Former WOLF Production Cup champion Taylor Gill begins his 2025 FIA World Rally Championship campaign this weekend as part of the highly anticipated Rally Sweden.
Taking place in and around the picturesque winter forests of Umeå, the Sweden-based rally is the first of five rounds of the JWRC, as Gill will once again compete under the FIA Rally Star Program for the second consecutive year.
Behind the wheel of the Ford Fiesta Rally3, Gill will be joined by fellow Aussie Daniel Brkic in the co-driver’s seat as the pair look to improve on last year’s maiden JWRC campaign, where they finished fourth outright.
In what is his third year as part of the FIA Rally Star Program, having won a position in 2022 before moving overseas ahead of the 2023 season, his second season in the Junior WRC will likely prove a pivotal moment in his career, with a future in the program very much up for grabs.
This weekend’s season opener in Sweden will be followed by the Vodafone Rally de Portugal in May before heading to Greece for EKO Acropolis Rally Greece in June. A return to Secto Rally Finland where Gill won his first and only rally of last season sets up October’s exciting finale in Germany, Austria and Czech Republic – the Central European Rally.
Standing in the way of Gill’s JWRC title hopes are the likes of Ali Türkkan, Mille Johansson, Eamonn Kelly and Max Smart – the latter of which is also part of the FIA Rally Star Program.
Action for the 18-stage season opener gets underway on Friday morning AEDT time with the Ceremonial Start and opening special stage, before a further seven stages are run on Friday night. seven stages on Saturday night and the remaining three stages on Sunday evening.
Ahead of the season opener, Gill was looking forward to getting a strong start to the season.
“Feeling really confident coming into the weekend, I think we are well prepared and hoping to capitalise on our experience from 2024,” Gill said.
“It’s going to be a tough weekend and we know the competition will be high but I think we can be right in the mix.
“The conditions look really perfect so it’s going to be a proper winter rally.”
The FIA World Rally Championship’s Rally Sweden takes place in Umeå from 13-17 February.
