Mission of discovery as rotational Junior ERC schedule unveiled

Only Royal Rally of Scandinavia is carried over from 2023 as ERC newcomers Rali Ceredigion and Rally Silesia join the list of dates that includes Rally Islas Canarias – back after a one-year break – and Rally Estonia, which last tested the Junior ERC stars in 2016.

While Rally Hungary hosted the dramatic three-way title decider last month, it’s changing location and surface for 2024. That means the new-season opener will be an untried addition to the Junior ERC schedule.

The six-event calendar for FIA Rally4 and Rally5 cars provides an even split of asphalt and gravel events and is the first to follow a new rotation system. For 2024 Junior ERC stalwart events Rally di Roma Capitale and Barum Czech Rally Zlín won’t form part of the Hankook-equipped championship although both are in line to return in 2025.

2024 JUNIOR ERC RALLIES AT A GLANCE:

Rally Hungary, 12 - 14 April (gravel)
Having run on asphalt since its inception in 2019, Rally Hungary will be gravel only in 2024 with the event relocating to the city of Veszprém, approximately one hour southwest of the capital Budapest for its fifth edition. Challenging stages around Lake Balaton await.

Rally Islas Canarias, 2 - 4 May (asphalt)
The island of Gran Canaria’s asphalt roads climb and descend and twist and turn with rapid frequency and demand plenty of driving and pacenote precision. Changeable mountain weather adds to the task in hand and puts an onus on tyre strategy and management.

Royal Rally of Scandinavia, 13 - 15 June (Sweden, gravel)
Using fast-paced gravel stages in Sweden’s Värmland, the Karlstad event was new for 2023 and bought the ERC back to the country for the first time since 2003 – and rallying back to stages previously run in the thick of winter. The Colin’s Crest jump was a 2023 highlight.

Rally Estonia, 5 - 7 July (gravel)
Voted event of the year after it hosted its first ERC counter in 2014, Rally Estonia is big on jumps, speed and innovation. Made up of rapid gravel stages around the cities of Tartu and Otepää, the event was a WRC round from 2020-2023.

Rali Ceredigion, 30 August - 1 September (United Kingdom, asphalt)
Made up of rapid but narrow country lanes close to the famous forests where the principality once staged Britain’s WRC round, Rali Ceredigion first took place in 2019 and celebrated its third running at the start of September when it also hosted the British championship.

Rally Silesia, 11 - 13 October (Poland, asphalt)
Polish asphalt ERC events are far from unusual. Rally Poland used sealed-surface stages before it switched to gravel in 2005, while Rally Rzeszów was an ERC round in 2016 and 2017. Based in Katowice, junctions aplenty appear on the bumpy and twisty mountain Tarmac roads.

FIA JUNIOR ERC CHAMPIONSHIP CALENDAR 2024:

*Subject to contract