The Ford Fiesta Rally3 drivers have already tackled two rounds in Sweden and Croatia and Portugal is the third stop on their tour of five rounds, before heading to Rally Finland and then the finale at Rally Chile. This is the 13th season that the Junior series has been integrated into the FIA World Rally Championship.
The current FIA Junior WRC gives young talent the opportunity to showcase their skills in identical M-Sport Poland Ford Fiesta Rally3 Evos.
Carlberg teams up with Norwegian co-driver Jørgen Eriksen hoping to defend an impressive 25-point cushion over Ali Türkkan in the points’ standings. The Swede won his home event in February and followed that up with the runner-up spot behind his Castrol Ford Team Türkiye rival on the slippery Croatian asphalt after sustaining a puncture. Now crews face their first test of the season on gravel surfaces.
Finland’s Leevi Lassila and Spaniard Gil Membrado are tied for third on 24 points apiece after round two, the former finishing second overall in Sweden. Membrado arrives in Portugal fresh from earning WRC3 success at the recent Rally Islas Canarias.
Spain’s Raúl Hernández, Turkey’s Kerem Kazaz and Ireland’s Craig Rahill round off the list of entrants in Portugal. They hold fifth, sixth and seventh in the points’ standings. Rahill is running under the banner of the successful Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy and will be tackling his first gravel event this weekend.
Last year’s FIA Junior WRC developed into a two-horse race between eventual winner Mille Johansson of Sweden and Australian runner-up Taylor Gill.
FIA Junior WRC – standings after round 2:
1. Calle Carlberg (SWE) 68pts
2. Ali Türkkan (TUR) 43pts
3. Leevi Lassila (FIN) 24pts
3. Gil Membrado (ESP) 24pts
5. Raúl Hernández (ESP) 23pts
6. Kerem Kazaz (TUR) 18pts
7. Craig Rahill (IRL) 17pts