WRC Launches Exciting New Initiative to Boost Female Participation in Junior WRC
WRC Announces “Beyond Rally” Program
(Date, Source) – The World Rally Championship (WRC) has announced an exciting new initiative aimed at increasing female participation in the sport’s top tiers. The launch of this program, dubbed “Beyond Rally,” will offer a fully-funded drive in the 2025 Junior WRC championship to aspiring female drivers aged 27 and under.
In recent years, women have made impressive strides in co-driving, with Reeta Hamalainen and Enni Malkonen claiming world titles in WRC2 and WRC3 respectively in 2022. However, the last time a woman won a round of the championship as a driver was 42 years ago, when Michele Mouton finished as the runner-up in the 1982 title race.
Training Camp and Evaluation
The WRC Promoter is now inviting young female drivers to apply for this new initiative. The 15 most suitable applicants will be invited to an intensive training camp at the M-Sport Poland headquarters in Krakow, where they will undergo a comprehensive evaluation process. This will include:
- A day of gravel and a day of tarmac testing in a Ford Fiesta Rally3
- Simulator sessions
- Pace-note and reconnaissance competence assessments
- PR training
- Evaluation of their mechanical knowledge
Final Selection and Prize
At the conclusion of the training camp, a jury of top-level WRC stakeholders will select three participants to move on to the second stage of the program. These three drivers will then compete at the upcoming WRC Central European Rally in an M-Sport Poland-run Ford Fiesta Rally3, with the jury making the final decision on the winner of the ultimate prize: a fully-supported 2025 Junior WRC program, including testing.
“WRC has a storied history of female participation, and we hope this program will help to bridge the gap and see more female drivers consistently competing at the top levels of our sport,” said Peter Thul, WRC Promoter senior director of sport. “We have a long-term vision with this project and will continually evaluate the process to ensure that increased female participation is lasting.”
Burcu Cetinkaya, chair of the FIA Women in Motorsport Commission, praised the WRC Promoter’s efforts, saying, “We see so many female co-drivers succeeding in the WRC, and in the coming years, we want to see just as many female drivers enjoying the same successes.”
This new initiative from the WRC Promoter is an exciting step forward in promoting greater diversity and inclusion in the sport, and it will be fascinating to see the talented female drivers who emerge from this program and make their mark on the world of rally racing.
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