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After claiming 7th in the WRC2 challenger class at the Vodafone Rally de Portugal last this month, FIA Rally Star Romet Jürgenson and co-driver Siim Oja are aiming to turbo charge their season on the unforgiving gravel roads of Sardinia this June.
The Estonian driver found Rally Portugal to be “a big learning curve” but reflected that “Sunday gave us something positive to take away. On newer stages, we were starting to match the others, which is encouraging”
Round six of the 2025 FIA WRC Championship is due to get underway from 5 June in what is set to be an exhilarating test of the rally drivers’ skill and precision on one of the most challenging events on the calendar. The 22nd edition of the Sardegna rally will be “enjoyable but demanding” Jürgenson said. “There’s more danger on the side of the road – rocks, narrow lines – so you need to be more accurate. It’s a different driving style than Portugal.”.
Sardegna will be the Estonian duo’s fourth WRC2 outing of the season, with the narrow tracks of the Mediterranean island offering little room for error. Their focus remains on their rally however, acknowledging “the competition is quite high with a lot of fast drivers there”.
Driving an M-Sport built Ford Fiesta Rally2, Jürgenson is confident ahead of the 16 special stages and 320 kilometres of competitive action. “What can you expect from me in Sardinia? I’d say being quicker straight away going into the rally – it’s definitely needed”. The 25-year-old driver is learning quickly in this series, stating that “With the confidence I’ve gained, I think we can aim a bit higher this time… The key target is to deliver a more consistent pace across the rally, similar to what we achieved on Sunday in Portugal.”
Looking forward to the rest of the season Jürgenson is optimistic “Closing the gap to the top teams is already happening step by step… everyone understands where I am in terms of experience, and we’re all pushing together to close the gap to the frontrunners”.
Jürgenson is also motivated by internal competition within the M-Sport team “My first competitor is definitely my teammate. Pierre Louis Loubet is a very experienced and a very fast driver, so to be able to match his times or be faster would be really nice”.
Although the competition within the team is strong, Jürgenson spoke highly of the environment at M-Sport. “It’s been very good since the beginning, I’d say, from the management side all the way to engineers and mechanics. Everybody has welcomed us to the team very well… we are all pushing towards getting closer and closer to the top guys. I’d say it’s very positive and we are all working towards the same goal.”
FIA Rally Star Project Leader Jérôme Roussel said: “We’re looking forward to seeing how Romet and Siim approach their fourth WRC2 outing on the demanding gravel roads of Sardegna. Their 7th-place finish in the Challenger class in Portugal was a strong result, especially given the depth of competition there and offered them a valuable learning experience for the rally this week.
Sardegna brings its own set of challenges from the outset, with narrow, technical roads and punishing heat that test both driver and car. But Romet and Siim have already demonstrated impressive maturity and speed this season. This rally is another key opportunity to build on that progress, maintain consistency, and keep narrowing the gap to the front.”
Rally Italia Sardegna takes place between 5-8 June 2025.
ENDS
The FIA Rally Star programme is a pioneering initiative launched by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) in 2023 to discover and support future rally talent.
Romet Jürgenson was one of six drivers selected for the inaugural cohort, securing a place in the Junior WRC in 2024, which he went on to win. He now competes in the WRC2 Championship with M-Sport alongside co-driver and fellow Estonian Siim Oja.
Rally Italia Sardegna is the sixth round of the 2025 FIA World Rally Championship, featuring WRC, WRC2, and WRC3 categories. It is organised by the Automobile Club d’Italia with support from the Region of Sardinia.
World Rally Championship
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SEASON 2025SportRallies1SportWorld Rally ChampionshipRalliesWRCSEASON 2025FIA Rally Star00Monday, June 2, 2025 – 3:29pmMonday, June 2, 2025 – 3:29pm
