ERC
Kajetanowicz, Johansson vie for the ERC Greatest Graduate semi-finals
Kajetan Kajetanowicz and Mille Johansson will vie for an ERC Greatest Graduate semi-final spot when they go up against each other in quarter-final number three today.
And fans of the FIA European Rally Championship will be able to decide who progresses to the semi-final stage with online voting available via the ERC’s social media channels.
Kajetanowicz, who beat Ott Tänak to reach the ERC Greatest Graduate quarter-finals, is the only driver in history to have won three ERC titles in succession.
Kajetanowicz on ERC duty in Cyprus in 2017
© ERC
Johansson, meanwhile, stepped up to the Junior WRC for 2025 as the reigning Junior ERC champion and promptly won the coveted crown to secure a WRC2 prize drive for 2026. He pooled more votes than Esapekka Lappi during their earlier heat. Find out more below:
Kajetan Kajetanowicz: Having made FIA European Rally Championship history as the first driver to win an ERC round in an R5 car – a feat he achieved on Rally Poland in 2013 – and the only driver so far to win three outright ERC titles consecutively, Kajetanowicz has since become a regular fixture – and frontrunner – in WRC2. He became WRC2 Challenger champion in 2023 and was the category’s top finisher on EKO Acropolis Rally in June aged 46.
Johansson celebrates Junior ERC joy in 2024
© ERC
Mille Johansson: A class act in two-wheel-drive machinery, Johansson landed an ERC4/Junior ERC title double at his second attempt in 2024. He then showcased his ability with several strong displays on his step up to Rally2 level for the 2025 season. More notable, however, was his capture of the Junior WRC title on last month’s Central European Rally finale. Competing in the series as his prize for lifting the Junior ERC crown the previous year, Johansson belied his lack of experience by taking the title ahead of second-term competitor Taylor Gill following an epic final-round decider.
Lefebvre edges Meeke in second ERC Greatest Graduate quarter-final
ERC fans chose Stéphane Lefebvre over Kris Meeke during former Peugeot-powered pair’s quarter final earlier this week. Lefebvre, the 2014 Junior ERC champions will now go up against Craig Breen in the first semi-final on Monday 24 November.
Lefebvre was the first Junior ERC champion in 2014
© ERC
ERC Greatest Graduate of the Modern Era explained
As the established feeder series to the FIA World Rally Championship, the FIA European Rally Championship continues to provide a platform for young talents aiming for the top to shine.
Since the ERC was restructured in 2004 into the hugely successful format recognisable today, an endless stream of drivers have built experience competing at European level either at the start of or during their rise to the sport’s highest echelon, the FIA World Rally Championship.
Throughout November, FIAERC.com is highlighting 16 drivers – selected by the ERC’s media team – who have done just that. And it’s calling on fans of the championship to help decide the best of the best graduates through an online poll, which culminates in the grand finale on Friday 28 November.
Employing bracketology, voting is available through the ERC’s social media channels with a minimum 24-hour window to vote for each pairing. The winner will be announced on Saturday 29 November.
