Rally de Portugal sees the start of the 2014 season of the FIA Junior WRC, for which Citroen Racing is the exclusive supplier.
Fourteen drivers under 28 years of age are due to compete in Citroën DS3 R3s. They will also be taking part in the FIA WRC3.The Junior WRC champion will win a WRC2 programme for 2015 in a Citroen DS3 R5.Since it first entered the World Rally Championship, Citroen Racing has always been on the lookout for talented young drivers. In 2001, the Brand played a key role in finding and developing Sebastien Loeb, who claimed the Junior World Championship in a Citroen Saxo Super 1600.
Over the years, Citroen has enabled several drivers to cut their teeth on the WRC stages. Dani Sola (2002), Dani Sordo (2005), Sebastien Ogier (2008) and Martin Prokop (2009) all won the Junior title in a Citroën.
After switching to a one-make series in 2011, the Junior WRC is now about to enter a new era with Citroën Racing. Open to drivers aged 28 or under competing in Citroën DS3 R3s, the championship begins its six-round calendar at Rally de Portugal.
Fourteen crews have entered this year. Among them, some will be able to take advantage of their knowledge of the Citroën DS3 R3, acquired in national trophies or in the WRC3. The French pair of Quentin Giordano and Sylvain Michel, the German Christian Riedemann, the Australian Molly Taylor, the Swiss Federico Della Casa, the Northern Irishman Alastair Fisher, the Czech Jan Cerny and the Italian Simone Campedelli have all shown off their skills in the leading two-wheel drive rally car.
Experience of competing in one or more rounds of the World Rally Championship may also be an advantage for the Italian Simone Tempestini, the Pole Aron Domzala, the Czech Martin Koci and the Frenchman Stéphane Lefebvre.
The year’s opening rally, held between Lisbon and Faro, will provide the gravel specialists with the opportunity to get their season off to a good start. All of the drivers will also be able to score points in the WRC3 championship.
In addition to the Drivers’ title, Co-drivers’ title and the Nations Trophy awarded at the end of the season, the WRC Junior champion will earn the chance to compete in six rounds of the 2015 WRC2 in a Citroën DS3 R5. He or she will therefore follow in the footsteps of Sébastien Chardonnet, winner of the 2013 Citroën Top Driver series, who is enjoying similar support this season.
THE FOURTEEN CREWS ENTERED
52 – Simone Tempestini (ITA) / Dorin Pulpea (ROU)
Driver date of birth: 12 August, 1994Team: Napoca Rally Team
One of the leading Production class drivers in the ERC last year, Simone Tempestini is the reigning Romanian Junior Champion. He took part in Rally Finland and Wales GB Rally in 2013.
53 – Aron Domzala (POL) / Zawada Przemyslaw (POL)
Date of birth: 1 August, 1989Team: Creative Rally Solutions
After competing for several seasons in Poland, Aron Domzala took part in his first world rally in 2012 at the Spanish round of the WRC Academy. In 2013, he varied his programme, taking part in rallies in Lithuania and Estonia.
54 – Christian Riedemann (DEU) / Lara Vanneste (BEL)
Date of birth: 27 August, 1987Team: MY Racing
Fourth in last year’s WRC3 and the 2013 Citroën Top Driver with one win in Italy and a podium finish in Germany, Christian Riedemann is one of the most experienced drivers in the field. He made his competitive debut in 2006 and has competed in the World Championship since 2010.
55 – Quentin Giordano (FRA) / Guillaume Duval (FRA)
Date of birth: 10 June, 1986Team: PH Sport
A regular in Promotional Formulas in France, Quentin Giordano finished fourth in the 2013 Citroën Racing Trophy. His only experience in the World Championship involves competing at the Rallye de France in the last three years.
56 – Martin Koci (CZE) / Lukas Kostka (SVK)
Date of birth: 5 April, 1993Team: Gekon Racing
After competing in rally sprint events having turned 16, Martin Koci made his competitive rallying debut in 2011 in a Citroën C2-R2 Max. He competed in Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Austria before taking part in the WRC in 2012. Last year, he finished sixth in the Junior WRC.
57 – Stéphane Lefebvre (FRA) / Thomas Dubois (FRA)
Date of birth: 16 March, 1992Team: PH Sport
Following the French driver development programme, Stéphane Lefebvre began his rallying career in the promotional formulas. He won a Junior title which earned him an ERC programme in 2013. He was part of the FFSA French Rally team.
58 – Molly Taylor (AUS) / Coral Taylor (AUS)
Date of birth: 6 May, 1988Team: D Max Rally Team
With a mother competing as a co-driver, Molly Taylor quickly found herself behind the wheel of a rally car. First spotted in Australia, she began competing in Europe in 2009, where she claimed her first race wins. After winning a driver detection competition, she was awarded a scholarship in the WRC Academy in 2011 (11th). She is also a driver representative on the FIA’s Women in Motorsport Commission.
59 – Panikos Polykarpou (CYP) / Gerald Winter (AUT)
Date of birth: 27 January, 1991Team: Team Jaga
Cypriot Rally Champion in 2011, Panikos Polykarpou has set himself a new challenge this season. After testing the Citroën DS3 R3 at the Cyprus Rally, one of the rounds in the 2012 Middle East Rally Championship, he is making his WRC debut this year.
60 – Sylvain Michel (FRA) / Gwenola Marie (FRA)
Date of birth: 27 October, 1991Team: Accro Race
Winner of the C2 R2 Citroën Trophy in 2012 and the Swiss Citroën Racing Trophy in 2013, winning every round, the Frenchman Sylvain Michel is set to get his first experience of the World Rally Championship in the FIA Junior WRC.
61 – Federico Della Casa (CHE) / Domenico Pozzi (ITA)
Date of birth: 17 July, 1991Team: D Max Rally Team
After cutting his teeth on the roads of Switzerland, France and Italy, and during his first appearance at the Monte-Carlo Rally, Federico Della Casa competed in the Citroën Top Driver series last year, finishing in tenth place.
62 – Alastair Fisher (GBR) / Gordon Noble (GBR)
Date of birth: 30 July, 1988Team: DGM
Spotted at a very young age on the roads of the British Isles, Alastair Fisher made his WRC Academy debut in 2011, finishing third overall and claiming a category win at the Rallye de France. Sixth in his second season with a win in Portugal, he finished eighth in the 2013 Citroën Top Driver series and fourth in the UK Citroën Racing Trophy.
63 – Kornel Lukacs (HUN) / Mark Mesterhazi (HUN)
Date of birth: 5 September, 1991Team: Wurmbrandt Racing
Mainly competing in Hungary and then throughout Central Europe until 2012, Kornel Lukacs produced some fine performances last season in the European Championship, finishing second in the Two-Wheel Driver class. He is making his World Championship debut this season.
64 – Jan Cerny (CZE) / Pavel Kohout (CZE)
Date of birth: 6 June, 1990Team: Cerny Auto SRL
After making his competitive debut at 16, Jan Cerny began racing at international level in 2009 when he finished sixth in the ERC. Seventh in the WRC Academy in 2011, he returns to the WRC this season.
65 – Simone Campedelli (ITA) / Danilo Fappani (ITA)
Date of birth: 26 July, 1986Team: Procar
Simone Campedelli is one of the oldest drivers taking part, with over ten years rallying experience under his belt. Supported by Citroën Italy in 2011 and 2012, he won the Italian Junior Championship and won then the Two-Wheel Drive Cup two years running. In 2013, he finished sixth in the Citroën Top Driver series.
2014 CALENDAR3-6 April Rally de Portugal26-29 June Rally Poland31 July – 3 August Rally Finland21-24 August Rally Deutschland2-5 October Rallye de France13-16 November Wales GB Rally
