Junior WRC – High-octane thrills in Juniors Estonia

The FIA ​​Junior WRC Championship (Junior WRC) prepares for an electrifying championship battle with a test of grid and speed.

Rally Estonia always promises to be an adrenaline-fueled spectacle, featuring the WRC’s future stars competing for glory on the demanding terrain of Estonia’s iconic roads.

Talk of the town at the Junior WRC: What will Diego Dominguez and Laurent Pellier bring to the table this weekend in their bid to take down William Creighton’s points? With one round remaining after Estonia, the championship battle is certainly heating up with increasing pressure on the top three drivers.

Renowned for its varied and technical roads, Rally Estonia offers a formidable test of skill, courage and adaptability. From fast-moving gravel sections to treacherous narrow tracks, drivers must demonstrate precision and composure to conquer the countless challenges that Estonia’s dynamic terrain presents.

The roads meander through lush forests and meander alongside tranquil lakes, providing a stunning backdrop for fierce competition. However, amidst the breathtaking scenery, the treacherous bends, jumps and blind corners demand a lot of attention.

The Junior WRC team has opted for a choice of 22 K6 (soft) and 6 K4 (medium) tires for the recently upgraded M-Sport Poland Fiesta Rally3 Evos on Brelly’s Scorpion gravel tyre. In total, crews are allowed to use a total of 22 tires for the rally. Estonia’s road surfaces have less abrasive qualities, making the K6 tire a favorite for most drivers. Picking up a spare or two will be a tough one, especially at this critical stage of the championship. A spare will help the car’s performance, but if you have any tire problems, your driving performance will be compromised on the rest of the loop. Carrying two spares means more safety in case of any tire problems but the weight significantly affects weight transfer and car balance, which can affect driver confidence which is important on such high speed roads.

FIA Junior WRC Championship Manager Maciej Voda said: „Rally Estonia made its spectacular debut in 2020, and we are back after quickly establishing itself as a fan favorite thanks to its attractive stages and vibrant atmosphere. The success of the event is not only due to its spectacular stages, but also to the emotional support of Estonian fans who come in large numbers to see their rally heroes. .This event has some legitimate driver positions and as always we look forward to it, the cream really rises to the top here and it’s usually a great rally to see which driver comes out fastest.

52 William Creighton:
„[we could win the championship], maybe if no one else finishes the rally, but I look forward to the event. It’s high speed and with a lot of jumps and ridges over the corners, so it’s really exciting and I’m looking forward to it. The Championship is good and if you told me at the start of the year that we would be leading at any point, we would have taken it. It’s good to have the points gap, but there’s still a long way to go and more points to be gained. We are still rallying and aiming to score as many points as we can. Diego and Laurent are the guys to watch out for now, so for me it’s a case of deciding where your championship rivals are rallying and your strategy.

53 Diego Dominguez:
„Overall I think everything has been good so far this season, I think the only mistake we’ve made so far is in Croatia, so I hope it stays that way. We’re doing better than expected and we’ll see what we can do in this rally. It’s going to be a tough one, especially It’s the first time for all of us except Will, considering he already has experience here. It’s definitely a rally I’m not familiar with, it’s very, very fast with blind corners, lots of ridges and jumps. It’s going to be interesting, I can’t wait for the rally to start!

54 Laurent Bellier:
“The season started well for me with second place in Sweden, then in Croatia we were very unlucky with a problem, in Sardinia we made a mistake and we hit a tree, so we finished fourth. Well, we are not in a very good position for the championship, but here we are with one goal, simply to win. We should start with a lot of points from Tartu.

55 Roberto Blach:
„The season is very good, two stages in three rallies, I think we are working a lot. The World Rally Championship is very difficult, but the level we are working in is good for me, we learn a lot in all the rallies on different surfaces. This rally will be very difficult, but for me another stage Should, but high speed here, lots of fast jumps, I know it’s very difficult, but I’ll try my best.

56 Tom Rensonette:
“I’m sure the rally will be exciting, we’re positive for the event and we’re here to learn as it’s my first season in the Junior WRC. We’ll stay on the road and pick up points and experience, that’s the most important goal. It’s my second rally on gravel, so it’s not easy for me, I noticed, I think I’m the only one in this position, so we’ll see.

57 Eamon Kelly:
“The season so far has been up and down, we’ve shown pace in places and then in other places you learn you make mistakes and we want anything. We took a lot from each rally and tried to build on that in the second half of the season. It’s a clean slate in Estonia, but it’s actually quite fast and we can show some more of the speed we’ve shown, but in the end it should be very flat.

58 Gregoire Munster:
„The aim is to prepare for the Rally of Finland, we will drive there with Fiesta Rally2, so we thought it would be good to come to Estonia and drive Fiesta Rally3 on these fast stages. My aim is to win more than the top three, we haven’t tested and things like that, but to get used to the car on this surface. We have the shake-up and we’ll see. Hopefully we can get some good pace and some good stage times.

59 Hamza Anwar:
„It’s my first time in Estonia and I’m looking forward to it. I did the pre-event test and wow, these roads are fast here! They’re nothing like I’ve ever experienced, so it’s definitely going to be a learning experience. I’ll have Alex Kihurani sit with me this weekend. , it’s really cool, Alex is very experienced and knows the Junior WRC very well. He’s also half Kenyan, so it’s nice that we’re still a Kenyan team!