Virves, 23, won the Junior WRC Championship title in 2022. As a reward, he received a driving package for the WRC2 category in the 2023 season, driving a Ford Fiesta Rally2 car.
However, Virves’ reward season did not go as planned. He did not achieve significant success in the WRC2 class, with his best result being sixth place in his home event in Estonia. He had to retire from four WRC events.
It has been almost nine months since Virves last competed in a WRC event, but now he is making a return to the special stages. He will start his season’s first rally in Sardinia, where he will be driving a new car.
“I am back on track in the WRC and I will make the first start of this season already at Rally Italia Sardegna. This year’s car is a Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 prepared by RaceSeven with co-driver Aleks Lesk,” Virves outlines his plans.
Last season, Virves competed in the WRC with two different co-drivers, Portuguese Hugo Magalhaes and British co-driver Craig Drew. Now, he will be partnered with fellow Estonian Lesk, with whom he last collaborated in the 2022 season.
Virves’ plans also include a couple of other WRC events.
“Great work has been done to get this opportunity and here I thank all our supporters who are helping us get back on track. I can confirm that Sardinia will not be our only start in the WRC series and according to current plans we will also start in Poland and Latvia,” Virves reveals.
Rally Sardinia kicks off on Friday. The Rally Poland is scheduled for the end of June, and the Latvian round will take place in mid-July.
