The FIA Rally Star program has officially revealed its 2025 line-up, showcasing three of its most promising talents—Taylor Gill, Romet Jürgenson, and Max Smart—as they prepare to make further strides in their rallying careers. With each driver’s impressive 2024 performance, FIA Rally Star has confirmed they will continue to benefit from the program’s support and resources, keeping them on the path toward FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) success.
Pathway to success for Gill, Jürgenson, and Smart
These three drivers joined FIA Rally Star through rigorous national selection events, eventually earning places in the FIA Rally Star Training Season in 2023. With 2024 marking their debut in the FIA Junior WRC, each driver showcased their competitive edge and resilience. Now, FIA Rally Star has confirmed that Gill and Smart will continue in Junior WRC in 2025, while Jürgenson, after an extraordinary season that saw him clinch the Junior WRC title, will advance to compete in WRC2 with M-Sport.
Words from the leaders
FIA Deputy President for Sport, Robert Reid, shared his thoughts on the Committee’s decision, recognizing each driver’s dedication and the significance of FIA Rally Star:
“Since they were selected for the FIA Rally Star program, Max, Romet, and Taylor have not only demonstrated their talent but also their determination, and it’s only right they have been rewarded with further opportunities to learn and progress in 2025. At the same time, it’s a further demonstration of the success of FIA Rally Star that young hopefuls with limited experience who came through from grassroots level via selection events organized by FIA Member Clubs are preparing to embark on their second seasons in the FIA World Rally Championship. This will incentivize other aspiring WRC champions to start their motorsport adventures by joining their FIA Member Club and discovering the possibilities that exist. I’d also like to thank Abito and Esther for their contributions to FIA Rally Star, and I look forward to seeing how the learnings and experience from this program help them in their future motorsport journeys.”
FIA Rally Star Project Leader Jérôme Roussel expanded on the committee’s vision, outlining each driver’s tailored progression:
“It’s an important milestone to reveal the drivers who will carry the FIA Rally Star colors next season. Romet achieved our objective of winning the Junior WRC title one year ahead of schedule, so he will step up to Rally2 level with M-Sport. His program will allow him to develop in a very competitive category, which is the ideal platform for a talented driver to get prepared for the highest level. We’ll select the WRC2 rounds that are most suitable for his development. With his network of partners, Romet will look to compete also on other selected events, which will also be key to his progression, just like it was in 2024. His performance on Saaremaa Rally recently, when he was leading the overall classification before he got a puncture, was incredible, and I’m very excited to watch him in action next season.
“Retaining Taylor was an obvious choice. He was in the fight for the Junior WRC title until the last event. I am sure with what he learned this year, he will be ready to fight for the title again next season. He will have to raise his level against some very competitive drivers to be even better next year, and it will be interesting to see how he can use all his experience from 2024 in 2025.
“Max was also a straightforward choice because he impressed us this year. In his second year of rallying, he was already able to achieve a podium. Sardinia was a very impressive result, but beyond this, on many rallies, he was the quickest on some split times, so it shows the speed is there. He knows what he has to work on, and I am sure he will show a higher level next year.
“The choice of Taylor and Max means we are saying goodbye to one of our drivers, and I would like to thank Abito for his commitment during the last two seasons. He will be missed because he was always bringing a lot of positive energy and was a very important part of the team. Abito has potential; he has the talent and passion for the sport, and I am sure he can achieve great success in the future. Once you have been part of the FIA Rally Star family, you are part of the family forever, and thank you to him and to Esther also. She has been a great professional co-driver for Abito this season, and I also wish her the best for the future.”
Meet the rising stars of FIA Rally Star 2025
Romet Jürgenson (Estonia), Co-driver: Siim Oja
Jürgenson, who triumphed in the Junior WRC in 2024, will now compete in WRC2 with M-Sport for six events, thanks to FIA Rally Star’s support. Reflecting on his journey, Jürgenson remarked:
“We were already looking forward to doing four WRC2 events with M-Sport as our prize for winning the Junior WRC title, but to get two extra events thanks to the support of FIA Rally Star is really great, and I can’t thank the FIA enough. As in 2024, I am trying my best to add some events with my own sponsors, but the overall target is to get the maximum out of the year in terms of experience and developing as a Rally2 driver. It’s a new category for me—new car, new speeds, new events… Everything is different, but I still want to show my potential at some point in the year so it’s not all about gaining experience, but also to show my speed, which is really important for continuing my career.”
Taylor Gill (Australia), Co-driver: Daniel Brkic
Gill’s standout season included podium finishes and a victory in Finland. He’s optimistic about building on his experience:
“It’s mega to be going again for a second year in the FIA Junior WRC. It will be really cool to capitalize on our experience of 2024, and hopefully, we can turn that into more good results in 2025. Our goal is to win the championship, so all our focus will be towards achieving that. We feel we’ve done our learning year in the championship and gained a lot of knowledge. We’ve made some mistakes but learned from those and also had some good moments that we can benefit from next year. It’s great we’re going back to a few events we know but to also mix that with some brand-new events in Portugal and Central Europe. We’ve put in a lot of work and made a lot of sacrifices to get to this point because this means the world to us. Thank you to the FIA and everyone behind the FIA Rally Star program who has given us this opportunity. I hope I can do everyone proud next year.”
Max Smart (South Africa), Co-driver: Cameron Fair
Smart’s season of growth saw him take the podium in Sardinia, and he’s eager to push further in 2025:
“I’m super-happy to have secured my seat for the 2025 FIA Junior WRC Championship with FIA Rally Star. It’s the gift and opportunity of a lifetime. Nobody knows how hard you have to work to keep an opportunity like this as your own, and I’m ecstatic to have done just that. All the hard work that I put in last year and this year has paid off, and now we have a shot to go into a championship with experience of being there before. After lots of learning this year, I hope to be able to pull everything together and go in for the win. It’s a dream, so let’s keep chasing it.”
What’s next?
The 2025 FIA Junior WRC season begins with Rally Sweden, from February 13–16. The specifics of Jürgenson’s WRC2 schedule will be confirmed soon, promising an exciting year ahead for these rising stars. For more on the FIA Rally Star program, check out www.fia.com/fia-rally-star.