Tue 11 Jul 2023
Norbert Maior has credited his third podium finish in as many FIA Junior ERC Championship starts to the 100-plus fans who backed a crowdfunding campaign launched in the build-up to BAUHAUS Royal Rally of Scandinavia.
Maior, 24, was facing the prospect of having to skip the Swedish event due to a lack of budget. Instead, he launched a public appeal to secure the additional support necessary to compete in his Hankook-equipped Peugeot 208 Rally4.
Some 100 fans came to his rescue by raising €10,000, which was enough to ensure he could compete on the high-speed gravel event alongside his co-driving sister Francesca.
“It’s unbelievable we are here,” Maior said. “Last week we didn’t have the money and the only solution was crowdfunding. The Romanian people were absolutely amazing with us with more than 100 people sending us money. We were so pleased and grateful to receive this support and I want to thank all the Romanian people who helped us to come here.”
Maior, whose third-place finish in Karlstad cut Ola Nore’s provisional championship lead to nine points, continued: “The support really is amazing because we didn’t expect it would work. We hoped to have some kind of boost but it was a big boost. But for sure we need more support for the rest of the season.
“We did everything to come to Sweden and we will do everything we can to continue the season because we know on Tarmac we are better and faster. It’s amazing to be on the podium after the gravel part of the year but now we can try to win some rallies on Tarmac. This is our expectation and this is why we had to come to Sweden, to catch some points and then try to be faster on the next rallies and win some more points for the championship.”
Maior edged out Roberto Daprà and Mille Johansson in a close battle for third place on BAUHAUS Royal Rally of Scandinavia.
“The stages were so challenging, I never experienced these types of roads,” he said. “I was in Latvia and it should be similar but no, it’s completely different. You go fast in narrow sections and I don’t understand how it’s possible. But I like it.
“We have been in the fight since the beginning, we were enjoying with no mistakes, the car felt good and the pacenotes were there so we could focus on the championship by being ahead of Ola and [Victor] Hansen.”
The Hankook-supported Junior ERC Championship continues on Rally di Roma Capitale from 28 - 30 July.
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