The finalists will now participate in a three-day training camp held at M-Sport Poland’s headquarters in Krakow from 16-18 September. During the camp, the candidates will be put to the test, where they must demonstrate their driving skills on various surfaces as well as their mechanical abilities.
The programme includes representatives from 13 different countries, with only Germany and Spain having two drivers each.
Among the finalists is Suvi Jyrkiäinen, daughter of Finnish rally legend Minna Sillankorva. The 24-year-old Jyrkiäinen has been competing in rallying since 2022 and this year she has taken part in the SM4 class of the Finnish Rally Championship.
Jyrkiäinen’s mother, Minna Sillankorva, was a successful rally driver who even competed in the WRC. Sillankorva won the Ladies Cup, held alongside the WRC, in the 1991 season. During that season, Sillankorva achieved a best finish of 10th place in the Argentine round of the WRC. Sillankorva is one of the few female drivers to have scored points in a WRC event.
After the camp in Poland, the group will be further narrowed down, and the stakes will be raised. Rally experts serving as judges will select three promising drivers to compete in the Central European Rally in October. They will compete in Ford Fiesta Rally3 cars built at M-Sport Poland.
“We were completely overwhelmed by the number and quality of applicants. Selecting the final 15 was an incredibly challenging task and there were some difficult calls to make,” said Peter Thul, WRC Promoter’s Senior Director of Sport.
“We do not want any of the unlucky candidates to be discouraged and we do hope they will apply again in the future as we are absolutely committed to this programme for multiple years. We are now excited to focus on next month’s training camp.”
After the Central European Rally, one of the three drivers will be chosen to receive a fully-funded package to compete in the Junior WRC category for the 2025 season.
That, if anything, is a true dream opportunity for any rally driver.
The 15 finalists are:
Lyssia Baudet (Belgium)
Emma Chalvin (France)
Ann Felke (Germany)
Joanna Hassoun (Lebanon)
Mako Hirakawa (Japan)
Hannah Jakobsson (Sweden)
Suvi Jyrkiäinen (Finland)
Luz Marina (Spain)
Nuria Pons (Spain)
Aoife Raftery (Ireland)
Claire Schönborn (Germany)
Madelyn Tabor (USA)
Alexandra Teslovan (Romania)
Hanna Lisette Aabna (Estonia)
Dorka Zagyva (Hungary)
