Wed 17 Apr 2024
Norbert Maior’s “big opportunity” continues this week when the Romanian star tackles round two of the 2024 FIA Junior WRC Championship, the second part of his prize for winning the 2023 FIA Junior ERC crown.
After finishing a points-scoring ninth among the Junior WRC contenders on Rally Sweden in February, his debut appearance in the Ford Fiesta Rally3-based series – where he also scored his first stage win – Maior is now preparing to tame Croatia Rally’s challenging Tarmac stages.
“We are so excited because we are living a dream,” the 25-year-old from Romania said. “Last year we won Junior ERC and now we have a big opportunity to compete in Junior WRC and we are so happy.
“I hope we will be better in Croatia than in Sweden because we are more familiar with Tarmac but it’s important to show progress, this is the main target for this year. In Sweden we did it, we had a big progress, and I hope it will be the same in Croatia.”
Maior, who is co-driven by his sister Francesca, was speaking during a visit to the FIA European Rally Championship season-opening V-Híd Rally Hungary last weekend. He was there in his capacity as an advisor to his former team HRT Racing’s Junior ERC drivers Patrik Herczig and Aleksandar Tomov.
He continued: “I miss everything what is happening [in ERC], I like this championship. I know some Junior ERC drivers and it’s a nice feeling to be back because it’s a nice atmosphere and a big battle. In Sweden we didn’t have so much experience and we don’t have a battle so I want to have this feeling again.”
A new addition to the calendar in 2021, Croatia Rally is as exciting as it is demanding with changing levels of grip, the potential for mixed weather conditions, jumps and high-speed sections all part of the challenge.
Based in Zagreb it takes place from 18 - 21 April, while Rally Islas Canarias is the next stop on the Junior ERC trail from 2 - 4 May.
Finland
Italy
Hungary