Due to the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War, Rally Kazakhstan will not take place. It was originally scheduled for 25–30 April as the third round of the World Rally-Raid Championship.
With the Russian invasion of Ukraine now in its fourth week, Russia has been subject to numerous sanctions and bans worldwide. In the context of motorsport, many events in Russia and ally Belarus have been cancelled or moved elsewhere while drivers of those nationalities with FIA licences are either prohibited from competing in sanctioned races or can only do so under a neutral flag.
Kazakhstan, being a former Soviet state, is located next to and maintains a close alliance with Russia through the Collective Security Treaty Organization; in January, Russia and the CSTO sent troops into Kazakhstan to quell protests that erupted into violence. However, the country declined to aid Russia in its war with Ukraine as it has instead committed to a state of neutrality and recently allowed a large pro-Ukraine rally to take place in Almaty. Kazakh president Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has also pushed for constitutional reform to limit his office’s powers.
While Kazakhstan is not subject to sanctions stemming from its relationship with Russia, rally organiser Automotorsport Federation of the Republic of Kazakhstan (AFRK) opted to call off the event anyway in response to the crisis. The race is expected to return in 2023, though only if greenlit by the World Motor Sport Council and FIM Board of Directors.
As a result of the cancellation, the next W2RC round will be the Andalucía Rally in Spain on 6–12 June. Although the W2RC calendar now drops to four races, series operator Amaury Sport Organisation still intends to look for replacement locations as a potential season finale after the Rallye du Maroc on 6–12 October.
“The current international situation has forced the organizer of the Rally Kazakhstan, round three of the FIA & FIM World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC), to cancel its 2022 edition, which was due to take place from 25 to 30 April,” reads a joint statement from the FIA and FIM. “As a result, the next W2RC round will take place from 7 to 12 June at the Andalucía Rally in Spain, and will be followed by Morocco’s Rallye du Maroc from 7 to 12 October 2022. In view of this situation, all stakeholders of the discipline – the FIA, FIM, the teams and W2RC promoter A.S.O. – are now jointly considering a number of possible replacements to host a fifth and final round, to be held at the end of the season. The Rally Kazakhstan will be fully restored to the 2023 calendar (subject to approval by the World Motor Sport Council and FIM Board of Directors).”
Rally Kazakhstan was first held in 2017. Nasser Al-Attiyah, who won the W2RC season opener in Dakar and is currently second in points, is the only multi-time winner with victories in 2017 and 2019. The 2020 edition was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
