With sister Francesca co-driving, Maior also took FIA ERC3 honours at this first attempt of the hugely demanding Greek gravel event.
And there was more success for Junior ERC graduates when Roberto Daprà, who finished runner-up to Maior in the 2023 title battle, finished 10th overall and seventh in the WRC2 category.
Reflecting on his victory, 26-year-old Maior credited a mix of skill, luck, and trust in his co-driver.
“It has been an incredible weekend, it was difficult to get here but then everything was perfect, I didn’t expect it,” he said. “It was really rough, maybe the roughest I have seen. I thought Sardinia was a disaster but this was something else!
“We had a puncture 5km before the end [of SS11]. I asked Francesca what are we doing and should we stop but she told me: ‘no, no, no, let’s go let’s go,’ and I said: ‘OK I trust you.’ It was the right decision because Romet [Jürgenson] had the same situation 2km earlier and stopped [losing the lead as a result].”
Maior’s victory means he rounds out the Junior WRC season second in the final standings behind champion Jürgenson, the ERC3 winner on Delfi Rally Estonia in July.
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