WRC – Beyond Rally Women’s Driver Development Programme Finalists Announced
Fifteen candidates from 13 countries will advance to the next stage and take part in a training camp at the M-Sport Poland headquarters in Krakow from September 16-18. Three places will be available for the WRC Central Europe Rally in October.
WRC promoters will meet next month to select 15 female applicants for the next stage of the Beyond Rally female driver development programme, who will then compete to prove their worth for one of three seats in a Rally3 car at the WRC Central Europe Rally in October.
The candidates selected from applicants from all over the world will attend a three-day training camp from September 16th to 18th at the M-Sport Poland headquarters in Krakow, where they will demonstrate their rally readiness, mechanical knowledge, media knowledge and driving skills on mixed roads.
The camp will be run by a team of rally experts and a jury including FIA Women in Motorsport Commissioner Burcu Çetinkaya, who will be responsible for selecting the three most promising drivers to take part in the Central European Rally in October, the penultimate round of the 2024 FIA World Rally Championship. They will compete in a fully supported programme with Ford Fiesta Rally3 cars prepared by M-Sport Poland.
Following the Central European Rally, drivers will be selected for a fully supported campaign in the 2025 FIA Junior WRC.
The qualifiers come from a variety of motorsport disciplines and represent 13 countries across three continents.
The 15 successful applicants are as follows:
• Lyssia Baudet – Belgium
• Emma Chalvin – France
• Ann Felke – Germany
• Joanna Hassoun – Lebanon
• Mako Hirakawa – Japan
• Hannah Jakobsson – Sweden
• Suvi Jyrkiäinen – Finland
• Luz Marina – Spain
• Nuria Ponce – Spain
• Aoife Raftery – Ireland
• Claire Schönborn – Germany
• Madelyn Tabor – United States
• Alexandra Teslovan – Romania
• Hanna Lisette Aabna – Estonia
• Dorka Zagiva – Hungary
“We were completely overwhelmed by the number and quality of applicants.” Expressed Peter Thul, WRC Promoter Sports Chief Director. “Selecting the final 15 was an incredibly difficult task and involved some tough decisions.
“We hope none of the unlucky applicants are discouraged and hope they will reapply in the future. We are absolutely committed to this program for many years and we are now excited to focus on training camp next month.”
