Gill and Brkic Claim JWRC Win in Chaotic Rally Finland
Australian rising stars, Taylor Gill and Co-Driver Dan Brkic, have claimed a maiden victory in Round 4 of the Junior World Rally Championship, following a dramatic conclusion to the Secto Rally Finland, over the weekend.
Their success marks the first-ever JWRC victory for an Australian pairing, at what is regarded as one of the hardest rally competitions.
Gill piloted the #66 Rally3 Ford Fiesta to the top of his class through Sunday’s loop, despite the notorious Finnish conditions on both Friday and Saturday putting him on the back foot.
Friday was a prime example of the fast and challenging Finnish stages, with Gill battling engine issues in SS7, and a tyre puncture on SS8, losing 40-seconds to the leaders.
Saturday was much more promising for the Australian, with Gill slowly clawing his way back to front, benefitting from mistakes by fellow JWRC combatants to cap off the day in P1.
Gill’s championship rival, Romet Jurgenson, was an early exit from the rally after he slipped off the road during SS6 (Friday), before an accident on SS7 forced him out of running for the day.
Sunday morning’s loop saw Gill start with a 19-second advantage over eventual runner-up, Turkan Ali. Gill remained consistent maintaining his lead, however entering the final stage, Ali had chipped the gap away to just 4.2 seconds.
At the thrilling conclusion of the rally, Ali was 2.1 seconds behind Gill, cementing the Australian’s victory.
Ali’s weekend was hampered by a 10-second time penalty for arriving late to Stage 2 timing control point.
“It’s simply an amazing feeling to take the top step of the podium in our ‘home away from home’ in Finland.” Said Gill
“The number of twists and turns that the weekend took showed that it was a true rollercoaster, and despite a few little setbacks, Dan and I worked hard to stay patient throughout the whole rally.
“When we had our puncture on Saturday, we knew the time loss wasn’t massive, so we kept at it, knowing that anything could happen.
“I think it was that attitude that helped us set some great times and get us back in with a chance for victory.”
The win marks the Australian duo’s first overall rally win since joining the category, and rockets Gill to be 12-points behind championship rival, Jurgenson, in the chase for the JWRC crown.
“Winning this weekend gives us a chance in the championship," Gill added.
"It's something we've been working towards all year, and we'll leave no stone unturned in our preparations for Greece next month.
"The support we felt from those spectating at the rally and watching on at home in Australia was amazing.
“Every time we checked, there were messages of confidence and support, and we’re so grateful to know that everyone is behind us on this journey.
“This is a huge high and a great achievement, but there’s so much more work to do.”
Meanwhile, in the WRC Rally1 class, part-time driver Kalle Rovanpera was a high-profile exit from the penultimate stage of the rally while leading, colliding with a stray rock, and forcing the two-time WRC champion to retire from the rally.
This promoted Toyota teammate Sebastien Ogier to the lead, carefully bringing his Yaris home in first place, 40-seconds clear of Thierry Neuville in his Hyundai i20N, Adrien Fourmaux third in his Ford Puma.
Just four Rally1 cars crossed the finish line.
With four of five JWRC rounds run and won, this year’s championship will go down to the wire heading into the final round of the championship, Acropolis Rally Greece.
Acropolis Rally Greece is scheduled for September 5 - 8. If you want to relive Gill’s first JWRC win, you can find all the stages on demand via Rally TV and Stan Sport with an active subscription.
