Taylor Gill stormed to his second FIA Junior WRC victory at Rally Sweden on Sunday, but it was home hero Mille Johansson who walked away as the early championship leader after a thrilling season opener.
Trading Australia’s scorching heat for Sweden’s frozen forests, Gill kept his cool through Sunday’s three-stage finale to seal victory by 22.8sec over local ace Johansson. Co-driven by Daniel Brkíc, the 21-year-old seized his golden opportunity when Johansson’s hopes of a home win took a hit - almost three minutes lost in a snowbank on Saturday.
Despite the setback, Johansson, contesting his first full FIA Junior WRC season as a prize for winning the 2024 FIA Junior ERC title, showed blistering pace. With a championship point awarded for every stage win, the Swede clawed back crucial points, setting fastest times on 12 of the rally’s 18 tests. That haul propelled him to the top of the standings with 29 points - two more than rally winner Gill, who took only two stage victories.
Irishman Eamonn Kelly couldn’t match Johansson’s Sunday pace but held his ground to claim third, finishing 59.9sec adrift of the Swede. He successfully fended off Turkish challenger Ali Türkkan, who missed out on the podium by just 8.4sec.
Türkkan’s compatriot and Junior WRC debutant Kerem Kazaz followed in fifth, over a minute further back, with Belgian newcomer Thomas Martens 15.9sec behind in sixth.
Claire Schönborn emerged as the WRC Young Driver Team’s top finisher in seventh, with her and team-mate Lyssia Baudet finishing almost three minutes behind in eighth. Ninth went the way of Frenchman Tristan Charpentier, who had shown early promise but tumbled down the order after an off-road excursion on Friday.
Diego Dominguez rejoined on Sunday to finish 10th, while Max Smart and Joosep Nõgene also salvaged results after earlier setbacks.
The FIA Junior WRC heads to Vodafone Rally de Portugal next (15 - 18 May), where Gill and Johansson will resume their battle on gravel.
Standings after Sunday (SS18 /18):
Pos. Driver Co-Driver Time
1 Taylor GILL Daniel BRKÍC 2:51:17.1
2 Mille JOHANSSON Johan GRÖNVALL + 22.8
3 Eamonn KELLY Conor MOHAN + 01:22.7
4 Ali TÜRKKAN Oytun ALBAYRAK + 01:31.1
5 Kerem KAZAZ Corentin SILVESTRE + 02:48.3
6 Thomas MARTENS Max FREEMAN + 03:04.2
7 Claire SCHÖNBORN Jara HAIN + 10:28.6
8 Lyssia BAUDET Lea SAM CAW FREVE + 13:24.9
9 Tristan CHARPENTIER Florian BARRAL + 13:43.7
10 Diego DOMINGUEZ Rogelio PEÑATE + 40:09.8
11 Max SMART Cameron FAIR + 47:47.2
12 Joosep NÕGENE Aleks LESK + 1:09:42.5
