The FIA Rally Star crews delivered one other standout efficiency because the 2025 FIA Junior WRC Championship acquired underway at Rally Sweden. Taylor Gill and Dan Brkic secured a surprising victory, whereas Max Good and Cameron Honest confirmed flashes of brilliance regardless of a difficult weekend.
Making his WRC2 debut, reigning Junior WRC champion Romet Jürgenson, co-driven by Siim Oja, tailored rapidly to the step up in equipment. He piloted his M-Sport-run Ford Fiesta Rally2 to a formidable seventh total and sixth within the WRC2 Challenger Championship. Regardless of restricted expertise with the automobile, the Estonian improved steadily all through the weekend. He significantly excelled on Sunday’s lengthy 30-kilometre phases. His potential to handle tempo and work together with his M-Sport staff to extract extra efficiency from his automobile highlighted his potential on this aggressive class.
In the meantime, Taylor Gill stormed to his second Junior WRC victory, dealing with the treacherous situations with exceptional composure. Though the preliminary goal was to safe a podium spot, an off-road tour for native favorite Mille Johansson opened the door for Gill to take the lead. From that time on, the Australian delivered a flawless drive, expertly managing his benefit and finally securing the win with a 22.8-second lead.
Taylor Gill and co-driver Dan Brkic are rapidly changing into Nordic favourites after relocating to Finland to advance their FIA Rally Star coaching. The Aussie duo has confirmed their potential to excel within the area, securing a second Nordic victory following their breakthrough win at Rally Finland in 2024.
Max Good endured a weekend of highs and lows, beginning in a powerful place with a stage win on Friday earlier than a troublesome Saturday noticed him retire because of a gathering with the snowbank. Regardless of the setback, he rebounded on Sunday with a formidable efficiency, narrowly lacking out on the quickest time within the Energy Stage by simply 0.068 seconds. Though the ultimate consequence didn’t replicate his outright velocity, his potential to bounce again underneath difficult circumstances was a testomony to his resilience and progress as a driver.
The FIA Rally Star programme’s meticulous preparation was evident within the performances of all three drivers, who proceed to develop at a formidable charge. With Rally Sweden offering a useful studying expertise, the crews now look to their subsequent rounds, with Taylor Gill and Max Good specializing in the second spherical of the FIA Junior WRC Championship in Portugal from Fifteenth-Twenty first Could. Portugal isn’t any abnormal gravel occasion, with its tough, unpredictable terrain and ever-changing climate situations promising to problem each the drivers’ abilities and the resilience of their vehicles.
In the meantime, Romet Jürgenson will tackle the East Driving Levels on February twenty third in a Rally2 automobile as a part of the British Rally Championship opener, supported by M-Sport. He’ll then proceed his WRC2 marketing campaign at Rally Islas Canarias in Spain from April Twenty fourth-Twenty seventh.
FIA Rally Star Challenge Chief Jérôme Roussel stated: “We will take plenty of positives from Rally Sweden, the primary occasion of the season for our FIA Rally Star crews. Romet’s debut in WRC2 was significantly spectacular. With virtually no prior expertise in a Rally2 automobile at this stage, he confirmed exceptional maturity and development all through the weekend. His method was intelligent, enhancing considerably between phases and managing his tempo sensibly on the difficult icy sections. To complete sixth within the WRC2 Challenger class on his first try is a improbable achievement. Extra importantly, he has demonstrated his potential to study rapidly and adapt. His collaboration with M-Sport has been very productive, and we’re happy with the best way he labored with the staff to refine the automobile’s setup. His subsequent problem on tarmac within the Canary Islands will probably be one other large step, however we have now each confidence in his potential to maintain progressing.
Taylor’s victory in Junior WRC is a superb achievement. Our authentic plan was to safe a podium spot, as we knew Mille Johansson could be dominant at this rally. Nonetheless, after Mille completed in a snowbank and Taylor inherited the lead, he managed his tempo brilliantly and introduced the automobile residence with minimal danger, displaying the intelligence and composure wanted to struggle for a championship. He has made a really sturdy begin. It is nonetheless an extended solution to go, however profitable on the primary rally is all the time one of the simplest ways to begin a championship.
Max had his share of challenges, however his efficiency on Friday, taking a stage win, was a transparent signal of his potential. Whereas his retirement on Saturday was disappointing, he confirmed resilience by coming again sturdy on Sunday, lacking the quickest time on the Energy Stage by simply 68 thousandths of a second. He’s nonetheless gaining expertise at this stage, and each rally is a step ahead for him. His development over the weekend was encouraging, and we all know he’ll proceed to develop.
As deliberate earlier than the beginning of the season, Rally Sweden additionally marked the tip of the affiliation between Max Good and his co-driver Cameron Honest, who has supported Max over the previous two seasons. I want to take this chance to thank Cameron for what he dropped at the staff and to Max particularly.
An enormous thanks to the M-Sport groups and the Rally Sweden organisers for his or her onerous work in powerful situations. It was a really optimistic begin to the season, and we sit up for seeing how our drivers proceed to develop within the coming occasions.”
Romet Jürgenson said: “It’s been wonderful to get the primary WRC2 occasion executed this weekend, and I believe it’s been a hit. The velocity has definitely been there. We noticed so many alternative situations and discovered lots concerning the automobile and our driving, so we are able to solely enhance from right here. Going into the season, my goal is to indicate extra velocity in the direction of the tip of the yr. We nonetheless want a little bit of time to get adjusted to the automobile and the class, however for this occasion, it was precisely what we deliberate. We set ourselves the aim of ending between sixth and eighth place, and I believe we achieved it by ending seventh.
It’s an enormous step as much as WRC2. It’s a brand new automobile, a brand new setup, and there are such a lot of extra prospects. So, at this occasion, we actually needed to perceive what we had been doing, however fortunately, we have now an excellent staff at M-Sport with us, who’ve actually supported us to get probably the most out of the automobile with the correct setup.”
Taylor Gill commented: “It’s been an unbelievable weekend. You all the time hope to win the rally, however to come back residence with the win is greater than we may have requested for. I knew we had an opportunity to be on the rostrum, however we additionally knew that, realistically, Mille was going to be fairly unbeatable, so we had been blissful to be the perfect of the remaining and sit second subsequent to him. That was the plan we had been following, with the odd stage win right here and there. Then we acquired the lead. As soon as we had it, we knew what we needed to do to handle it to the tip, and I believe we managed it nicely.
I need to say thanks to everybody for the help. It’s been unbelievable to obtain the messages, the calls, and the feedback. Each Dan and I actually really feel the help pushing us alongside, and listening to the Australian nationwide anthem on the rostrum right here right this moment was one thing actually particular.”
Max Good added: “It’s been an extended weekend, and sadly not the best way we’d have needed it to go, having to retire on Saturday morning. However we confirmed good tempo all through the weekend, securing our first stage win on Friday and constructing on that within the closing stage on Sunday, the place we had been extremely near the stage win. So, it’s been good to finish on a excessive word like that. Sweden can be the final time Cameron Honest, and I will probably be driving collectively. It’s been a tremendous two years, and I’ve discovered an unbelievable quantity from him.”
FIA Junior WRC Championship Occasion Schedule Refresher
The 2025 FIA Junior WRC Championship consists of 5 rounds as follows:• Rally Sweden: 13-16 February• Vodafone Rally de Portugal: 15-18 April• EKO Acropolis Rally Greece: 26-29 June• Secto Rally Finland: 31 July – 3 August• Central European Rally: 16-19 October
To know extra concerning the FIA Rally Star programme, go to https://www.fia.com/fia-rally-star and comply with @FIARallyStar on social media.
