After five rounds, double event winner McRae (pictured above) heads three-time podium finisher Carlberg (picured below) by four points. However, when dropped scores are taken into account, Carlberg will start the all-Tarmac finale in Poland one point ahead of McRae.
“I’m ready for the Polish stages,” said Swde Carlberg, the 24-year-old ADAC Opel Rally Junior Team driver. “Our motto for the season finale is full attack. We have nothing to lose. I'm looking forward to the duel with Max. We want to go for the win. We have been close several times during the season, and now that the pressure of the title fight is off, it’s easier for us to just enjoy these great stages and let the Corsa Rally4 fly.”
Brit McRae, 20, who drives a Peugeot 208 Rally4 for TRT Rally Team, said: “We’ll see what we can do in Poland. I’d like to say another win as it’s less pressure with the championship now. It would be great to get another podium but the main thing is to get the experience.”
Czech Daniel Polášek and ACI Team Italia-supported Davide Pesavento will also be chasing strong hauls of Junior ERC points in Poland in their respective Peugeot 208 Rally4s. Indeed, Polášek (below) could still finish runner-up, but would need to win and hope neither Carlberg nor McRae to score.
Pesavento, meanwhile, claimed a season-best fourth on last month’s JDS Machinery Rali Ceredigion.
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.
Rally Silesia 2024: the key numbers
Stages: 14
Competitive distance: 180.15 kilometres
Total distance: 830.87 kilometres
Japan
Poland
Turkey