)
• 10:00 a.m. – Service Park and EXPO open (Estonian National Museum)
• 10:49 a.m. – SS9 Jazz Pesulad / Mustvee 1 (Kääpa)
• 12:10 p.m. – SS10 Kuku Raadio / Peipsiääre 2 (Selgise)
• 1:03 p.m. – SS11 Megameedia / Mustvee 2 (Kääpa)
• 2:18 p.m. – Service B (30 min) (ERM)
• 2:30 p.m. – Luunja Wave Zone (Luunja)
• 3:48 p.m. – SS12 Ramudden / Kambja 1 (Sulaoja)
• 5:05 p.m. – SS13 Toyota / Otepää 1 (Rüa)
• 5:58 p.m. – SS14 Awero / Kambja 2 (Sulaoja)
• 7:05 p.m. – SS15 Sportland / Otepää 2 (Rüa)
• 8:35 p.m. – SS16 Visit Estonia / Tartu Parish
• 9:03 p.m. – Service C (45 min) (ERM)
• 9:15 p.m. – Meet the crews with the top three drivers (Service Park, ERM)

Sunday

• 11:05 a.m. – SS17 Forus / Kääriku 1 (Kibena)
• 1:15 p.m. – SS18 Delfi / Wolf Power Stage Kääriku 2 (Kibena)
• 2:20 p.m. – Ceremonial finish and awards presentation (Kääriku Sports Center)
  
  

The weather is forecast to remain mostly sunny through Sunday, though with occasional showers.

A total of eight Estonian crews are competing in the second-tier categories, including drivers Robert Vires (Škoda), Romet Jürgenson (Ford), and Egon Kaur (Toyota).

Chasing his maiden WRC title, Elfyn Evans (Wales) tops the drivers' table for Toyota going into Rally Estonia with 162 points, 11 ahead of his teammate Takamoto Katsuta (Japan). Three more Toyota drivers follow before the appearance of the first Hyundai driver, Belgium's Thierry Neuville, the 2024 champion.

The Rally Estonia official event page is here.

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