The 53rd edition of the FIA-governed World Rally Championship (WRC) gets underway with the Monte Carlo Rally on Thursday, January 23, and concludes in November with Rally Saudi Arabia. The 2025 season is scheduled to be contested over fourteen rounds, crossing Europe, Africa, South America, and Asia.
The inaugural WRC was launched in 1973, with the Monte Carlo Rally kicking off the season in January of that year. Racing officials selected 13 rallies worldwide and organised them into a series featuring drivers competing for the World Championship. A WRC season typically consists of approximately 13 rally events held over 3 or 4 days. Numerous special stages take place during each of the events, which are run against the clock. The drivers face a multitude of different race surfaces throughout the season, ranging from gravel and tarmac to snow and ice, testing the drivers’ versatility and skills.
The forthcoming spectacular 14-round 2025 WRC season features several new global stops. The Rally Islas Canarias (April) has been promoted from the European Rally Championship and is now a WRC event. Rally Paraguay (August) is another brand-new edition, and the season climaxes with Rally Saudi Arabia (November), which also joins the Championship for the first time. Saudi organisers have signed a ten-year contract with WRC Promoter GmbH. Looking further ahead, there are plans in the pipeline for the WRC to return to the United States for the first time since the 1980s next year. While innovations and improvements in areas like technology and road safety remain top priorities this season, the new WRC is aimed at boosting participation and getting more drivers, manufacturers, and fans from around the world involved in motorsport. Team budgets have also been capped for the current campaign with the aim of making the Championship more competitive.
As is the norm, the 2025 FIA World Rally Championship gets underway with the Monte Carlo Rally, held between Thursday, January 23 and Sunday, January 26. It’s the oldest and one of the most prestigious events on the WRC calendar. It was first held in 1911 when it was staged as a race from different locations to the Principality of Monaco. Nowadays, this iconic rally sees drivers having to face a range of different surfaces and conditions. The cars tend to use a tarmac set-up, but the drivers and teams are often forced to tackle snow and ice in the mountains around the Principality.
Let GOAL give you all the vital information you require ahead of the first 2025 WRC event, including the schedule and how you can watch and stream all the live action.
Where is the 2025 WRC Monte Carlo Rally being held?
Getty ImagesThe 2025 Monte Carlo Rally is based in Gap, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, and consists of 18 special stages, covering a total competitive distance of approximately 210 miles. We start racing for real from Casino Square, Monaco, on Thursday, January 23. Gap, located in the Hautes-Alpes department, is renowned for its cultural and natural heritage. Often called the sweet capital of the Southern French Alps, it has historically linked Marseille to Grenoble. Along with the Monte Carlo Rally, Gap hosts many events throughout the year, such as the Carnival of the Alps and the Tour de France.
What is the 2025 WRC Monte Carlo Rally Schedule?
| Date | Session(s) | Time | Watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday, January 23 | Stage 1 (followed by Stages 2 & 3) | 6:05 pm CET (5:05 pm GMT / 12:05 pm ET) | TNT Sports / DAZN |
| Friday, January 24 | Stage 4 (followed by Stages 5-9) | 9:31 am CET (8:31 am GMT / 3:31 am ET) | TNT Sports / DAZN |
| Saturday, January 25 | Stage 10 (followed by Stages 11-15) | 8:59 am CET (7:59 am GMT / 2:59 am ET) | TNT Sports / DAZN |
| Sunday, January 26 | Stage 16 (followed by Stages 17 & 18) | 6:39 am CET (5:39 am GMT / 12:39 am ET) | TNT Sports / DAZN |
Where can I watch the 2025 WRC Monte Carlo Rally in the UK?
This season, the Monte Carlo Rally and other 2025 World Rally Championship events will be broadcast live on TNT Sports. You can live stream on discovery+ and watch via TNT Sports' TV channels on Sky, BT, and Virgin Media platforms. Discovery+ Premium is £29.99 per month and available on a monthly rolling contract. This includes TNT Sports, Eurosport, and other entertainment channels. Existing BT broadband customers can access TNT Sports for £20 per month. The package includes TNT Sports, Discovery+, and Eurosport.
Where can I watch the 2025 WRC Monte Carlo Rally in the US?
The Monte Carlo Rally and the 2025 World Rally Championship season are available to watch through DAZN on its dedicated app channel, Rally TV. It is available either as a dedicated Rally TV subscription or as part of your existing DAZN subscription for a small add-on fee. You can subscribe to DAZN for $19.99, committing you to an entire year of action. A flexible pass worth $29.99 is also available and can be cancelled anytime. You can also pay $224.99 for the year upfront, which is the lowest-cost option.
How to watch the 2025 WRC Monte Carlo Rally from anywhere with a VPN
If you find yourself unable to view the Monte Carlo Rally locally or any of the WRC events this season, you may need a different way to watch the races. That's where using a VPN can come in handy. A VPN is also the best way to stop your ISP from throttling your speeds on race day by encrypting your traffic, and it's also a great idea if you're traveling and find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network and you want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins.
With a VPN, you're able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet, or laptop to get access to the rallies. Most VPNs make it easy to do this. We recommend NordVPN if you're unsure which VPN to choose, but you can also check out our in-depth VPN guide to determine which one is best for you.
Full 2025 WRC schedule
| Round | Dates | Rally | Rally Headquarters |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jan 23-26 | Rallye Monte Carlo | Gap, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur (France) |
| 2 | Feb 13-16 | Rally Sweden | Umea, Vasterbotten County (Sweden) |
| 3 | Mar 20-23 | Safari Rally Kenya | Nairobi, Nakuru County (Kenya) |
| 4 | Apr 24-27 | Rally Islas Canarias | Las Palmas, Gran Canaria (Spain) |
| 5 | May 15-18 | Rally de Portugal | Matosinhos, Porto (Portugal) |
| 6 | Jun 5-8 | Rally Italia Sardegna | Olbia, Sardinia (Italy) |
| 7 | Jun 26-29 | Acropolis Rally Greece | Lamia, Central Greece (Greece) |
| 8 | Jul 17-20 | Rally Estonia | Tartu, Tartu County (Estonia) |
| 9 | Jul 31-Aug 3 | Rally Finland | Jyvaskyla, Central Finland (Finland) |
| 10 | Aug 28-31 | Rally del Paraguay | Encarnacion, Itapua (Paraguay) |
| 11 | Sep 11-14 | Rally Chile | Concepcion, Biobio (Chile) |
| 12 | Oct 16-19 | Central European Rally | Bad Griesbach, Bavaria (Germany) |
| 13 | Nov 6-9 | Rally Japan | Toyota, Aichi (Japan) |
| 14 | Nov 27-30 | Rally Saudi Arabia | Jeddah, Mecca Province (Saudi Arabia) |
How does the 2025 World Rally Championship scoring system work?
Points are awarded to the top ten classified finishers at each event. There are also five bonus points awarded to the winners in accumulated standings across all Sunday stages: four points for second place, three for third, two for fourth, and one for fifth. The same points scale will also be awarded to the five fastest crews of the Power Stage (the final stage at each event).
| Position | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 25 | 17 | 15 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| Sunday | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | |||||
| Power Stage | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |