INDIA in F1

Tag: Junior WRC

  • Taylor Gill tops Rally de Portugal; claims back-to-back FIA Junior WRC victories

    Taylor Gill tops Rally de Portugal; claims back-to-back FIA Junior WRC victories

    Taylor Gill kept his cool on Sunday to claim back-to-back FIA Junior WRC victories and draw level with Mille Johansson in the championship standings, topping the leaderboard at Vodafone Rally de Portugal after a measured drive through the final leg.

    Portugal, 18 May 2025: The Australian, co-driven by Daniel Brkíc, maintained a calm and consistent approach throughout Sunday’s six-stage final leg – showing the same composure that had defined his entire week. Starting the day with a 45.5sec advantage, Gill managed his lead perfectly to secure victory by 13.4sec over Johansson.

    Taylor Gill: “What a tough weekend. So long and so demanding — physically and mentally. But yeah, I’m really proud of the job we did. We really came out of the box firing on Friday morning and controlled the rally from there. Big thanks to everyone who gave me this opportunity. Dan did a mega job this weekend, and there are so many people behind the scenes who contributed to this result. I’m just so happy right now.”

    Gill took control of the rally from SS2 onwards, capitalising on an early error from Johansson, who rolled on Friday morning. That incident left the Swede on the back foot for the remainder of the event.
    Despite the setback, Johansson mounted a ferocious comeback – clocking 13 fastest times across the rally. While it wasn’t enough to overhaul Gill, those stage wins proved vital. With bonus points awarded for each stage victory, the pair now sit level on 59 points apiece after round two of five.
    Türkiye’s Kerem Kazaz delivered a breakthrough performance to claim third overall. Contesting just his second Junior WRC round, the 19-year-old impressed in his M-Sport Poland Ford Fiesta Rally3, finishing almost half a minute clear of Thomas Martens.

    Martens, also in his rookie season, gained a position on the Wolf Power Stage by overtaking South African driver Max Smart. Just 4.3sec separated the duo at the finish.

    Estonian driver Joosep Nõgene completed the rally in sixth, while Eamonn Kelly bounced back from a puncture on Friday to win a stage on Sunday and finish seventh. Diego Domínguez damaged his suspension on Friday but battled through to the end in eighth.

    Despite early troubles, Ali Türkkan, Tristan Charpentier and Claire Schönborn all made it to the finish – locking out positions ninth to 11th.

    The FIA Junior WRC season continues next at EKO Acropolis Rally Greece, which takes place from 26 – 29 June.

    Provisional Rally Classification:

    1. Taylor Gill (AUS) – 4:15:07.3;

    2. Mille Johansson (SWE) – +45.5;

    3. Kerem Kazaz (TUR) – +4:11.7;

    4. Thomas Martens (BEL) – +4:40.9;

    5. Max Smart (ZAF) – +4:45.2;

    6. Joosep Nõgene (EST) – +5:53.6;

    7. Eamonn Kelly (IRL) – +10:46.3;

    8. Diego Domínguez (PRY) – +20:10.3;

    9. Ali Türkkan (TUR) – +34:12.5;

    10. Tristan Charpentier (FRA) – +1:24:15.3;

    11. Claire Schönborn (DEU) – +1:50:15.5.


    Stage Winners:

    SS1 SSS Figueira da Foz – Mille Johansson

    SS2 Mortágua 1 – Taylor Gill

    SS3 Lousã 1 – Mille Johansson

    SS4 Góis 1 – Taylor Gill

    SS5 Arganil 1 – Taylor Gill

    SS6 Lousã 2 – Diego Dominguez

    SS7 Góis 2 – Mille Johansson

    SS8 Arganil 2 – Taylor Gill

    SS9 Mortágua 2 – Interrupted

    SS10 Águeda / Sever – Mille Johansson

    SS11 Sever / Albergaria – Mille Johansson

    SS12 Vieira do Minho 1 – Taylor Gill

    SS13 Cabeceiras de Basto 1 – Taylor Gill

    SS14 Amarante 1 – Mille Johansson

    SS15 Vieira do Minho 2 – Mille Johansson

    SS16 Cabeceiras de Basto 2 – Mille Johansson
    SS17 Amarante 2 – Mille Johansson
    SS18 SSS Lousada – Mille Johansson
    SS19 Paredes 1 – Mille Johansson
    SS20 Felgueiras 1 – Eamonn Kelly
    SS21 Fafe 1 – Mille Johansson
    SS22 Paredes 2 – Taylor Gill
    SS23 Felgueiras 2 – Tristan Charpentier
    SS24 Fafe 2 – Mille Johansson

  • Gill poised towards second straight FIA Junior WRC victory

    Gill poised towards second straight FIA Junior WRC victory

    Taylor Gill is poised to make it two-from-two in this year’s FIA Junior WRC, heading into the final day of Vodafone Rally de Portugal with a commanding advantage at the top of the M-Sport Poland Ford Fiesta Rally3 leaderboard.
    Porto district (Portugal), 18 May 2025: The Australian talent, already a winner at Rally Sweden, picked up right where he left off — blitzing Saturday morning’s opening stages to stretch his lead to 1min 26sec. But Gill wasn’t just fast — he was smart, too. Knowing when to push and when to protect the car, he eased off during the rockier second pass, managing his margin with composure well beyond his years.

    Championship leader Mille Johansson, who rolled on Friday, mounted a determined fightback to keep the pressure on. The Swede won five consecutive stages in the afternoon to trim Gill’s advantage to 45.5sec, but with just six stages and 72 kilometres of action left, the odds remain in Gill’s favour.

    Gill first stormed to fame in the Rally Star cup at Chennai winning the Asia Pacific championship and earned a free drive in the selections for the WRC Junior shot. And he did it. Gill has no connections to India and is not related to Gaurav Gill, a multiple INRC and Asia Pacific Rally Champion.

    Kerem Kazaz maintained third overall, over a minute behind Johansson but with a solid cushion of 1min 5.9sec over Max Smart in fourth. Smart climbed the order from sixth, gaining ground as Thomas Martens slipped to fifth and Ali Türkkan retired with a broken propshaft.

    Joosep Nõgene and Eamonn Kelly ended the day sixth and seventh respectively, with Diego Domínguez eighth following a frustrating Friday. Tristan Charpentier restarted and immediately showed pace, clocking several top-three stage times, while Claire Schönborn also returned and logged valuable mileage on her maiden gravel rally at world level.

    Adding further weight to his performance, Gill also leads the WRC3 category outright heading into Sunday. 

    Classification after SS18 (Saturday)

    Taylor Gill (AUS) – 3:22:12.8
    Mille Johansson (SWE) – +45.5
    Kerem Kazaz (TUR) – +3:09.1
    Max Smart (ZAF) – +4:15.0
    Thomas Martens (BEL) – +4:35.3
    Joosep Nõgene (EST) – +5:22.9
    Eamonn Kelly (IRL) – +6:51.6
    Diego Domínguez (PRY) – +18:54.2
    Ali Türkkan (TUR) – +33:19.1
    Tristan Charpentier (FRA) – +1:24:32.5
    Claire Schönborn (DEU) – +1:46:51.0


    Stage Winners:

    SS1 SSS Figueira da Foz – Mille JOHANSSON
    SS2 Mortágua 1 – Taylor GILL
    SS3 Lousã 1 – Mille JOHANSSON
    SS4 Góis 1 – Taylor GILL
    SS5 Arganil 1 – Taylor GILL
    SS6 Lousã 2 – Diego DOMÍNGUEZ
    SS7 Góis 2 – Mille JOHANSSON
    SS8 Arganil 2 – Taylor GILL
    SS9 Mortágua 2 – Mille JOHANSSON
    SS10 Águeda / Sever – Mille JOHANSSON
    SS11 Sever / Albergaria – Mille JOHANSSON
    SS12 Vieira do Minho 1 – TAYLOR GILL
    SS13 Cabeceiras de Basto 1 – TAYLOR GILL
    SS14 Amarante 1 – Mille JOHANSSON
    SS15 Vieira do Minho 2 – Mille JOHANSSON
    SS16 Cabeceiras de Basto 2 – Mille JOHANSSON
    SS17 Amarante 2 – Mille JOHANSSON
    SS18 SSS Lousada – Mille JOHANSSON
  • All set for 2024 FIA Junior WRC – Rally Sweden

    All set for 2024 FIA Junior WRC – Rally Sweden

    Umea (Sweden), 14 February 2024: The eagerly awaited 2024 FIA Junior WRC season kicks off this week at the legendary Rally Sweden (15 – February).

    Based out of the university city of Umeå, Rally Sweden welcomes the largest FIA Junior WRC line-up in two decades, with a record-breaking 19 crews registered for round one. They will pilot identical Ford Fiesta Rally3 Evos, exclusively equipped with Pirelli tyres and Wolf Lubricants, through the frozen forests of the Västerbotten region.

    As the only pure snow and ice fixture on the FIA World Rally Championship calendar, Rally Sweden presents the ultimate winter challenge. Studded tyres are essential and provide remarkable grip as drivers ‘lean’ their cars against the snowbanks at ultra-high speeds.

    Diego Domínguez finished as last year’s championship runner-up, and the Paraguayan will be aiming to put all of his past experience to good use in pursuit of the top spot. Other returnees include Eamonn Kelly, Roberto Blach and Tom Rensonnet.

    However, the 13 Junior WRC newcomers will be hot on their heels, with hotshots including Romet Jürgenson, Bruno Bulacia, Norbert Maior and Mille Johansson all eager to prove themselves on the global stage.

    Crews will have to be on form from the outset. ‘Wolf Stage Wins’ mean a single championship point is awarded for every stage victory throughout 2024 as the drivers fight for a life-changing prize which includes an arrive-and-drive package to contest four European rounds of the 2025 WRC in an M-Sport Ford Fiesta Rally2 car.

    Also up for grabs this season is the ‘Craig Breen Spirit of Rallying Award’, named after the 2011 champion who tragically passed away last year. At the season’s conclusion, an independent judging panel will select the recipient based on who they feel best epitomises the never-give-up attitude and passion for the sport that Breen was universally admired for.

    The rally begins on Thursday afternoon and includes 18 special stages totalling more than 300km before Sunday afternoon’s finish.

    Maciej Woda, FIA Junior WRC Championship Manager, said: “Rally Sweden is a truly magical event on a surface which every rally driver must master if they are to progress to the top echelons of the sport. Add to that the huge field of M-Sport Poland-built Ford Fiesta Rally3 Evo cars, and I think we’ve got all the ingredients for a very, very exciting week.

    “Predicting a winner from the 19-car entry is an impossible task, but I can’t wait to see the battles unfold out on the stages. Above all, I hope that every crew enjoys their experience of this extraordinary rally.”

  • Pajari, youngest Junior WRC champ in 20-year history

    Pajari, youngest Junior WRC champ in 20-year history

    Sami Pajari is the youngest ever champion in Junior WRC’s 20-year history at the age of 19 years old and the first-ever Finnish driver to win the championship.
     
    Pajari and co-driver Marko Salminen won the Junior WRC Championship by winning Rally Spain, the final and double points paying round of the championship. The rally saw the Finnish crew go head-to-head with their championship rivals and excelling where their competitors faltered. 
     
    It marks the Finn’s second career victory in Junior WRC, with his first coming on Rally Estonia this year, which also saw him secure the championship lead. Pajari’s rally started on the backfoot and it appeared that he would need to mount a serious challenge on Jon Armstrong who was the favourite heading to the Spanish Tarmac. 
     
    By the end of Friday Pajari began to charge and was able to stay trouble-free through Saturday to emerge with a clear lead. The Finn was able to maintain his lead with some impressive drives, fending off the competition on Sunday to take home the biggest prize package in rallying: A brand new M-Sport Fiesta Rally2, 200 Pirelli tyres, free registration for WRC2 2022 and five free entries for 2022. 
     
    Jon Armstrong was Pajari’s closest championship challenger in Spain and the initial favourite, he appeared on course to live up to expectations, following his performance on Friday. His rally unravelled on Saturday after going off the road and losing over five minutes to Pajari. The Northern Irishman regrouped and delivered a series of blisteringly quick times to earn valuable Wolf Stage Win Points but his day would draw to a sudden stop as he hit a drain on stage 11. The retirement put his championship hopes in tatters and meant the pressure was off Pajari to maintain his lead. Armstrong would restart on Sunday in fourth, taking two stage wins before finishing and taking the Wolf Stage Win Points award for the most  stage wins of the season.
     
    Martins Sesks was in contention for the title heading to Spain but it soon became apparent that the Latvian was struggling for pace on Friday. Saturday saw Sesks pushing hard but his day came to a premature end when a puncture saw him go off the road, damaging his wheel in the process and retiring for the day. Sesks restarted the rally on Sunday to finish sixth and claim third in the 2021 FIA Junior WRC Championship. 
     
    Lauri Joona claimed his second Junior WRC podium of the season on Spain and for a few stages looked like he was in contention for the rally win too, trailing Pajari by just two seconds after stage 11. In his first full Junior WRC season, Joona claimed fourth in the championship.
     
    Robert Virves delivered some competitive times during Rally Spain and finished third, a puncture saw him fall away from the leading pack where he was once closing on Pajari’s lead. Virves’ third place meant he claimed fifth overall in the championship with some impressive stage times on Rally Spain, taking a total of five Wolf Stage Win Points. 
     
    William Creighton appeared to be a potential contender for victory on Rally Spain but an accident on stage one soon put those plans to bed. Creighton took a stage win on Saturday to prove he has the pace on the way to securing sixth in his rookie Junior WRC season. 
     
    Maciej Woda, FIA Junior WRC Championship Manger, said: “What a fantastic result and achievement for Sami and Marko! The first Finns to win the Junior WRC Championship and Sami becoming the youngest ever Junior WRC champion, I think we will be seeing his name a lot more in years to come. His performance this weekend has been incredible and he is a truly deserving champion, I really cannot wait to see what he can do in the future. Jon Armstrong and Phil fought admirably throughout this rally, once it became clear Jon was on the back foot we really saw what speed he his capable of and that is underlined by the fact he won the Wolf Stage Win Points Award. I want to highlight just how competitive Junior WRC has been this year, every driver entered took Wolf Stage Win Points at some point this year which is truly remarkable. We have had an incredibly talented field and I see futures for everybody entered here in Spain. Lastly, I want to thank the M-Sport Poland team, WRC Promoter, Pirelli, Wolf and FIA for all of their hard work and effort to deliver such a special and exciting championship. The story from this year will not be forgotten for a long time.”
     
    Sami Pajari, 2021 FIA Junior WRC Champion, said: “This is a really big achievement, I don’t know what to say. I feel so thankful for so many people who made this possible. I think it’s not only me who deserves it, it’s many people also. Wow, just wow. There were so many ups and downs just in one rally so it was not so easy to really see this coming, I was the lucky one this time. You can dream, dream about lots of things, but to this really happening is something that doesn’t even feel real at the moment.”

  • Martins Sesks takes his second Junior WRC victory

    Martins Sesks takes his second Junior WRC victory

    Porto (Portugal), 23 May 2021: Martins Sesks took his second FIA Junior WRC event win of his career on Rally de Portugal after a long and hard-fought rally.
     
    Sesks, together with co-driver Renars Francis, cruised to victory on Sunday’s stages, starting the day with over three minutes in hand to Sami Pajari who finished the rally in second, claiming his first podium of the 2021 season.
     
    Finishing the rally in third place and rounding out the podium were Robert Virves and Sander Pruul, collecting their first silverware since their explosive Junior WRC debut on Rally Estonia in 2020.
     
    The rally was by no means easy for any of the 2021 Junior WRC crews, seeing multiple changes for the lead and a total of five different stage winners spread across 19 special stages.
     
    Pajari took the first Wolf Stage Win Point of the rally and with it the lead, but it was Jon Armstrong who led for a large part of Friday’s stages.
     
    The Northern Irishman took four Wolf Stage Wins in a row between stages two and five to build up a 36.4 second lead heading into stage six. His lead collapsed on stage six after suffering a puncture, losing over four minutes and falling back to fourth, handing the lead back to Pajari who was taking much more conservative approach to the rally. 
     
    Martin Koci claimed his first Wolf Stage Win Point of the rally on SS6 while sitting third in the classification as Armstrong bounced back on Mortagua, grabbing another Wolf Stage Win Point.
     
    Friday concluded with Pajari winning the Lousada Super Special Stage leading Koci by 25.7 seconds with Martins Sesks lying third after a tough day of all-out gravel action. William Creighton impressed many onlookers by consistently posting second placed stage times on Friday, but an untimely driveshaft failure put a stop to his impressive pace on stage five. Lauri Joona was on the hunt for stage wins on Friday but ultimately suffered a similar fate on the stage four.
     
    Raul Badiu’s rally didn’t start as the Romanian intended to, breaking a steering arm on stage four, when the Romanian’s car returned to service, additional engine damage was detected resulting in Baidu having to retire from the rally entirely.
     
    Saturday presented a brutal rate attrition with it as Junior WRC embarked on some of the roughest stages in the championship this year. 
     
    Joona had regrouped following a disappointing day on Friday by winning the opening stage of the day to open his account of Wolf Stage Win Points while Koci closed to within 11 seconds of Pajari’s lead.
     
    Sesks claimed his first stage win of the rally to mark five different stage winners on SS10 while also taking the lead as a steering issue hampered young Pajari.
     
    Armstrong bagged another stage win on the longest stage of the rally through Amarante, just 1.7 seconds ahead of Sesks after 37.92-kilometre duel. This would be the highlight of Armstrong’s day who ultimately retired from the rally owing to terminal engine damage. 
     
    Joona claimed another Wolf Stage Win Point on SS13 with Sesks taking top honours on the second pass of Amarante to compound his impressive lead as more bad luck hit Joona with a driveshaft failure. 
     
    The drama saw Robert Virves promoted to third position after a difficult Friday seeing the Estonian sustain two punctures as he endeavoured to put together a clean rally on Saturday.
     
    Sesks would round out the day on the Porto Super Special Stage with another Wolf Stage Point to give him a total of three stage with Sunday’s stages left to run.
     
    Sunday was a much less dramatic affair on Rally de Portugal but the competition for Wolf Stage Win Points was still tense as Koci headed into the day with the aim of maximising every opportunity for stage wins. The Slovakian claimed the first speed test of the day with Joona responding on the one and only pass of the Montim stage. 
     
    Koci bagged the next stage win on the first pass of the legendary Fafe stage denying Joona by exactly two seconds as Sesks had settled into a comfortable rhythm to bring his Fiesta Rally4 home for victory. Koci made it two top stage times in a row by the penultimate stage again, marginally ahead of Joona as the pair were leagues ahead of the rest of the Junior WRC field.
     
    Virves also did everything he needed to do to make sure he could take the final step on the podium in a similar way to Pajari, with both drivers having an uneventful finish to the rally.
     
    Ultimately the final stage of the rally and second pass of Fafe was cancelled, crowning Sesks the winner of Rally de Portugal with Pajari second and Virves third. 
     
    Maciej Woda, FIA Junior WRC Championship Manager: “Congratulations to Martins and Renars for their second Junior WRC victory. This rally has been incredibly tough for all competitors and the level of competition did not disappoint at all with five different stage winners. I think we are going to see this year’s Wolf Stage Win Points make a huge difference to the championship as they really help give crews a fighting chance for more points when they faced tough challenges this weekend. Sami Pajari did exactly what he needed to after Croatia with a good clean rally and a strong podium position while also collecting some stage wins. I have also been quite impressed with Robert Virves here in Portugal, he had a difficult day on Friday but has worked very hard since then and shown great maturity to arrive at this podium position. William Creighton has proved this weekend that he is all round competitive rally driver with some great times this weekend on gravel, I am really looking forward to seeing what he”
     
    1. Martins Sesks / Renars Francis
    “It feels good and it’s a big relief after a rough and tough weekend. Basically it was really tough and long all week so it’s nice to be here, especially in first place. I cannot compare this to Estonia, in Estonia there was a fight between the others whereas here it was a fight with the stage and trying to survive.”
     
    2. Sami Pajari / Marko Salminen +03:11.8
    “I really should be happy, it was such a difficult rally for all of us so we need to be happy. I think we did well, we tried to look at the condition of the stages to see where we could go fast and catch the points. There were also some difficult sections where we lost a lot of times, it was all about being clever in the difficult places.”
     
    3. Robert Virves / Sander Pruul +11:48.8
    “If I saw the speed of the other guys, it was quite obvious that not all of them can last that long with their speed on these roads. I think it’s been the most difficult rally for me so far. Mostly because of the road conditions where you can’t drive fast as it is so hard on the car but at the same time we have stage points to fight for so you have to find a compromise.”
     
    4. Martin Koci / Petr Tesisnky +38:44.8
    “The only chance to make the mood better after restarting the rally was to make some stage points. We have three from today, one stage was cancelled, we enjoyed it today for sure. I think everyone here is super competitive, it’s all about the tactics and staying on the road. This time we didn’t have good a luck with the car, hopefully next time will be more about the speed itself.”
     
    5. William Creighton / Liam Regan +40:44.9 
    “It’s been a really tricky rally for everybody and unfortunately we had an issue with the driveshaft yesterday but we were able to manage things today. I think the encouraging think was that we were able to set some good stage times. It’s been a good weekend. It’s definitely an encouraging weekend and plenty to build on and work on for Estonia.”
     
    6. Lauri Joona / Ari Koponen +01:11:09.1
    “We have a good fight with Martin Koci today, we only got one stage point but more is always better. We are happy to finish. I think this rally is the toughest rally in Junior WRC this season, we will see what happens in Estonia where I think we are strongest.”

  • Martins Sesks tops Juniors on Saturday: Rally Portugal Junior WRC

    Martins Sesks tops Juniors on Saturday: Rally Portugal Junior WRC

    Porto (Portugal), 22 May 2021: Martins Sesks leads the FIA Junior WRC field heading into the final day of Rally de Portugal which has seen five different stage winners and three different leaders.
     
    Saturday opened with stage nine and a new stage winner by way of Lauri Joona as Martin Koci closed within 11 seconds of Sami Pajari in the fight for the lead.
     
    The following stage saw Sesks claim his first Wolf Stage Win Point of the rally to make it five different Wolf Stage winners on Rally de Portugal so far. On the very same stage, Sesks moved into the lead as Pajari was hampered by a loss of power steering, losing over three minutes, but he was able to finish the stage and return to service.
     
    The first pass of the arduous Amarante stage followed, seeing Jon Armstrong add another point to his championship tally by going fastest on the stage, just 1.7 seconds ahead of Sesks.
     
    The second loop of Rally de Portugal proved to be Junior WRC’s most treacherous yet, with the rough stages now filled with deep rock-laden ruts. Koci would be the first to fall victim of the vicious conditions, retiring for the day with a broken driveshaft, promoting Armstrong to third.
     
    Stage 13 saw another Wolf Stage Win Point for Joona as Junior WRC headed for its second pass of the 37.92-kilometre Amarante stage. 
     
    The longest stage of the rally was a real test of endurance, following in the rock littered tracks of the wider more powerful cars ahead. Sesks claimed the Wolf Stage Win Point as Joona suffered a driveshaft failure. Armstrong also stopped on the same stage, and when the car was recovered to service it emerged the Northern Irishman had suffered terminal engine damage and would not be able to restart on Sunday. 
     
    The drama saw Robert Virves promoted to third position and, following a clean run of stages on Sunday, is set for his second FIA Junior WRC podium while Koci will restart the rally on Sunday in fourth.
     
    Sesks would round out the day on the Porto Super Special Stage with another Wolf Stage Point to give him a total of three stage win points so far on Rally de Portugal.
     
    Maciej Woda, FIA Junior WRC Championship Manager: “Today has been a very difficult and testing day for the FIA Junior WRC crews on what has been one of toughest loop of stages I have seen. We have had five different stage winners so far on this rally which shows the level this year’s crews are pushing at and every driver has had to fight numerous battles to hold their positions. It’s a huge shame to see the issues out on the stages today, but rallying is a hard and demanding sport and as we have seen at the sharp end of the WRC, these stages are testing for all cars. I must commend the crews today, they have all showed admirable determination and maturity with the situations they have all faced. Lauri Joona was able to demonstrate his speed by grabbing two stage wins and William Creighton has been right up there. Robert Virves found some bad luck on Friday with two punctures but is now looking at a podium position if he holds firm on Sunday.”
     
    Martins Sesks, FIA Junior WRC Leader: “It didn’t look realistic to be leading today and I thought it would be really hard. I suppose it couldn’t have been done in a clean fight if all the cars were going so it was just about surviving and being tactical with the pace. The first loop was quite good, I was surprised that the roads were in such good condition but the road on the second pass was so bad with rocks the size of heads.”

  • FIA WRC Junior championship to kick off in Croatia

    FIA WRC Junior championship to kick off in Croatia

    The battle to seek out the next shining star of the WRC is just days away as the 2021 FIA Junior WRC Championship is set to kick off on the inaugural WRC Croatia Rally.

    • 2021 crews fighting for a career boosting prize package in identical M-Sport Ford Fiesta Rally4 cars.
    • Junior WRC looking at one of its most competitive seasons in the championship’s 20-year history.
    • Crews earn one point for every stage in addition to their classification points.
    • Best four rounds out of five count towards the championship with double points available on the final round for crews that have entered at least three events previously.

    The 2021 FIA Junior WRC Championship will see eight crews going head-to-head in a fierce fight on some of WRC’s most iconic gravel and asphalt roads. Croatia Rally, despite being an all-asphalt affair, is expected to test drivers of all abilities and experience thanks to an abundance of surface and elevation changes found on the 300 competitive kilometres offer.

    This year’s Junior WRC drivers come from a broad spectrum of backgrounds and experience. Crucially, they have all proved themselves as winners in Rally4 categories around the world on a variety of surfaces with many having already seen success in the Junior WRC. The 20th year of Junior WRC sees a true melting pot of young talents coming together to persuade the WRC service park that they have what it takes to follow in the footsteps of drivers such as Sebastien Loeb, Sebastien Ogier, Dani Sordo and Elfyn Evans. 

    Every crew will compete in identical M-Sport Poland-built Fiesta Rally4 machinery, using bespoke Wolf Lubricants, placing an emphasis on driver talent over set-up ability. The Ford Fiesta Rally4 is a proven Rally4 thoroughbred that has over 50 and 150 Rally4 category victories and podiums respectively – all coming in less than a year since its competitive debut in June 2020.

    Crews are sure to be kept on their toes too when selecting their Pirelli tyres to equip their Ecoboost-powered Fiesta Rally4 cars with. There is a maximum allowance of 22 tyres (including shakedown) for the Junior WRC crews who can choose from an allocation of 18 Pirelli RA5 (hard), ten Pirelli RA7+ (soft) and eight Pirelli RWB (full wet). The tyre selection will be largely weather dependent but, even in dry conditions, tree-lined or elevated stage conditions could be vastly different to other stages within the same loop providing an exciting storyline to keep track of. 

    The stages on Croatia Rally should provide some fast-paced and close times with plenty of wide fourth and fifth gear corners balanced with narrow and tricky turns that are the equivalent of a rally driver’s tightrope walk, mis-step and it’s a long way back to service for an early bath.

    Maciej Woda, FIA Junior WRC Championship Manager, said: “We are starting a very special year for the FIA Junior WRC Championship with a hotly contested lineup, there really is no clear favourite for Croatia Rally or even the championship overall. Six out of eight of our starting lineup have previously scored points in Junior WRC with five of those drivers also having stage wins to their names too. Those that haven’t scored points in Junior WRC shouldn’t be ruled out by any means either. All the drivers coming into the championship this year have proved themselves successful in various international and national Rally4 championships. Looking more specifically at Croatia Rally, I actually wish I was behind the wheel for some of these stages. They look properly challenging and I think we’re going to see some really tight battles and close moments on more than one of them with our highly motivated and competitive drivers! I’d like to give a final mention and appreciation to WRC Promoter, FIA and Croatia Rally organisers for putting the event on, I know a lot of hard work has gone on and is going on to make sure Croatia Rally happens.”

    45. Martins Sesks / Renars Francis
    “The main aim is to enjoy every single second in the car because these kinds of moments are very difficult to find for young drivers. Even if we are able to compete in the rally, we should enjoy every moment. We want to show we are some of the fastest guys in Juniors and a big goal is to be able to progress to WRC2 and WRC in the future. I think a new rally like Croatia equalises the competition so it will be interesting to see what happens.”

    46. Sami Pajari / Marko Salminen
    “I think we did a really good job in the pre-event test, we found a really good setup for the car and I felt very comfortable. Our pace notes were working very well, and I am really looking forward to the season. We did well in some places last year, so we need to look forward and try to improve this year. I am aiming to push myself to the limits and we will see what happens.”

    47. Raul Badiu / Rares Fetean
    “If you look back at the calendar, I am in my third year but when you look at the events I have only done seven WRC rounds. It’s my last my year to be eligible for Junior WRC so I think it’s the right time to put my experience into the stages and start collecting results, not only experience. It’s very tough competition, the calendar isn’t looking so bad for us this year though. We are fighting a lot of Scandinavian and Baltic drivers who are very fast on their own territory and have previously had more rounds that they were favourites on. This year we have three asphalt rallies and I think I am more experienced on asphalt than gravel.”

    48. Martin Koci / Petr Tesisnky
    “To be in the WRC is the dream and the target, I’m not the youngest, but Junior WRC is the best way to get into the WRC and start the ladder. I am super happy to be here, I know my mission, the competition is high but I’m happy about that and coming in with a lot of respect for everybody. Normally I don’t like saying I am coming to win, but of course, we want to do as well as possible while enjoying and learning from mistakes in previous years.”

    49. Jon Armstrong / Phil Hall 
    “It’s great to be back here, it feels like yesterday that we were in Sweden in 2020 having the same training day. I’m really looking forward to getting into recce, they look like great stages here in Croatia and I think recce is going to be crucial to having a good result in the rally. I can’t wait to get back in a rally car either as I haven’t had too much testing with the Fiesta Rally4 which is something I will need to get used to.”

    50. William Creighton / Liam Regan
    “It’s been a really good experience so far, I’m trying to take in as much as I can. This year is going to be about learning so soaking up as much as I can about what it’s like to be in a WRC Rally. I haven’t set myself any expectations in terms of specific events because I think as soon as you do that, and you don’t reach them you’ve got a problem.”

    51. Lauri Joona / Ari Koponen
    “I expect a good season and my experience of Rally Sweden is not enough to give me an idea on how the rest of the year will go. I think it’s good for that there are three asphalt rallies which is very difficult, but it helps with my learning. Nobody has experience of this rally, which is good for all, for asphalt need to make sure I’m sensible though. I know how the team works which helps, I need to get more details for sure which will help me be more competitive on asphalt.”

    52. Robert Virves / Sander Pruul
    “It’s nice to be here and nobody is here this year to get second place, I am here looking to win. The experience on asphalt for me isn’t high, we did two asphalt rallies in Italy as preparation which is all of my asphalt experience. Croatia doesn’t look like an easy

  • FIA Junior WRC returns to 5-round season for 2021

    FIA Junior WRC returns to 5-round season for 2021

    The 2021 FIA Junior WRC Championship will be contested across five FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) rounds in a bid to find the next star of the WRC.

    A field of Ecoboost-powered Fiesta Rally4s, all exclusively equipped with Pirelli tyres and powered by Wolf Lubricants will do battle on a mixture of surface types and conditions for the biggest prize package in rallying.  

    This year’s championship will also celebrate FIA Junior WRC’s incredible 20-year history, which goes back to the days of a fresh-faced Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena guiding their Super 1600 car to championship glory. In the two decades that followed, FIA Junior WRC drivers went on to amass a so-far combined total of 16 WRC Championships, 172 WRC event victories and 415 podiums. 

    Those drivers looking to add their names to the history books with the likes of Loeb will no-doubt face many challenges throughout the five-round championship that will see them lean on every inch of their driving talent. The fight for the 2021 crown will be tightened further with the final championship classification counting each crew’s four best classification results and all stage win points. Double classification points return in 2021 for the final round of the season, only available to drivers who previously entered at least three FIA Junior WRC rounds in 2021, providing an unpredictable and exciting championship battle. 

    Round 1: Croatia 22 – 25 April
    Rally Croatia is a brand-new all-asphalt addition to the WRC which will serve as the curtain raiser for this year’s five-round championship to the delight of Croatia’s passionate rally fanbase. Although a new feature on the WRC calendar, the Croatian event has international pedigree having previously been a part of the FIA European Rally Championship for many years until 2013. The service park will be based in Croatia’s capital city, Zagreb, with the characteristically slippery asphalt stages snaking their way through Karlovac County, Zagreb County and Krapina-Zagorje County. It’s likely that all of 2021’s Junior WRC crews will have limited road-knowledge on the opening round, meaning the critical task of writing and reading of new notes should only add to the drama of 2021’s championship fight.

    Round 2: Portugal 20 – 23 May
    In stark contrast to the opening round, Rally Portugal is the first gravel event on the FIA WRC calendar and has previously featured on the FIA Junior WRC calendar. Junior WRC’s most recent visit to Portugal was in 2018, leaving nothing on the table when it came to drama through various thrills and spills on the iconic Portuguese stages. 

    Round 3: Estonia 15 – 18 July
    Rally Estonia made its WRC debut in 2020, with Junior WRC witnessing an epic battle between local heroes and talents from further afield on the fast and challenging Estonian roads. Rally Estonia will be a very different gravel round to Portugal, testing crews further by calling upon a completely different skillset to master Estonia’s sweeping corners and jumps. The 2020 edition of Rally Estonia was a hit with drivers and teams, featuring an almighty battle for stage win points as Martins Sesks became Latvia’s first ever Junior WRC event winner. 

    Round 4: Belgium August
    The championship heads to the tricky asphalt roads of Ypres, Belgium, for the penultimate round of the 2021 season in August. The event is a classic with tight competition along its ditch-lined roads, where drivers risk cuts at their own peril, and it is expected to provide a tantalising battle as the championship fight heats up. Crews with three strong classification scores on the board will head to Ypres knowing they can afford to drop a poor classification score and therefore cherry pick stages to push for stage win points on in a bid to help their championship.

    Round 5: Spain 14 – 17 October
    The championship finale is planned to play out at Rally Spain, with 2021 marking the rally’s 30th anniversary as a WRC event, the event is steeped in history and is regarded as one of the toughest asphalt challenges in the FIA WRC. Double classification points will mean a wide open and unpredictable title fight going down to the wire ensuring every contender will push for every classification and stage point available. With the pressure piled on the championship protagonists, Rally Spain will no doubt be a nail-biter thanks to its racetrack-like surface and extra-wide roads giving opportunity to maximise commitment through every corner. The high speeds also mean increased jeopardy though, with high-speed mistakes usually arriving at a huge and most likely championship-ending cost. 

    Maciej Woda, FIA Junior WRC Team Director, said: “It’s great to see the 2021 FIA Junior Championship taking shape with a good mix of events on this year’s calendar. I think all five rounds will require a different set of skills to master which is very important for the championship to rigorously test all of our drivers and find out who really has got the talent. No two rounds are the same which is an exciting prospect and should really shake things up for the championship.

    “We’ve worked very hard with the FIA and WRC Promoter to ensure the calendar is spaced out evenly enough to help crews prepare for each event and also leave a reasonable gap from the final round of the 2020 championship. Normally the Junior WRC Championship concludes in September or October and it allows the championship and crews a healthy amount of time to prepare and confirm plans for the following season. From speaking with all interested crews and the late conclusion of the 2020 season we made sure to provide interested crews the time needed to put their 2021 programme and plans together.”
  • Tom Kristensson wins Junior WRC Rally Sardinia

    Tom Kristensson wins Junior WRC Rally Sardinia

    • Tom Kristensson took a commanding victory on Rally d’Italia Sardinia bouncing back from retirement on Rally Estonia.
    • Fabrizio Zaldivar becomes the first every Paraguayan to take a podium in FIA Junior WRC, taking his best ever result with the second.
    • Martins Sesks and Sami Pajari were hampered by issues but clawed back 11 Wolf Stage Points out of an available 15 between them, with Sesks finishing third and Pajari fifth.

    Sardinia, 11 October 2020: Kristensson led from the start, opening a convincing 20-second lead on Pajari and 40 seconds Sesks who span on the tight and technical first stage.

    Sesks responded to win on SS2, taking 10 seconds out of Kristensson’s lead and moved into second as Pajari struggled.

    Stage four brought a lot drama, seeing Sesks, Ruairi Bell, and Enrico Oldrati retire for the day as Zaldivar kept his cool and found himself third at the conclusion of the opening loop.

    Bell’s pace was impressive, with his confidence building stage to stage until he sent his Fiesta Rally4 hurtling into a bale at some speed on the second pass of Erula-Tula at the end of the first loop. 

    Kristensson was handed the perfect opportunity to close the championship points gap seizing another stage win on SS5 as flying Finn Pajari responded on the final stage of the day to claim his second stage win of the rally. By this point Kristensson already had a significant lead over second-placed Pajari but the drama continued in the FIA Junior WRC Championship on Saturday. 

    Kristensson extended his lead through Saturday’s six stages with Pajari hitting trouble on the opening stage of the day after breaking a driveshaft over a jump.

    Pajari’s retirement saw Zaldivar climb to second with a healthy gap to Martins Sesks in third who was a cut above the rest in terms of stage times. The Rally Estonia winner began his opening streak of stage wins on SS7, signing off stages eight and nine in the same fashion with a puncture preventing the Latvian from winning every stage of the loop. He returned to form on Saturday’s final pair of stages delivering back to back stage wins.

    By the conclusion of Saturday Kristensson held almost a nine-minute lead and four stage wins.

    Briton Ruairi Bell posted a good haul of top-three stage times and even looked set for a stage win on stage 12 until a spin cost him that opportunity. Bell was holding fourth until the final stage of the rally, where he retired after breaking a driveshaft.

    Pajari hit back with blistering pace on Sunday, taking a pair of stage wins on the first passes of Cala Flumini and Sassari-Argientera. The penultimate stage was cancelled meaning a stage point wasn’t awarded for SS15 however Pajari was straight back on it on the final stage, grabbing another crucial stage point. Kristensson openly admitted to sticking to a safe and steady pace to secure 25 classification points for his fourth victory in FIA Junior WRC. 

    Sesks now leads the championship with 68 points as Kristensson has closed the gap down to just ten points and is now second with 58 as Pajari has slipped to third with 54 points.

    The fight is even closer when discounting the top three’s worst classification points, with Kristensson actually leading on 58 points, Sesks second with 53 and Pajari third on 44. 

    Wolf Stage Win points have massively closed the gap between the top three and there are 60.5 points available and everything to play for on Renties Ypres Rally Belgium, the FIA Junior WRC Championship finale on 19-22 November.

    Maciej Woda, FIA Junior WRC Team Director, said: “Congratulations Tom and Joakim on a superbly driven rally with no mistakes, this was definitely redemption for them after retiring on Estonia and they are in a very strong championship position now. Fabrizio Zadlivar becomes the first ever Paraguayan to stand on the FIA Junior WRC podium which is a huge achievement for him and his country, he should be really proud. Martins and Sami, despite their issues delivered some incredible stage times yesterday and today. It’s evident they have a lot of motivation to do everything they can to win the championship which makes the prosect of the championship finale all the more exciting.”

    RALLY ESTONIA CLASSIFICATION
    1. Tom Kristensson / Joakim Sjöberg 3:07:49.1
    “We started very good, actually we started on a really high pace and went slower or safer from there! There have been many tough places on the rally, but we enjoyed it very much. There have been many twisty and nice places, this island is amazing, at the end the last day was about bringing the victory home and getting to the finish. I’m not 100% focussed on the championship still, I will focus on the next rally and push for a victory like here.”

    2. Fabrizio Zaldivar / Fernando Mussano +11:25.4
    “This is amazing! It has been a long weekend, on Friday we secured a very good position and on Saturday we got second position which was a big surprise. After that it was very long for me with many things to manage to not get a puncture or hit anything with the car. Finishing today with my first podium in FIA Junior WRC is amazing.”

    3. Martins Sesks / Renars Francis +29:56.2 
    “Well the weekend was such a big rollercoaster filled with ups and downs for sure, after the fourth stage it felt like a nightmare and then we had issues with the car. But we managed some good points and third place, it’s incredible.”

    4. Enrico Oldrati / Elia de Guio +37:01.1
    “For us it was an unlucky weekend, but this is rallying and we accept it. The first day we broke the steering arm and restarted the rally on Saturday, after that the rally was good for us as we tried to improve our pace notes and pace. I am super happy to finish, the car went well as well as the tyres.”

    5. Sami Pajari / Marko Salminen +58:14.7
    “The rally was really difficult so I needed to take the points that were available. We had some difficulties but mostly everyone did, it was really frustrating and sad to have them but there’s nothing we can do about it now. We tried to win the stages on Sunday to take all the stage points which worked out well in the end. I think that the three top guys have got a serious chance at winning the championship, maybe I am the weakest at the moment but you will never know.”

    6. Marco Pollara / Maurizio Messina +76:50.4
    “For me it wasn’t a good rally or week because I had a lot of problems but today I chose not to push because I wanted to make it across the finish.”

    RETIRED:
    Ruairi Bell / Darren Garrod
    Fabio Andolfi / Stefano Savoia

  • Tom Kristensson takes convincing lead on Saturday: Junior WRC

    Tom Kristensson takes convincing lead on Saturday: Junior WRC

    • Tom Kristensson extended his lead through Saturday’s six stages on Rally d’Italia Sardegna while also increasing his stage win points tally.
    • Sami Pajari started the day in a short-lived second position, retiring on the opening stage of the day after breaking a driveshaft over a jump.
    • Fabrizio Zaldivar now sits second and is on the cusp of taking his best result in FIA Junior WRC to date with a healthy gap to Martins Sesks in third.

    Sesks went into the day fourth, but soon climbed to third following Pajari’s retirement on stage one where the Rally Estonia winner began his opening streak of stage wins, signing off stages two and three in the same fashion. The Latvian suffered a puncture on stage four, ending his mission to tick off every stage win of the loop and opted to bring the car home safely to service and hold his podium spot. He returned to form on the final pair of stages delivering back to back stage wins bringing his total stage win points to six for the rally which could prove crucial for the championship.

    Kristensson had a fairly uneventful, but crucially consistent day, delivering safe and competitive stage times to finish Saturday with almost a nine-minute lead and one stage win.
    Briton Ruairi Bell didn’t finish outside of the top-three on Saturday cementing his fourth position by building a comfortable three-minute gap to Enrico Oldrati. A stage win was on the cards on stage 12 until an untimely spin cost him that opportunity and ultimately meant he finished third. Should Bell maintain his position throughout the four remaining stages on Sunday, he will match his best finish in FIA Junior WRC yet.

    Zaldivar’s opening loop was less than ideal in terms of pace with the South American claiming he went for a poor setup choice. He was able to keep his Fiesta Rally4 on the road though and hold second position.

    Marco Pollara was able to get his rally back on track on Saturday, making it safely through every stage until SS12 where he broke his steering arm and retired. Pollara will restart the rally on Sunday for the final four stages of the rally.

    Maciej Woda, FIA Junior WRC Team Director, said: “Today has delivered some interesting strategies and performances throughout the FIA Junior WRC field. Tom has delivered a level-headed performance and kept control of his lead as it is important for his championship hopes to take a good haul of classification points. Martins meanwhile has dominated in terms of stage wins today which in turn helps his championship campaign as all stage win points are counted towards the championship. It was a big shame for Sami and it is never easy to see a drive retire in such circumstances, I am looking forward to seeing what he will do tomorrow as it’s potentially damage limitation mode with four stage win points up for grabs.”

    Tom Kristensson, rally leader, said:“Well it’s a crazy situation at the moment with the results but for sure we are really happy to be in the lead. I could not imagine the rally could be so tough and we would perform as well as we could have done. We are really satisfied, and tomorrow will also be a tough day but we will just take the car to the end and take home the victory.”