The final of the WRC’s Beyond Rally Women’s Driver Development Programme took place during the Central European tarmac rally, where Baudet, Schönborn, and Jyrkiäinen raced in Ford Rally3 cars.
Each of the trio encountered problems over the weekend. Schönborn had to retire on Friday due to fuel pressure problem, while Baudet damaged her car’s suspension on Saturday. Jyrkiäinen was forced to retire twice because of coolant issue.
The development programme’s jury ultimately arrived at an unusual decision, as they were unable to select a single winner who would earn a full season in the Junior WRC category next year.
Instead, Baudet and Schönborn will face off once again in next winter’s Rally Sweden. The programme’s final winner will be chosen after that race. Jyrkiäinen, however, will not get another opportunity.
“Both Lyssia and Claire delivered exceptional performances in extremely challenging conditions, making it incredibly difficult to choose between them. That’s why we’ve decided to give them both the chance to compete again at Rally Sweden. Given how evenly matched they were, we feel this is the fairest approach,” said Peter Thul, chairman of the programme and WRC Promoter’s Senior Director of Sport.
“Suvi also showed tremendous potential, and despite the setbacks she faced, we’re proud of her efforts. We hope she gained valuable experience from this event, and we’re confident it will strengthen her as a driver,” Thul added.
