On Friday, the World Rally Championship added Renties Ypres Rally Belgium to its 2021 calendar, replacing the event previously scheduled to be held in Northern Ireland. If this event goes ahead as planned, it will be the first WRC rally to be held at Ypres.

Rallies have been held at Ypres since 1965. The course had been scheduled to host a WRC event in November 2020, but this was called off on account of COVID-19.

The 2021 Ypres event - which will run on asphalt - is planned for sometime in August.

Northern Ireland was in line to host the WRC event after first-choice Wales took itself out of contention because of COVID-19 concerns. But Tourism Northern Ireland chose not to support the event because the necessary investment - estimated at £2m - "would not represent best investment for public money at this time."