WRC only confirms partial 2017 calendar

FIA rally director Jarmo Mahonen admitted to Autosport recently that the loss of the revived Chinese event this year had "derailed" plans for the 2017 calendar, and Wednesday's meeting of the World Motor Sport Council in Paris was only able to approve the first seven dates of next season.

The confirmed dates include Corsica's anticipated switch from October to April, which increases the amount of asphalt rallying in what had been a gravel-heavy start to the year in recent seasons.

After the seven confirmed slots, Finland, Germany, Spain, Great Britain and Australia are all assured of places on the calendar but with their dates to be finalised.

The FIA said there would be two more rallies added, with Poland, China and a possible return to Turkey for the first time since 2010 the candidates.

Other WRC decisions ratified by the WMSC included manufacturers being allowed to enter three cars per rally with the best two scoring.

At present only two per team are permitted to score, with additional works entries having to be officially filed as second teams - hence Andreas Mikkelsen running under the Volkswagen Motorsport II banner and Hyundai running its third and fourth cars as its 'N' team.

The WMSC also announced the creation of a Privateers' Cup for drivers fielding the current specification World Rally Cars, which will be superseded by the faster 2017 models when the rules change at the end of the year.

But there was no announcement about a resolution of the long debate over running order regulations, with those discussions set to continue and a fax vote now expected to decide a solution for 2017.

January 20-22 Monte Carlo

February 10-12 Sweden

March 10-12 Mexico

April 7-9 France

April 28-30 Argentina

May 19-21 Portugal

June 9-11 Sardinia

TBA Finland

TBA Germany

TBA Spain

TBA Great Britain

TBA Australia

Potential additions: Two of Poland, China and Turkey