The WRC is working on an expanded 14-round calendar for next year with the aim of adding a desert based-round in Saudi Arabia.
The championship continues to harbour a wish to return to the UK, which has been absent from the WRC schedule since the 2019 Wales Rally GB.
A bid fronted by promoter Bobby Willis to bring the WRC back to the UK in Northern Ireland has made three attempts to join the calendar - in 2021, 2022 and 2023 - but was unable to secure the necessary funding, believed to be approximately £3 million.
This project has been revived in the hope that funding can be secured to join the 2024 calendar. An initial deadline of April to secure the necessary requirements was pushed back to May.
The matter of securing government funding for a UK WRC round was raised in Prime Minister’s Questions the House of Commons last week by Greg Smith - MP for Buckingham and the co-chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Motorsport.
Smith urged the government to underwrite £1m to help the project that he explained would generate in excess of £100m to the economy.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak responded, stating: “Northern Ireland is a fantastic place to host international events and I’m delighted my Honourable Friend shares my enthusiasm for driving forward prosperity in Northern Ireland.
“But with tourism though being devolved in Northern Ireland, it is best he engages with Tourism NI on this potential event, and I look forward to hearing how he gets on.”
Source: Autosport