18-year-old Kerem Kazaz has made history, becoming the youngest-ever winner of the Turkish Rally Championship after taking a superb victory in the season finale with his Hyundai i20 N Rally2.
After switching to the car mid-season, Kazaz, and French co-driver, Corentin Silvestre scored crucial results in their pursuit of the championship. Victory in the final round completed an excellent run of finishes since first appearing in the national championship with the i20 N Rally2 at the ESOK Rally in September. There, they seemed to have claimed a remarkable victory, only to be handed a 10-second penalty for a jump start on the final stage that dropped them into second place, just 1.2 seconds behind the winner.
Kazaz repeated the runner-up finish at the Kocaeli Rallisi. He was fastest on four of the event’s nine stages, including the Power Stage, on the way to a fifth podium visit in six events. Importantly, the result moved him back into the lead of the championship for the first time since the opening round, where he had become the youngest-ever rally winner in the series when he conquered the snow stages of the Sarikamis Rallis in February alongside Latvian co-driver Andris Mālnieks.
Kazaz switched co-drivers mid-season to Silvestre, who has also contested rounds of this year’s French Tarmac Rally Championship in an i20 N Rally2 alongside Hugo Margaillan, and then to Hyundai for the latter part of the season.
The pair made their first start together in the car in Estonia, finishing fifth overall before returning to Turkey for the final three rounds of the national championship.
They started the season finale needing only to beat their nearest rival in the season-ending Istanbul Rallisi to clinch the title. Throughout the opening day, Kazaz, Silvestre, and their rivals exchanged the top spots before the i20 N Rally2 crew took the lead for good on the last stage before the overnight halt. Though the gap at the top remained close across the four stages of the second day of the contest, Kazaz and Silvestre held on to their advantage for a vital victory.
Kerem Kazaz:
“The Hyundai i20 N Rally2 has been incredible. I was quickly able to trust the car and it performed perfectly at every event through the second part of the season. I’m continuing to gain experience with every rally. At the Istanbul Rallisi, I feel I learned how to win without pushing all the time. It’s incredible to win the championship in my first year competing and while still just 18 years old. I hope this is just the beginning and I can add more success in the future.”
Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing Manager Benoit Nogier said:
“Kerem Kazaz’s results with the i20 N Rally2 in the final three rounds of the Turkish Rally Championship have been vital to him winning the 2024 title. He and Corentin Silverstre were quickly able to adapt to the car and take advantage of the performance of the package. This is everything you wish for in a good car for customers. Runner-up finishes on each of their first two starts with the car in Turkey gave them the lead and victory at the Istanbul Rallisi provided the perfect end to a successful season which Kazaz had started with a historic victory in February. As he is only 18 years old, I am sure that this title will be the first of many in the coming years.”
