Croatia Rally is set to make its fifth appearance in the FIA World Rally Championship from April 9-12, 2026, introducing a brand-new base and an entirely reimagined route.
After being headquartered in and around Zagreb since joining the WRC in 2021, the event moves to the coastal city of Rijeka, expanding across the regions of Primorje-Gorski Kotar, Istria, Karlovac and Lika-Senj. The relocation brings a fresh challenge, with stages that have never before featured at World championship level.
For competitors, this creates an added layer of unpredictability as they tackle the season’s first all-asphalt rally, facing unfamiliar roads and conditions. Despite the new itinerary, the demanding nature of Croatia Rally remains unchanged, with low-grip surfaces, undulating terrain and constantly varying road widths and grip levels testing crews over three intense days.
A firm favourite among drivers, teams and fans, Croatia Rally serves as round four of the 14-event WRC calendar and also hosts the second round of the FIA Junior WRC Championship, a key stepping stone for emerging talent.
The rally follows an action-packed start to the 2026 season. Oliver Solberg and Elliott Edmondson claimed a stunning victory at Rallye Monte-Carlo, while Takamoto Katsuta and Aaron Johnston celebrated their maiden WRC win at Safari Rally Kenya. In between, Elfyn Evans and Scott Martin triumphed at Rally Sweden and currently lead the championship standings by a narrow eight-point margin.
This year’s event also coincides with a significant milestone, marking 120 years of the First Croatian Autobile Club founding.
Who’s in contention?
All three factory Rally1 teams – M-Sport Ford, Hyundai and Toyota – will be represented at Croatia Rally.
Toyota Gazoo Racing fields a strong four-car line-up featuring Elfyn Evans, winner of the 2023 Croatia Rally, alongside Takamoto Katsuta, Sami Pajari and Oliver Solberg.
Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team brings Adrien Fourmaux, Thierry Neuville and Hayden Paddon, while M-Sport Ford World Rally Team is represented by Jon Armstrong and Josh McErlean.
Armstrong returns as a recent winner, having taken victory at last year’s Croatia Rally when it formed part of the FIA European Rally Championship. The 2026 season also marks his debut campaign at the top level of the WRC.
In WRC2, a competitive field of 20 drivers will battle for points, including Lancia drivers Nikolay Gryazin and Yohan Rossel, previous Croatia Rally winners in the category. Championship leaders Roope Korhonen, Léo Rossel and Robert Virves are also entered, along with two-time WRC2 champion Andreas Mikkelsen and Croatian driver Viliam Prodan.
The Junior WRC category is led by opening round winner Calle Carlberg, who also enjoyed success in Croatia last season in the Junior ERC and ERC4 categories. Ali Türkkan is another strong contender in the fight for the title among the sport’s rising stars.
