An exciting new prize has been created for the 2019 FIA Junior WRC Rookie Award. The highest placed rookie in the 2019 FIA Junior WRC Championship will receive a prize of €15,000 to go towards their 2020 FIA Junior WRC campaign. The same prize will be available for the winner of the 2020 Rookie Award, to contribute to their budget for the 2021 FIA Junior WRC Championship.

A driver is only eligible for the Rookie Award if they have entered no more than two WRC events prior to the start of the 2019 season. Should the 2019 FIA Junior WRC Rookie Award winner emerge as the 2019 FIA Junior WRC champion, after the double points paying round of Wales Rally GB, the prize fund will be awarded to the second highest placed Rookie.

Heading into the final round of the championship, Tom Kristensson currently leads the Rookie Award and the FIA Junior WRC Championship. If Kristensson wins the FIA Junior WRC Championship, every 2019 FIA Junior WRC driver eligible for the Rookie Award has a mathematical chance of winning the prize fund for the 2020 FIA Junior WRC Championship.

FIA Junior WRC Championship Manager, Maciej Woda:

“As the FIA Junior WRC Championship will be continuing with the same format for the next two seasons, I am pleased to announce a prize that will serve as an incentive for drivers to continue to develop their rallying careers with FIA Junior WRC. The Rookie Award prize is €15,000 to go towards the highest placed FIA Junior WRC Rookie’s 2020 FIA Junior WRC budget. We have had some very impressive Rookies in FIA Junior WRC this season. It is no mean feat for a driver to take to WRC stages for the first time in their career and put in competitive times, we have decided this deserves a significant acknowledgement. For drivers aiming to win the FIA Junior WRC Championship, it is quite common to spend two years in the championship and use the first year to learn the WRC event format and stages. This fund will help the most impressive FIA Junior WRC Rookie to put their budget together in what is a very difficult and challenging market as they aim for championship glory.”