Junior ERC
Young stars assemble for 12th Junior ERC season
Season 12 of the FIA Junior ERC Championship begins in Spain this week with a record 21-car entry underlining the key role the series performs in developing young talent.
Emerging prospects from across Europe have signed up for the Hankook-equipped category, which takes place over six rounds and rewards the eventual champion with a Junior WRC Championship prize drive in 2026.
Ranked as the ultimate first step from national level to world stage, Junior ERC is for drivers 26 and under at the start of the year competing in Rally4, Rally5 or Rally5-Kit cars. A total of 13 rookies have registered for this season.
This is what the Junior ERC line-up for 2025 have had to say ahead of the 42nd Rally Sierra Morena - Córdoba Patrimonio de la Humanidad.
Simon Andersson (23, Sweden)
“We decided to compete again in Junior ERC because I want to test myself against some of the best Rally4 drivers in the world. I want to see which areas I am good at and which areas I need to improve.”
Calle Carlberg (24, Sweden)
“After the end of the 2024 season in Poland, I was unsure if it would be my last ERC event. But after months of intense work, meetings and discussions, it was finally confirmed that they had chosen to continue supporting our pursuit of the Junior ERC Championship title and keep us in the factory team. It was a huge relief, and my motivation to secure the remaining budget from our side increased significantly.”
Maxim Decock (25, Belgium)
“We've been driving our Opel Corsa Rally4 for three full seasons now. The last two seasons we drove the full Stellantis Cup Belux. We were looking for a new challenge and that’s how we ended up with Junior ERC. We are hugely grateful to our partners for this opportunity, although we can definitely use additional support.”
Francesco Dei Ceci (20, Italy)
“I race in Junior ERC because it is a championship where the best young drivers from all over Europe compete. It is a fantastic championship in which to grow. I want to gain a lot of experience and prepare myself to compete again in 2026.”
Matteo Doretto (21, Italy)
“I just want to make a lot of experience because we know the level is very high. So I just try to take home the car in every single event. At the end of the season we’ll see where we can be. Every result will be good.”
Keelan Grogan (24, Ireland)
“Competing against the best Rally4 crews in the ERC is an incredible opportunity. It is the right time to take this step and face some new challenges. I will be taking on new rallies in a variety of countries, working with a new team, and even driving on a new brand of tyre. But this is what the challenge is all about.”
Victor Hansen (25, Sweden)
“We will continue to drive under our own direction with the team's Peugeot 208 Rally4. The whole team, which consists of about a dozen people, is very committed. The 2025 season will be tough but at the same time a fun challenge.”
Tuukka Kauppinen (18, Finland)
“We’re heading into the rally with a good feeling, but I really hope we get dry conditions this time. I believe the wide and flowing roads will help us find a better rhythm. For now, we’re not focusing on results but rather on reaching the finish and gaining as much experience as possible.”
Hubert Laskowski (19, Poland)
“I would like to thank all the sponsors who have this possible and all the silent angels who have helped us find and convince companies and individuals to support us at such short notice. We will be competing in a Peugeot 208 Rally4 with the Car Speed Racing team. Now we are focusing only on the rally, but we are planning further starts and looking for a budget.”
Leevi Lassila (21, Finland)
“It’s really great to compete in an international championship. A variety of rallies are coming, which will bring their own challenge. The competition will surely be tough, as there will be a lot of tough young drivers.”
Ioan Lloyd (22, Great Britain)
“Obviously the ambition for the season is to do as well as we can but it’s also a big learning curve and the competition is going to be absolutely fierce. We have to do our best and give it 100 per cent. It will be a fantastic life experience: to travel to all these countries and get to compete at such a high level is something we’re really lucky to be able to do.”
Sergi Pérez (20, Spain)
“It is a dream for me and a pending goal, so this year, together with Rallye Team Spain and WERACE, we have decided to go for it. My goal is to enjoy the experience and take the maximum experience possible for the future. I know it will be difficult but we’ll be fighting to try to win.”
Luca Pröglhöf (25, Austria)
“After winning the ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup in 2024 I’m excited to represent Opel as a factory driver and compete against top young talents. My goal is to adapt quickly in the Opel Corsa Rally4, secure consistent podium finishes and gather valuable points.”
Aoife Raftery (24, Ireland)
“The target, as always, is to be on the podium and have good results. Hrt won Junior ERC in 2023, and I will use their experience and advice to have good results in each rally, improve our pace and become a better driver with a good team around me.”
Craig Rahill (21, Ireland)
“Competing in Junior ERC will be a great experience and a brilliant challenge. Each round is going to bring its own challenge with different surfaces and terrain so we will have a lot to learn for every event. Experience is key at this level so we will have to be patient as we build our experience and improve our pace through the season.”
Tomasso Sandrin (19, Italy)
“Starting from this race my main objective is to improve myself and, of course, it’s a championship that gives so much learning because we’re going to race in every single condition and type of road. We’re looking forward to learning, improving and having fun.”
Kevin Saraiva (20, Portugal)
“My target is to learn because it is my first time doing Junior ERC Championship. All events are new for me, countries like Hungary and Poland are totally new so the target is to learn.”
Timo Schulz (25, Germany)
“We have unfinished business in Junior ERC so our main target will be to fight for the title. We’ve learned a lot in the past two years and the motivation for sure is to win, it’s the most important series you can do with a Rally4.”
Mark-Egert Tiits (22, Estonia)
“It is difficult to believe that I have the opportunity to participate in Junior ERC. Inside, expectations are high, but at the same time we need to be realistic and strive to set goals that are under our control.”
Jaspar Vaher (18, Estonia)
“We’re competing in Junior ERC because it’s a good championship to make the first steps on the international level with a high competition level. For sure driving on Tarmac will be a big learning curve since it’s our first season on this surface, but we would like to show our speed.”
Jordi San Andrés from Spain has also registered for Junior ERC action this season.
