Among the Hankook-equipped line-up are three
drivers from Italy all looking to gain experience at international level – and
stake their claim for a share of the points and prizes on offer during the
six-round season.
Second-year contender Mattia Zanin, 22, heads
the Italian federation-backed ACI Team Italia glory bid aboard a Peugeot 208
Rally4, now run by the famous MS Munaretto outfit. He impressed towards the end
of the 2023 campaign and will be one to watch this year.
“To repeat the championship we are rally happy
and I want to say thanks to all our partners and ACI Team Italia, which also
helps us this year,” said Zanin, who finished four positions behind his former
team-mate and championship runner-up Roberto Daprà in the 2023 Junior ERC
standings. “The other competitors are so fast, particularly on gravel, which is
not my favourite surface, so my strategy, to take the best position in the
championship we can, is to take points on gravel and try to take a podium in
the Tarmac races.”
Geronimo
Nerobutto and Davide Pesavento, the 2023 Italian Junior champion, will join
Zanin in competing under the ACI Team Italia banner. Zanin reckons both Junior
ERC newcomers have plenty of potential.
“They are two good guys, in particular Pesavento, who won last year the
Italian Junior championship, the championship I have done two years ago,” Zanin
said. “He’s fast but he needs to improve because the first year in the
ERC is so difficult for all. And Geronimo is also a good driver but also needs
more experience. In the end I don’t know what they can do but I hope they will
do a good season but behind me, obviously!”
Herczig’s hopes are high at home in Junior ERC
Patrik Herczig, 21, is flying the Hungarian
flag in Junior ERC this season and is aiming high with HRT Racing, the team
that guided Norbert Maior to the title in 2023.
“It will be the first time we’ve done the full
season so our main target is to finish all six rounds,” Herczig said. “But we
would like to have some good results during the year, especially in Hungary. I
would like a podium position in Hungary but I think it will be really, really
hard because there will be some really fast drivers.”
Herczig has tackled selected rallies in and
around Vezsprém, V-Híd Rally Hungary’s new-for-2024 host city, including last
December’s Mikulás Rallye. He also took a class win on the Vezsprém Rallye the
previous August. “I did two rallies there but there will be new stages for the
ERC and they will also be new for me,” he said.
Rookies ready for Junior ERC action
As well as Geronimo Nerobutto and Davide Pesavento,
Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy’s Jack Brennan, ADAC Opel
Rally Junior Team’s Swede Calle Carlberg, Finn Leevi Lassila, Liam Müller from Germany representing Schmack Motorsport and HRT Racing’s Bulgarian
hopeful Aleksandar Tomov are all new to Junior ERC for 2024. However, Patrik
Herczig, Mille Johansson, Alfed Kremer, Max McRae, Daniel Polášek, Aoife
Raftery, Timo Schulz, Karl-Markus Sei, Jaspar Vaher and Mattia Zanin all have
previous Junior ERC experience to count on.
Junior ERC, now in its 11th season, is for
Rally4, Rally5 and Rally5-kit cars running on Hankook tyres, the championship’s
official tyre partner. An FIA Junior WRC prize drive is up for grabs in 2025
for the eventual champion.
Junior ERC tyre rules explained
All Junior ERC crews are restricted to 12
tyres for the entire V-Híd Rally Hungary provided by
Hankook, the official supplier. The Hankook R211 gravel tyre, the same
specification as in 2023, is available in hard and soft compounds. But with
high ambient and ground temperatures expected throughout the weekend, only the
hard-compound tyre will be used with crews expected to carry two spare tyres
for each loop of stages due to the rough nature of the stage surface.
How to watch?
Fans across the globe can
experience the excitement and drama of the ERC with every stage of every rally
broadcast Rally.tv platform. In addition, the ERC is broadcast in a number of countries
around the world and fans are advised to check local listings for details.
V-Híd Rally
Hungary 2024: the key numbers
Stages: 13
Competitive
distance: 192.43 kilometres
Total
distance: 794.74 kilometres
Finland
Italy
Hungary