2024 EKO Acropolis Rally Greece – Junior WRC ultimate report
Romet Jürgenson has carved his title into FIA Junior WRC historical past books, becoming a member of the likes of Sébastien Ogier, Thierry Neuville and Craig Breen by clinching the FIA Junior WRC title with a second-place end at EKO Acropolis Rally Greece.
The 24-year-old Estonian, with co-driver Siim Oja at his aspect, got here into the season finale atop the standings, and along with his closest rivals succumbing to the punishing mountain roads, Jürgenson adopted a calculated, risk-free method on Sunday’s remaining three phases. He in the end completed 1min 06sec behind rally winner Norbert Maior.
Jürgenson, who earned his spot within the all-M-Sport Poland Ford Fiesta Rally3 championship via the FIA Rally Star programme, turns into the second Estonian to win the title following Robert Virves’ triumph in 2022.
His landmark victory will earn him 4 WRC2 drives on European occasions in 2025 in an M-Sport Ford Fiesta Rally2, together with invaluable testing and tyre help courtesy of M-Sport Poland and Pirelli.
Proving himself to be essentially the most constant driver all through 2024, Jürgenson claimed podium finishes at three of the 5 rounds and racked up a powerful 29 Wolf Stage Win factors – over twice as many as another competitor.
Norbert Maior, the 2023 FIA Junior ERC champion, capped off his season by surging from seventh to second within the championship standings, edging out Australia’s Taylor Gill by three factors. Tom Rensonnet accomplished the rally podium behind Jürgenson.
“It’s nice to be on this desk with historic names like Ogier and Breen and so many different nice drivers that received the Junior WRC,” exclaimed an ecstatic Jürgenson. He continued: “On this rally it’s a must to drive together with your eyes loads – we had good instincts and we averted various massive rocks – ultimately it went nicely.”
The Acropolis lived as much as its brutal status with the Junior WRC battle shortly turning right into a sport of survival. Practically all the subject was pressured to cease and make wheel modifications at varied factors over the weekend’s 15 phases.
A number of title contenders noticed their goals dashed by mechanical woes. Gill was left nursing his automobile via Saturday’s ultimate phases with broken rear suspension, whereas Ali Türkkan was heartbreakingly pressured to retire on the street part to the identical take a look at with a damaged wishbone.
Final 12 months’s runner-up Diego Dominguez struggled with overheating and rear suspension points which successfully ended his bid for the next podium end in 2024 and Petr Borodin rolled out of competition within the rally’s penultimate stage.
In a milestone season for the FIA Junior WRC, 22 drivers competed in not less than one occasion, with 19 scoring factors and 9 totally different drivers claiming podium finishes.
