Junior WRC 2023

[Danny0405]

As asked, the thread for Junior WRC 2023

The list of competitors (Drivers, starts according to ewrc)

William Creighton (IRL) - 25 y.o. - 115 starts - GB Junior 2021, only one to have made J-WRC with Rally3 cars (3 Junior stage wins in 2022)

Laurent Pellier (FRA) - 27 y.o. - 74 starts - France Junior 2015, Volant Peugeot 2017, ERC4 Junior 2022

Roberto Blach Nuñez (ESP) - 26 y.o. - 85 starts - Peugeot Rally Cup Iberica 2018, Beca Junior 2022

Tom Rensonnet (BEL) - 24 y.o. - 23 starts - Belgium Junior 2022

Eamonn Kelly (IRL) - 24 y.o. - 46 starts - GB Junior 2022

Diego Dominguez Jr. (PAR) - 22 y.o. - 51 starts - some races in WRC-3 last year including Greece and Sardinia, else mostly run locally

Raul Hernandez Hernandez (ESP) - 21 y.o. - 40 starts - has run in Latvia, Estonia and Spain

Anwar Hamza (KEN) - 24 y.o. - 29 starts - has run only in Africa so far


Grégoire Munster is probably the best name but should only be in some events as a guest as he should do Croatia and Sardinia in WRC-2 according to his interviews. Probably Sweden and maybe Estonia in Junior.

Well, if Munster is only a guest, difficult to see who will be champion considering it’s a new car for almost everyone with essentially new events.
Creighton did some good times last year and has the advantage of knowing the situation.
Pellier is probably the most used to the support series system.
Rensonnet and Kelly are probably the ones with the biggest upside.
Blach Nuñez is also to take into consideration, not very fast but quite efficient driver.

I would be more surprised to see a win from the 3 others (Dominguez, Hernandez and Anwar) even if I hope they can do something .

If I had to bet, I would say Pellier who has the best experience of support series/talent mix; but not with a big margin (all the more with Greece x2 as we see last year and that he didn’t drive that much in gravel in the last couple of years). And I would pay attention to Rensonnet and Kelly, even if maybe a little early for Rensonnet with very weak gravel experience.
Creighton and Blach Nuñez can also win as they have maybe more versatile experience with gravel.