Müller hoping to light it up in Junior ERC

The second-generation driver, a former autocross competitor, will contest the six-event Junior ERC season in an Opel Corsa Rally4 run by leading German team Schmack Motorsport. Alexander Hirsch will co-drive.  

Müller, 19, follows in the wheel tracks of a host of young German drivers in signing up for Junior ERC action and brings with him experience gained from competing in myriad rallies in his homeland and across central and eastern Europe.

“I expect a strong starting field and that the stages will be a bit more demanding than in the Mitropa Rally Cup: to drive longer and faster,” said Müller, who will combine his Junior ERC programme with and Italian Gravel championship campaign driving a Rally2-specificaton Škoda Fabia entered in partnership with RB Motorsport.  

Müller will make his Junior ERC debut on the season-opening V Rally Hungary from 12 -14 and hopes to utilise knowledge gained from contesting last December’s Mikulás Rallye, which was also based in Veszprém, Rally Hungary’s new host city.   

“Some of the stages correspond to those of the Mikulász Rallye, in which I was able to win the class victory,” he said.

Müller’s father, Wolfgang, is a former rally driver while his younger brother, Jonas, is also learning the family trade by competing in the Mitropa Rally Cup, co-driven by their mother, Katharina. The family are from Hemhofen in southern Germany.  

German drivers Marijan Griebel, Nick Loof, René Noller, Timo Schulz, Roman Schwedt and Julius Tannert have all competed in Junior ERC over the years with Griebel taking the Rally4 (then R2) title in 2016.  

Drivers planning to contest the 2024 Junior ERC Championship must be younger than 27 on 1 January, compete in a Rally4 or Rally5 category car, register for the FIA ERC4 Championship, and also complete the WRC Promoter GmbH Junior Driver Agreement, which is available here: https://bit.ly/JuniorERC-Commercial-Licence-2024  

Photos: Thomas Langer/Superlanger