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Best places to watch the WRC’s greatest stages
We show you the best stages in world rally and the best places to stand as a fan so you don’t miss a thing.
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World Rally is all about being in the right place at the right time, so here’s our guide to the best stages in the WRC and GPS coordinates of where to watch them.
There’s no greater challenge for the World Rally fan than finding the perfect spot to catch the action. If you’re going to get up early and drive into the countryside, queue to park, and then haul your barbecue and camera gear into the woods or up a mountain for a day of rally action, you want to be sure you’ve picked the best spot.
So unshackle your inner boy scout, set the coordinates in your GPS and head off to the wilderness to watch fire-breathing rally cars in all their muddy glory. Along the way, we’ll also post insider tips, starting with this one: buy the official guide because it contains essential maps and stage times.
WRC Australia: Wedding Bells
3 min
What to expect from Rally Australia 2017
A look at what's in store from the last round of the 2017 World Rally Championship – Rally Australia.
GPS: 30.136650, 153.112143
Rally Australia has had more than its fair share of unusual stage names over the years, and Wedding Bells is no different. The stage consisted of only 6.44km on the 2016 edition, but it packs plenty into that short length of gravel and is popular among the drivers with flat-out high-speed sections and large jumps. This makes its spectator areas well-packed too. Run last year as the Power Stage, it offered a fine live-on-television conclusion to not only the rally, but also the entire season.
Insider tip: Bring sunblock and wear a hat: you’re in New South Wales.
WRC Finland: Ouninpohja
2 min
A fresh view on Rally Finland
Check out the best aerial shots from the 2016 Rally Finland.
GPS: 61.760114, 24.983173
Most rally drivers regard Rally Finland as the best on the calendar and Rally Finland’s greatest stage – probably the most famous in the world – is Ouninpohja. This narrow stretch of road is rallying at its best. High speed on twisty gravel roads lined by trees and laced with jumps and crests. There’s one launch pad that’s gone down in folklore: the one passing the yellow house.
The Finns love their rallying, and with roads like these – and quite a few drivers who’ve tamed them over the years – it’s no surprise. As usual, everything in Finland is impeccably organised, so spectating couldn’t be easier. And once you get to the stage, you’ll see a slice of Finnish rally life in all its crazy glory.
Insider tip: Try the ‘makkara’. It’s a sort of orange sausage that only comes out at rally time. It tastes better than it sounds, honestly.
WRC France: Pietrosella-Albitreccia
3 min
The rally of 10,000 corners: Tour de Corse
Magnificent Corsica provides the backdrop to the rally of 10,000 corners: Tour de Corse Rally France
GPS: 41.840031, 8.882417
The very first and also the third stage of the Tour de Corse this year, this is the perfect spectator stage for three reasons: it’s easy to get to, it showcases everything Corsica is about, and there are some unrivalled places to see the cars in asphalt spec.
The stage is within easy travelling distance of both Ajaccio and Propriano, and features tight mountain hairpin bends, some flat-out blasts through remote villages, a few fast corners, and many different types of asphalt: both rough and rutted, as well as race track-smooth. In short, it’s basically the essence of Corsica, neatly packaged into one place.
Insider tip: Parking can be a nightmare, so get there early.
WRC Mexico: Mexico City
3 min
WRC Best Stages: Mexico City - Zocalo Square
WRC Best Stages - Sweden - Vargasen
GPS: 19.432710, -99.133072
New for this year is the Mexico City superspecial on Thursday night, which fans of James Bond might just recognise. That’s because Zocalo Square hosted the opening sequence of Spectre, complete with a helicopter chase scene. Before it became a movie setting, Zocalo was the centre of Mexico City and, before that, the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan, which the Aztecs considered to be the centre of the universe.
This year, it reverberated to the sound of rally cars instead as the first stage of Rally Mexico. For an alternative take on watching Rally Mexico, spend time in the city’s capital – the most populous in the world – blending some rally action with all the other delights Mexico City has to offer before making tracks to the countryside.
Insider tip: Go easy on the chillies.
WRC Argentina: Giulio Cesare
3 min
Why Rally Argentina is driven by fans
Find out why the fans make Rally Argentina such a special race for the WRC drivers.
GPS: -31.701234, -64.982752
OK, this isn’t the easiest stage to get to, but we promise that it’s absolutely worth it when you get there. Giulio Cesare is Rally Argentina’s signature stage, and it looks like nowhere else in the world. In fact, it’s worth going to even if there aren’t any rally cars to see.
You climb up a series of seemingly endless mountain roads to arrive in a surreal lunar landscape, shrouded in fog and littered with enormous rocks, the spirit of the gaucho very much in evidence. Watching the cars pick their way through the massive countryside is a strangely humbling experience. Come here, and you realise just how massive nature really is.
Insider tip: Keep an eye out for condors.
WRC Portugal: Fafe
4 min
Rally Portugal: The magic of the Fafe Stage
We take a look at the famous Fafe Stage, signature stage of Rally Portugal.
GPS: 41.503855, -8.088448
Portugal’s Fafe features a massive jump that makes it a true Mecca for rally fans. It made a hugely popular return to the world stage when Rally Portugal returned to the north of the country in 2015, and its fan base hasn’t abated since.
At take-off, the road drops away steeply from beneath the cars, which seem to hang in the air for some time, before succumbing to gravity, to the delight of the rally-mad locals who pack the banking on either side. It’s not only spectacular but also a huge driving challenge as the section is so narrow, that if you misjudge your landing, you’ll wreck your car as many drivers have found out to their cost over the years.
Fafe has come a long way over the years: this is where spectators used to risk life and limb in the bad old days by forming a human crash barrier along the route. It wasn’t terribly effective.
Insider tip: Stand well back.
WRC Italy: Monte Lerno
3 min
Flying over Micky's Jump at Rally Italia Sardegna
Jari-Matti Latvala reveals what it takes to take on Micky's Jump at Rally Italia Sardegna.
GPS: 40.603897, 9.178765
The slogan for Sardinia’s rally is ‘jumping in the dust’ – and here you see why. This standout jump is affectionately known as Micky’s Jump and is a fan favourite. Yet again, it’s one that the drivers need to take with caution if they don’t want their rally to end on the spot.
Named for the mountain it passes, there’s plenty more on Monte Lerno to catch out the unwary on these narrow and rocky roads. Even the usually infallible Sébastien Loeb crashed out of the rally lead here in 2012. While it’s a popular spot, it’s again very easy to get to, and the organisers have provided ample car parking nearby. Don’t wear your best clothes as there’s plenty of that dust.
Insider tip: Bring a scarf or wet handkerchief to cover your nose and mouth.
WRC Poland: Wieliczki
3 min
Preview of Rally Poland
After the dirt and dust of Rally Italy and the jumps of Rally Portugal comes Rally Poland: a test of all-out speed and shear nerve.
GPS: 54.014225, 22.643792
How about a different spectating experience? Then try Poland. Rally Poland is one of the fastest events on the calendar, famed for its flat-out sandy roads, and Wieliczki lives up to that reputation with Ott Tanak completing it with an average speed of 117.5kph in 2016. It starts out wide but then narrows, reducing the room for error. With a twisty forested section before a return to faster roads, the stage has a bit of everything, including two railway crossings that can act as blind crests to launch the cars into the air.
Of all the stages in Poland, this is definitely the most interesting and it has the added advantage of being equipped with several spectator access points.
Insider tip: Just follow the locals: they tend to know where they’re going.
WRC Germany: Panzerplatte
3 min
A look back at Rally Deutschland 2017
Ott Tanak triumph at the ADAC Rally Deutschland 2017
GPS: 49.656982, 7.309182
Germany’s signature stage is one that takes no prisoners, just as you’d expect from roads that were originally used for testing tanks. Adding to the difficulty is the fact that these roads are made of super-slippery concrete, with razor sharp edges that are seemingly designed for slashing tyres.
If (or rather, when) it does go horribly wrong, drivers are sent skidding onto the surrounding grass, which has all the braking properties of Teflon, and straight into the nearest hinkelstein: which is German for ‘massive block of concrete that might stop a tank but is absolutely guaranteed to destroy a rally car.’ Or something like that.
Insider tip: German beer is stronger than you think.
WRC Spain: Duesaigües
2 min
WRC Spain 2017 Kris Meeke
Winner Recap Clip of RallyRACC Catalunya - Rally de España, round eleven of the FIA World Rally Championship 2017
GPS: 41.173316, 0.901637
This stage in Spain is notable for a feature that is unique (as far as we’re aware) for an otherwise regular rally test. A roundabout might not seem particularly exciting, but this one makes for one of the most spectacular stage ends in all of rallying as drivers are required to make a full lap before crossing the finish.
Rally drivers being rally drivers, they can be relied upon to do it very sideways, particularly because there’s a horde of passionate fans perched on the hillside cheering them on. This stage also includes a pass under a large railway viaduct, a rather more impressive piece of transport infrastructure. So if you love trainspotting and love rallying, this is the place to come.
Insider tip: There are lots of roadside restaurants nearby that serve an extremely decent lunch.
WRC GB: Sweet Lamb
1 min
What's in store from WRC Wales Rally GB 2017
The British love to complain about the weather and when you're rallying down narrow country roads that are slippery with mud, you can see why. We look forward to Wales Rally GB.
GPS: 52.449375, -3.728248
Unlike most stages, the Sweet Lamb complex was actually designed for testing and spectating, so its centrepiece is an enormous bowl that forms a natural amphitheatre overlooking the gladiatorial combat taking place between the rally cars below.
It might not be the most iconic stage of Wales Rally GB, but it’s the most user-friendly and it’s even quite easy to get to from the rest of the world: an unexpected bonus given that most Welsh stages take place in areas unknown to 4G. There’s plenty of parking, meaning that all you have to do is pick your spot and enjoy an uninterrupted view. In fact, it’s so easy that it feels a bit like cheating…
Insider tip: Bring a big umbrella and a waterproof jacket: you’re in Wales.
WRC Monte-Carlo: Entrevaux
2 min
WRC Best Stages: Monte-Carlo Entrevaux
WRC Best Stages: Monte-Carlo Entrevaux
GPS: 43.943909, 6.802509
Turini’s the stage that grabs all the headlines, but if you really want to feel the frisson of a brand-new season, head to the end of Entrevaux, which is normally SS1. You’ll be in good company, as that’s traditionally where the army of French media hang out, desperate to get the very first impressions from the drivers of their new cars in competition. It’s run at night, so there’s an amazing atmosphere with both barbecues and brake discs glowing red on the snowy mountainsides. If you want to know what Rallye Monte-Carlo is really like, this is the place to head for. Just get there early.
Insider tip: It gets very cold on the mountains at night so wrap up warm
WRC Sweden: Vargasen
4 min
WRC Best Stages - Sweden Vargasen
WRC Best Stages - Sweden - Vargasen
GPS: 60.003823, 13.292146
Rally Sweden is synonymous with Vargasen and Colin’s Crest. This is the place where Colin McRae would do his best impersonation of a Harrier Jump Jet and launch his car into the air. Since then its reputation has grown to the point where it is now a long-distance jumping contest built into Rally Sweden itself. There are now enormous hospitality structures and a giant TV screen next to the jump.
Don’t worry though, as there are plenty of woods around the crest where it’s easy to get a good view. As much as the cars, it’s worth going to watch the people: new standards in consumption are set, with fans going to elaborate lengths to ensure a steady flow of supplies, and they even dress up for the occasion. Two of the best costumes this year were a pink bunny rabbit and a caveman clad in furs. At least we think they were costumes.
Insider tip: Buy a cheap sled and drag your gear to your camping spot like a local.
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