Rally Sweden (13th- 16th February 2025), marks the commencement of both the FIA Junior World Rally Championship and the start of the FIA Rally Star 2025 Campaigns. The FIA Rally Star crew trio of Romet Jürgenson / Siim Oja, Taylor Gill / Dan Brkic and Max Smart / Cameron Fair will continue their WRC adventures in 2025, with Jürgenson starting his prize WRC2 campaign, while Gill and Smart will contest a second season of the Junior WRC. This year’s campaign promises thrilling action and significant milestones for the FIA Rally Star programme.
Rally Sweden is a classic event on the WRC calendar, known for its fast and flowing stages on snow and ice, with iconic snowbanks lining the roads. Based in Umeå, the rally covers 18 stages over four days, totalling 300km of competitive distance.
The FIA Rally Star crews will face a tough challenge, adapting to the demanding conditions of the Swedish fixture while competing against experienced rivals from around the world. Smart and Gill will be competing in strictly identical conditions to the other Junior WRC competitors, driving the same Ford Fiesta Rally3 EVO cars fitted with Hankook tyres, while Jürgenson will pilot his M-Sport-built Ford Fiesta Rally2 for the first time.
2025 FIA Rally Star Rally Sweden crews in seeded order:
- #30 Romet Jürgenson (25, Estonia); Co-driver: Siim Oja (EST), Ford Fiesta Rally2 Mk II
- #56 Taylor Gill (21, Australia); Co-driver: Daniel Brkic (AUS), Ford Fiesta Rally3
- #59 Max Smart (22, South Africa); Co-driver: Cameron Fair (GBR), Ford Fiesta Rally3
Romet Jürgenson Commences WRC2 Campaign
Estonian driver Romet Jürgenson, who exceeded all expectations by winning the FIA Junior WRC title a year ahead of schedule in 2024, will begin his prize WRC2 campaign in Sweden. Rally Sweden will be the first of six WRC2 events contested by Jürgenson with FIA Rally Star support in 2025.
Jürgenson will also benefit from the same training and support initiatives provided through the FIA Rally Star programme and will undertake a test ahead of each FIA WRC2 round he contests alongside co-driver Siim Oja. Jürgenson has been diligently preparing for the step from Junior WRC to WRC2 by working closely with his M-Sport team ahead of the season and participating in the Arctic Lapland Rally in a Rally3 car, gaining valuable experience on snow ahead of the Swedish event.
Taylor Gill and Max Smart Enter Second Junior WRC Season
Australian Taylor Gill and South African Max Smart will embark on their second seasons in the FIA Junior WRC Championship. Both drivers have shown remarkable progress and promise, earning them continued support from the FIA Rally Star programme. Gill, alongside co-driver Daniel Brkic, and Smart, co-driven by Cameron Fair, are eager to build on their impressive performances from last season and aim for even greater success in 2025.
Exciting Prospects for FIA Rally Star Drivers
The FIA Rally Star programme continues to nurture and develop future rally champions. Taylor Gill, Romet Jürgenson, and Max Smart have all progressed through national selection events and continental finals to earn their places in the FIA Rally Star Training Season in 2023. Their journey from virtual novices to potential FIA World Rally Championship title contenders is a testament to their dedication and the impact of the FIA Rally Star initiative.
FIA Rally Star Project Leader Jérôme Roussel said: “We are thrilled to see our FIA Rally Star drivers embark on their 2025 campaigns. Romet Jürgenson, Taylor Gill, and Max Smart have shown exceptional talent and dedication, and their progress has been remarkable. Romet’s transition to WRC2 is a significant step for the FIA Rally Star project, and we are confident that his training and preparation will serve him well in this highly competitive category.
Taylor and Max, entering their second seasons in the Junior WRC, have also made impressive strides. They continue to improve their skills and consistency, and we look forward to seeing them build on their successes from last year. The FIA Rally Star programme is all about nurturing and developing future champions, and these drivers truly showcase the potential and promise we aim to cultivate.
Rally Sweden presents a unique challenge with its snow and ice stages, but I am confident that our crews are well-prepared to face these conditions.”
Romet Jürgenson stated “Ahead of the season, I have been training for the step up to WRC2. I have already been to M-Sport at the end of last year to learn the car and the specifics of the Rally2 class. Last week, I competed at the Arctic Lapland Rally in a Rally3 car, which has been a great experience to prepare for Sweden. It’s given me another chance to drive on snow and get many stages and testing kilometres on snow under my belt.
I am really excited for the WRC2 season and the event in Sweden. It’s a nice event, and the conditions have been really good there. Obviously, it’s a massive step up to WRC2, and it’s going to take some time to get up to speed with the crews that have been there for several years. In the first part of the season, I am focusing on learning the new car, the new class, and the new team. In the second part of the season, I will be focusing on performance and making our gap to the fastest cars as small as possible.”
Taylor Gill commented “I’m really looking forward to the season. I have been back in Finland for a couple of weeks now and have already been able to do a private test with a Rally3 car. I have also done some extra driving on frozen lakes, so it has been good to reunite with the feeling of having snow and ice underneath me, which should help in Sweden.
We showed promising glimpses in 2024, especially in Sweden, and there was good potential there. So, in 2025, we are focusing on getting our speed more consistent across the board. Our plan overall is to win the championship this year and put all our experience from 2024 into our campaign this year. But I think it’s going to be a close battle, and the competition is going to be just as strong, if not stronger, than it was in 2024.”
Max Smart added: “Sweden is the rally I am looking forward to the most. I love driving on the ice; it’s one of my favourite surfaces. I learnt so much from the rally last year. Before Sweden in 2024, I had never even seen snow! So, it was all new coming into Sweden last year. I learnt tons about how the car reacts, how the grip feels on the ice, and how to carry speed in fast turns.
I have been preparing for the rally in Norway, where we have done some testing with John Haughland in a Rally3 car in the forests and on a frozen lake track. The plan for Sweden is to get a strong start at the beginning of the season and work towards our ultimate goal of becoming the Junior World Champion this year.”
To know more about the FIA Rally Star programme, visit https://www.fia.com/fia-rally-star and follow @FIARallyStar on social media.
