The thread of talents

[Got Mail]

I thought it was a nice new direction for the Kitchen Table. Gryazin seems like a likeable chap, very down to earth.

Nikolay is a really great young guy. Very humble, incredibly modest and very 'western' in his attitude. Not at all like the 'cold' Russian stererotype some may imagine.

[AnttiL]

Time for an update?

Know of any youngsters on the verge of breaking through?
Local drivers with potential that you want others to know about?
Which talents do we believe have what it takes to advance on the international scale?

Post your leads on your local drivers - the ones that deserve more acknowledge, the exceptional ones, the late bloomers etc. Include the driver's plan for 2019 if available.

UPDATED: DRIVER LIST
Some of the young drivers to keep an eye on 2019:
(list sorted by proximity to WRC - WRC2 - ERC - JWRC - JERC - National Championship Classes)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

• Kalle Rovanperä,born 2000 (FIN) - 2019: WRC2Pro + ? rounds WRC
• Gus Greensmith, 1996 (ENG) - 2019: WRC2 + min 1 round WRC
• Nikolay Gryazin, 1997 (RUS) - reigning ERCU28-champ - 2019: WRC2 + ERC1J
• Eerik Pietarinen, 1993 (FIN) - reigning Finnish R5-champion - 2019: WRC2
• Emil Bergkvist, 1994 (SWE) - reigning JWRC-champion - 2019: WRC2
• Ken Torn, 1993 (EST) - 2019: JWRC
• Martin Sesks, 1999 (LAT) - reigning ERCU27-champion - 2019: JWRC + ERC1J
• Tom Kristensson, 1991 (SWE) - reigning ERCU27-runner up - 2019: JWRC
• Dennis Rådström, 1995 (SWE) - reigning JWRC-runner up - 2019: JWRC
• Jan Solans, 1997 (SPA) - 2019: JWRC
• Oliver Solberg, 2001 (NOR) - 2019: R5 selected rounds in Latvia + maybe WRC2
• Emil Lindholm, 1996 (FIN) - 2019: R5 in Finnish Championship + Rally Sweden&Finland WRC2
• Henrik Pietarinen, ???? (FIN) - 2019: First R5 season in Finnish Championship
• Julian Wagner, 1995 (AUT) - 2019: AuT R5 championship
• Petr Semerád, 2001 (CZE)
• Erik Cais, 2001 (CZE)
• Mats van den Brand, 1991 (HOL)
• Chris Ingram, 1994 (ENG)
• Steve Rökland, 1992 (NOR)
• Adrian Fourmeaux, 1995 (FRA) - 2018 French Junior Champion - 2019: WRC2
• Jean-Baptiste Francesci, 1996 (FRA)
• Ralfs Sirmacis, 1994 (LAT)

• Kalle Rovanperä,born 2000 (FIN) - 2019 WRC2Pro Champion - 2020 WRC Toyota
• Gus Greensmith, 1996 (ENG) - 2020 WRC M-Sport (partial season)
• Pierre-Louis Loubet, 1997 (FRA) - 2019 WRC2 Champion - 2020 WRC Hyundai customer team (partial season)
  
• Nikolay Gryazin, 1997 (RUS) - 2020 WRC2 Hyundai
• Adrian Fourmaux, 1995 (FRA) - 2018 French Junior Champion - 2020: WRC2 M-Sport
  
• Oliver Solberg, 2001 (NOR) - 2020 WRC3, ERC
• Jari Huttunen, 1994 (FIN) - 2020 WRC3, Polish championship
• Jan Solans, 1997 (SPA) - 2019 JWRC champion - 2020 WRC3
  
• Emil Lindholm, 1996 (FIN) - 2020 ERC, Finnish championship
  
• Martin Sesks, 1999 (LAT) - 2018 ERCU27-champion - 2020 JWRC
• Tom Kristensson, 1991 (SWE) - 2018 ERCU27-runner up - 2020 JWRC
• Sami Pajari, 2001 (FIN) - 2020 JWRC
  
• Ken Torn, 1993 (EST) - 2020 ERC with Rally4 car
  
• Eerik Pietarinen, 1993 (FIN) - 2020 selected rounds in Rally2 car in Finland and neighboring countries
• Emil Bergkvist, 1994 (SWE) - 2018 JWRC champion - 2020 only Rally Sweden Lockdown
• Dennis Rådström, 1995 (SWE) - 2018 JWRC runner up - 2020 selected rounds in Rally4 car
• Chris Ingram, 1994 (ENG) - 2019 ERC champion - 2020 no starts
• Henrik Pietarinen, 1995 (FIN) - 2020 no starts

[EstWRC]

i think you can add Robert Virves there from Estonia as potential talent

[Backa]

I didn't want to open new thread so I decided to look for last one specifically talking about prospects.

If I am not mistaken, last rally winner that wasn't Kalle Rovanpera and wasn't 30+ years old was... Thierry Neuville. It was Sardegna 2018. 6 years ago.

Now WRC elite is wonderkid Kalle and bunch of 35-41 years old drivers: Ogier, Tanak, Neuville, Evans. Add Mikkelsen and Sordo and that's half of rally1 roster close to end of their careers. Soon, change of generation should be expected.

It's quite interesting but sad that drivers born in ~1990-1994 are kind of lost generation: Lappi didn't became title contender despite showing promise in his early years and drivers like Suninen, Huttunen, Lefebvre, Ingram were unable to settle in WRC1. There is also Katsuta but it's hard to believe he would still be in WRC if he didn't happen to be Japanese.

29-years old Fourmaux shows promise to have Evans-like career, with some wins in future.

So, who else could replace current group of 35+ years old drivers?

25-years old Martins Sesks after strong results in ERC and close to his debut in WRC1 is pretty strong candidate to be regular in next few years.

23-years old Oliver Solberg and Sami Pajari should be rather safe bets at this point.

Hyundai showed interest in 27-years old Emil Lindholm but he go down in hierarchy in favour of older Tanak and Mikkelsen and who knows if he gets another chance.

Greensmith and Loubet getting back to rally1 are also a possibility.

26-years old Gryazin is talented but seems to be ignored by rally1 manus. Maybe Russian nationality plays a role in it.

24-years old Josh McErlean and Erik Cais were already able to score rally1 points. It would be good to see Irish and Czech back in rally1.

Looking further is even bigger blind chance but there are some names worth observing: 19-years old Mille Johansson and Max McRae, Estonians Romet Jurgenson and 17-years old Jaspar Vaher. Neuville's younger brother, 20-years old Tom Heindrichs could benefit from his mentorship.

Latvian Junior championship has group of teenagers from whole Europe, early start can play dividends in future: Thomas Martens from Belgium, Karl Peder Nordstrand from Norway, Italians Giovanni Trentin and Valentino Ledda, plus 15-years old Isak Hatanmaa from Finland.

From my country, 18-years old Hubert Laskowski looks like our best prospect.

Do you know some other promising drivers that you expect to see in rally1 one day?

[deephouse]

I see only Gryazin, Solberg as the only drivers to step up soon into the field. If the number of spots will remain the same for '25 and '26. Then there will be the same as it is now. We will see what 2027 brings. If stellantis will step up then Gryzin have a strong chance. Just my opinion.

[EstWRC]

Jaspar Vaher from Estonia

https://dirtfish.com/rally/meet-rall...est-wonderkid/

I really hope Tänak or someone takes this kid under their wing

[becher]

I see only Gryazin, Solberg as the only drivers to step up soon into the field. If the number of spots will remain the same for '25 and '26. Then there will be the same as it is now. We will see what 2027 brings. If stellantis will step up then Gryzin have a strong chance. Just my opinion.

Better chance than Rossel?

[Fast Eddie WRC]

There are a couple of younger drivers now getting a chance in the top cars after a few years of none due to costs and only being 3 WRC Teams. Hopefully Sesks and Pajari can show real potential and genuinely look like future champions.

TBH the 'lost generation' had some chances but none of them could make the jump to fight with the established elite. Katsuta and Lappi are the lucky ones to get more chances but neither looks like the real deal on all surfaces.

[EstWRC]

Jaspar Vaher from Estonia

https://dirtfish.com/rally/meet-rall...est-wonderkid/

I really hope Tänak or someone takes this kid under their wing

https://www.instagram.com/p/C9F3N6ROf1-/

[macebig]

Outside of Pajari and Max McRae, I don't see anyone of those having a shot at becoming a Rally1 regular as things stand. Maybe Rossel can do it and it's possible Oliver works something out with Toyota and Monster as a 4th car. But, that's about it.