The greatest sporting spectacle ever held in Croatia — and one of the most watched sporting events in the world — has concluded spectacularly. Stunning images of Croatia have once again travelled across the globe, as the WRC Croatia Rally was broadcast live in more than 150 countries worldwide.
Over the past four days, Croatia once again proved itself to be an outstanding host — not only to the world’s best rally crews, but also to one of the most prestigious events in global motorsport. A total of 63 crews from 24 countries competed across more than 1,600 kilometres and 20 special stages, driving through Zagreb County, Karlovac County, Krapina-Zagorje County, Primorje-Gorski Kotar County and Varaždin County. Meanwhile, mechanics from leading world teams demonstrated their expertise to visitors in the Service Park located in Zagreb.
Ranked among the top 20 most-watched sporting events globally, the rally represents the largest motorsport event ever staged in Croatia and one of the country’s most attractive sporting manifestations. During the event week, Zagreb welcomed around 2,000 competitors and team members, while more than 200 international journalists and broadcast crews reported live from the scene. The WRC reaches an annual global audience of over 865 million viewers.
Daniel Šaškin, President of the Organising Committee of the WRC Croatia Rally, expressed his gratitude to partners, fans, volunteers and the entire team: “I would like to thank our entire team for delivering outstanding work in every segment. Their enthusiasm and passion for rally truly paid off. Despite numerous challenges — including extreme weather conditions during part of the competition, which required us to prioritise the safety of competitors and spectators and ultimately cancel one special stage following FIA instructions — the beautiful yet demanding stages once again made this year’s rally thrilling until the very end. We were fortunate to witness an exceptionally close and exciting competition. The sporting aspect was superbly executed, which makes us especially proud. Winner Kalle Rovanperä demonstrated remarkable skill, wisdom and composure — and once he takes the throne, I believe he will remain there for a long time. It is with great satisfaction and pride that we conclude another successful WRC Croatia Rally. Enthusiastic competitors have already confirmed they will return next year, and magnificent images of Croatia have once again presented our country in the most beautiful light.”
Following the closing ceremony, State Secretary for Sport Tomislav Družak emphasised: “The largest sporting event in Croatia has been completed. I hope this marks the beginning of a long and proud tradition. The image sent to the world is one of Croatia as a top-level organiser, a safe country and a desirable destination. At the very start of the tourist season, this is also a powerful invitation to everyone still considering a visit to come and experience Croatia’s beauty and tourism offer.”
Following the official closing ceremony, the President of the Hrvatski auto i karting savez, Davorin Štetner, expressed his great satisfaction: “After everything, there is a smile on my face — genuine happiness and pride because the entire event passed without a single incident or unpleasant situation. This is truly a major celebration of motorsport and a significant economic opportunity for Croatia. This year’s competition concluded with an exciting and dramatic finale, and I hope that will remain a hallmark of future Croatia Rally events. The organisation was impeccable, clearly demonstrating that we are fully capable of hosting such a large number of visitors without difficulty. I want to thank all the volunteers and everyone involved in delivering this rally — the firefighters, the police, emergency services, our sporting officials from the federation, the organising clubs, and all those who contributed to making this event such a spectacular success. I had extensive discussions with Michèle Mouton and with the heads of major teams. The shared assessment is that the Croatia Rally is a valuable addition to the championship, that they enjoy coming to Croatia, and that they see this event as a long-term fixture on the World Rally Championship calendar. On the other hand, competitors often use the word ‘tricky’ to describe the stages — and that is the ideal combination. I firmly believe that the WRC Croatia Rally will remain in Croatia for many years to come.”
About the WRC Croatia Rally
The WRC Croatia Rally took place from 21 to 24 April across 20 dynamic special stages in five Croatian counties, with the ceremonial start and finish and the Service Park based in Zagreb. According to organisers, this year’s edition attracted a record number of spectators for a sporting event in the country. Fans also had the opportunity to see the revolutionary new generation of hybrid Rally1 vehicles, introduced at the start of the season. Thanks to the outstanding organisation of both the sporting and accompanying programmes — including strong environmental standards — Croatia has repeatedly been praised as a refreshing and impressive addition to the WRC calendar. Following excellent overall evaluations, organisers secured a three-year contract to continue hosting this prestigious event. The significance and success of the rally have been recognised by numerous partners, local and regional authorities, tourist boards, institutions, the Government of the Republic of Croatia and the City of Zagreb, all of whom have supported the organisation of the event in 2022 and in the years ahead.
About the WRC
The World Rally Championship (WRC) is one of the most popular motorsport competitions in the world, alongside Formula 1. It is broadcast by more than 250 television networks and followed by hundreds of millions of viewers worldwide.
After years of competing with far wealthier countries, Croatia secured the opportunity in 2021 to host a round of the World Rally Championship for the first time — under the name WRC Croatia Rally — marking the beginning of a new chapter in the country’s sporting and tourism promotion.
Photo: Uroš Modlic
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