Two locations were vying for the honour of hosting France's round in the World Rally Championship: the Alsace region in the northeast next to the Swiss/German border, and the southeastern Mediterranean island of Corsica.

Having been the scene of the WRC's French event for many years, the French motorsport federation (FFSA) confirmed on Wednesday that Corsica will now pass the baton over to the organisers of Rallye d'Alsace.

FFSA members met in Paris to decide between both options; the short press release stated that it was "unanimously decided to select the Alsace region for the organisation of the French round of the World Rally Championship starting in 2010."

Corsica was a mainstay of the WRC since the series began in the early 1970s. The championship last visited the asphalt tests of the Tour de Corse in 2008, when Sebastien Loeb recorded his fourth consecutive victory on the island.

Rallye d'Alsace has been a traditional part of the French Rally Championship for over two decades, and will now move to WRC status next year in early October.