THERE will be no British round to next season's World Rally Championship (WRC).

Organisers had already moved the rally from its north and mid Wales base to Northern Ireland - ending an association with the mid Wales forests which began in 2013.

The decision to move the rally from Wales cost the mid Wales economy £10m as organisers, the FIA, switched the rally to Northern Ireland.

However the planned rally in Northern Ireland has now been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic and will now take place in Belgium.

The asphalt event will take place in Ypres in August on a date to be confirmed and will become the 35th nation to stage a WRC round.

Jona Siebel, managing director of WRC Promoter, said: “Ypres has been a hugely popular cornerstone of European rallying for more than half a century.

"It’s sad the WRC will not enjoy the beauty of Northern Ireland this year, but the pandemic continues to impact the global economy.

"Our enthusiasm for a WRC round there remains strong and we look forward to continuing our discussions for 2022."