All attack for Juniors in Estonia

As a fast gravel rally, it promises to be an adrenaline-fueled spectacle, featuring the future stars of WRC vying for glory on the demanding terrains of Estonia’s iconic roads.

The talk of the town in Junior WRC is: What will Diego Dominguez and Laurent Pellier bring to the table this weekend in an effort to slash William Creighton’s points lead? The championship fight is certainly heating up with the pressure mounting on the top three drivers with one round remaining after Estonia.

Known for its diverse and technical roads, Rally Estonia offers a formidable test of skill, courage, and adaptability. From fast-flowing gravel sections to treacherous narrow tracks, drivers must exhibit precision and composure to conquer the myriad challenges presented by Estonia’s dynamic terrain.

The roads wind their way through lush forests and meander alongside serene lakes, providing a stunning backdrop for the intense competition. However, amidst the breath-taking scenery lie deceptive bends, jumps, and blind corners that demand utmost concentration, making Rally Estonia a true test of a driver’s mettle.

The future stars of rallying will be guiding their recently updated M-Sport Poland Fiesta Rally3 Evos on Pirelli’s Scorpion gravel tyre, Junior WRC crews have the choice of 22 K6 (soft) and 6 K4 (medium) tyres. 

In total, crews are allowed to use a total of 22 tyres for the rally. Estonia’s road surfaces have low abrasive qualities, making the K6 tyre the favourite for most drivers, and given it is in abundance, tyre selection strategy won’t play a huge role in Estonia. The choice of taking one or two spares will be a difficult one though, especially at this critical point of the championship. One spare would help car performance but if you have any tyre problems, your driving performance is then compromised for the rest of the loop. Taking two spares means more security in case of any tyre issues but the weight significantly impacts weight transfer and car balance which can affect a driver’s confidence which is critical on such high-speed roads.

Maciej Woda, FIA Junior WRC Championship Manager, said: “Rally Estonia made its amazing debut in 2020 and we have been coming back ever since after the event rapidly establishing itself as a fan-favourite due to its captivating stages and vibrant atmosphere. The event’s success is not just because of its fantastic stages, but also the passionate support of the Estonian fans, who come out in large numbers to see their rally heroes. This event has some proper driver’s stages and is always one we look forward to, the cream really does rise to the top here and it’s usually the best rally to see which driver really is the out and out fastest.”