Junior WRC stars confirm Poland entries

M-Sport Poland will run two identical Ford Fiesta Rally3 cars on its home event, one of which will be driven by Estonia’s Robert Virves and the other by Kenyan youngster Mcrae Kimathi. 

It is understood the high-speed roads around the Masurian lake district will be used as a warm-up for the penultimate round of the WRC’s one-make junior series, which takes place at Rally Estonia in July.

Virves is a six-time Junior WRC rally podium finisher. He holds fourth in the Junior WRC championship standings, while Kimathi is currently sixth in his maiden year. 

Both drivers will mark their FIA European Rally Championship (ERC) debuts in Mikołajki next week. 

“I’m looking forward to Rally Poland,” Virves told FIAERC.com. “I haven’t done the rally before, but it seems to be a popular event.

“It is a good event to use to prepare for Rally Estonia as the more people I speak to, they say Rally Poland has similar conditions.

“I will be competing in a Fiesta Rally3 with M-Sport Poland. I am really enjoying this car and it makes sense to me to use the same team that I compete with in Junior WRC to get the best preparation experience,” he added

The fight for ERC3 honours is set to be a spectacle. Championship leader and local ace Igor Widłak will field his MRF-shod Fiesta car, while Rally Serras de Fafe - Felgueiras - Cabreira e Boticas winner Kaspar Kasari returns to action following a two-round lay-off.

• Full coverage from Orlen 78th Rally Poland will be available on WRC+ All Live here, including every stage broadcast as it happens as well as key interviews, features and expert analysis from the service park.