2019 WRC season to kick off on January 24

Rally Turkey will be the 11th leg of new season schedule, to be held between Sept. 12-15

By Bugra Ersavas

ANKARA (AA) - World Rally Championship -- one of the world most prestigious motorsports organizations -- will kick off with Rally Monte Carlo on January 24.

The new season calendar had been given green light by the International Federation of Automobile (FIA) during a meeting in Paris on Friday.

With its new stage in Chile, there will be 14 hosting countries in 2019 WRC season.

Turkey had hosted a rally in the WRC for the first time in 2018 in Marmaris -- a touristic district of Mugla in Aegean region.

This year, Rally Turkey will be the 11th leg of the schedule, between Sept. 12-15.

"Turkey successfully brought a WRC footprint back to the Asian continent and Chile will prove an equally worthy addition to the 2019 calendar," said FIA officials after the schedule meeting.

Here is the WRC 2019 calendar:

1. Rally Monte Carlo (Jan. 24-27)

2. Rally Sweden (Feb. 14-17)

3. Rally Mexico (Mar. 7-10)

4. Tour de Corse/Rally France (Mar. 28-31)

5. Rally Argentina (Apr. 25-28)

6. Rally Chile (May 9-12)

7. Rally Portugal (May 30-Jun. 2)

8. Rally Italy (Jun. 13-16)

9. Rally Finland (Aug. 1-4)

10. Rally Germany (Aug. 22-25)

11. Rally Turkey (Sept. 12-15)