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Those questions have dominated discussion in recent weeks. Because of the security situation in the Middle East, there is a strong possibility that Rally Saudi Arabia could be cancelled. That is despite the organisers already having unveiled the route for the event scheduled for November. Read more: Doubts grow over Rally Saudi Arabia – but organisers press on If the Saudi Arabian round is cancelled, there are two options: either a replacement event is found or the season will conclude in early October at Rally Sardinia. The FIA was asked during Rally Finland at the end of July whether it had a contingency plan in place should the Saudi Arabian round be cancelled. The governing body did not provide an answer. The only concrete information it offered was that a decision on Rally Saudi Arabia would be made by the middle of September. The media, however, has continued to speculate about possible replacement events. French publication Autohebdo has now put forward a new candidate. According to the magazine, if the Saudi Arabian rally cannot be held in Jeddah, it will specifically be replaced by another gravel event. The proposed alternative is the Rally Six Cities North of Portugal, which serves as the European Rally Championship finale on 23–25 October. The gravel rally is based in the city of Fafe in northern Portugal. The same region has previously hosted stages of Rally Portugal. The famous Fafe stage is one of the WRC’s most iconic tests, attracting huge crowds every year to its legendary jump. As we reported earlier, Spanish media has also speculated about possible replacements for the Saudi Arabian round. Both Rally Catalunya and the gravel rally around Granada have been mentioned as potential venues for the championship finale. Read more: Saudi Arabia uncertainty fuels speculation over new WRC finale