Gill and Brkic ready for San Marino opener

It has been six and a half months since they last took part in competitive driving, and for both of them, it feels like an eternity. 

“I just can’t wait to get back into it,” Gill exclaimed. 

“It feels like a lifetime since we last competed, so to finally be able to get back behind the wheel is exciting.” 

Gill and Brkic last competed in Coffs Harbour last November where they secured the Australian Rally Championship Production Cup, and the competition is only ramping up this season. 

Preparations for the 2023 season have been lengthy though, meaning they haven’t just been waiting around. Just a week ago, they concluded a mammoth training camp that lasted almost two weeks. 

“We went to the Italian island of Sardinia where the FIA put all the Rally Star winners through their paces,” Gill added. 

“Mentally, physically and both in and out of the car, it was a huge couple of weeks where we were put to the test.” 

The camp included testing and training on both a tarmac and gravel stage in their 2023 car, M-Sport Poland’s Ford Fiesta Rally3. It’s that experience that will be invaluable for Gill and Brkic, as they took plenty of useful learnings from the program. 

“To drive the car on gravel for the first time was certainly exciting – we now know what it can do and how it handles on the gravel. 

“Our testing gives us some confidence that we know what we are up against on Italian gravel.” 

The San Marino Rally takes place this Friday and Saturday and is a nine stage affair with lots of repeated stages. It begins Friday night with a Super Special Stage before the rally moves to gravel on Saturday morning. 

Gill and Brkic will be able to complete a rare three-pass recce, which will enable them to make effective pace notes on roads they will know very well by the end of the rally. 

“Passing over the same piece of road so many times will be interesting, but it will also be a real challenge on the final runs. 

“Sure, the pace notes will be refined, but I think by the third pass of competition, the road conditions will be very different from what we have in our notes.” 

Gill and Brkic are also well aware that it’s not just their speed on the stages that will count towards their progress in the FIA Rally Star program. 

“The Rally Star program looks at all aspects of a driver and team, and much deeper than just driving skill,” Gill said. “So we are committed and well prepared to make our mark. 

“Above all, we know that finishing the rally is going to be paramount, so that is our overall goal. Any result on top of that is a bonus.” 

The San Marino Rally covers just over 70 competitive kilometres while covering 250 kilometres of liaison.