[WRC] 2025 News & Rumours

[Andre Oliveira]

2025 FIA Junior WRC: Portugal Returns, Central European Rally Debuts

The FIA Junior WRC calendar for 2025, unveiled today (23 October), promises another
thrilling season with the return of Vodafone Rally de Portugal and a debut for Central
European Rally.

Building on the record-breaking entry list of 2024, the 2025 championship is set to continue its momentum by offering rising talents the chance to showcase their skills in identical M-Sport Poland Ford Fiesta Rally3 Evo cars across five high-profile rounds of the FIA World Rally Championship.


The season revs into action in Umeå from 13 – 16 February with Rally Sweden, a high-speed spectacle on snow and ice that serves as the perfect season opener. For many Junior WRC crews, it will be their first experience of rallying with studded tyres on winter surfaces, where average speeds are often among the highest all year.


From 15 - 18 May, crews head to Matosinhos for Vodafone Rally de Portugal – a founding round of the 1973 WRC season and renowned for its passionate fanbase. Last appearing on the Junior WRC calendar in 2022, Portugal’s sun-soaked gravel stages have a reputation for delivering unforgettable drama.


The iconic EKO Acropolis Rally Greece takes centre stage from 26 – 29 June. Already one of the most gruelling rallies in the world, its move to a summer date will only intensify the challenge with scorching temperatures and punishing rocky terrain.


After its popular return this year, Secto Rally Finland once again forms the fourth and penultimate round. Ultra-high speeds and stomach-churning jumps are part and parcel of the gravel-based event, which is based in Jyväskylä from 31 July – 3 August.


The season concludes in style at Central European Rally, making its Junior WRC debut from 16 – 19 October. The event boasts a unique cross-border format with stages traversing Austria, the Czech Republic, and Germany. As a final twist, double classification points will be on offer, adding even more excitement to the championship finale. A life-changing prize will be awarded to the eventual champion, helping them to take the next step in the career with an arrive and drive package to use an M-Sport Ford Fiesta Rally2 on four European WRC2 rounds in 2026.


FIA Junior WRC championship manager Maciej Woda commented: “2025 is shaping up to be another landmark year for the FIA Junior WRC. We’ve designed a calendar that will challenge our crews across a variety of terrains, from icy roads in Sweden to the searing heat of Greece and the changeable Tarmac of Austria, the Czech Republic and Germany.


“I’m particularly excited about returning to Portugal and the introduction of Central European Rally, which adds a fresh dimension to the series. It’s going to be another thrilling season and I can’t wait to see who rises to the top.”