Gill and Brkic take JWRC/WRC3 Rally Sweden honours
Aussie pair Taylor Gill and Dan Brkic have taken out the Junior WRC and WRC3 honours at Rally Sweden for a near perfect start to their vital FIA Rally Star season.
Gill drove a faultless rally in the unique ice and snow conditions in Sweden, as they topped JWRC rival and local driver Mille Johansson for a 22 second victory in their #56 Ford Fiesta R3 machine.
That makes it two wins in the globes premier Junior rally competition after the pair took out Rally Finland in 2024 in their debut year.
Gill and Brkic get some air on the opening stage of Rally Sweden
With Gill also topping the third-tier WRC3 table, finishing ahead of ten WRC2 finishers for a remarkable 18th outright, it’s the perfect start to his make-or-break season in the pursuit of a WRC2 drive in 2026.
“To win the first round of the year is amazing and it sets off the momentum in the right direction for the long year ahead,” Gill said.
“We set our expectations high this weekend, but winning the opening round of the year is better than we could ask for.
“Conditions were fantastic throughout the weekend and Dan (Brkic) and the FIA Rally Star team did an awesome job and were on-song all rally. It was a pleasure to drive on these stages. Snow driving is not so bad!”
With both Johansson and WRC3 leader Leevi Lassila faltering across Saturday and Sunday, Gill’s mistake free weekend in tough, fast, and slippery conditions with the studded tyres meant he was able to take both class leads.
“As soon as Mille (Johansson) had his issue, we understood the task at hand and measured our driving to ensure we could take this victory,” Gill added.
“Any win in the WRC is hard fought and this is no different, so we’re rapt! Mille is a great driver and we’re going to have to be on top of our game to beat him all year. Sweden is his home rally, but we know he’s going to but just as fast in the upcoming rounds.”
Gill revels in his JWRC and WRC3 triumphs at Rally Sweden
Going forward, Gill and Brkic will be heading for the more familiar gravel surface as they head for the Rallye De Portugal debut on May 15-18 with plenty of time to prepare.
“We know this is a ‘make or break’ year for us, so we’re working harder than ever to get the results we need,” Gill continued.
“A win and 27 points to our championship tally is a reward for our efforts thus far, but there’s so much more to achieve.”
Despite the win, the weight of stage victories from his Swedish rival meant that Gill will be second on the table heading for Portugal, with visits to Greece, Finland, and tri-country Germany/Austria/Czechia asphalt rally to follow.
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