Romet Jürgenson and Siim Oja delivered a composed and rapid drive at Rally Estonia to secure their second top five finish of the WRC2 season. Competing in front of home fans for the first time at this level, the FIA Rally Star duo showcased a fine balance of pace and control across the weekend’s demanding gravel stages.

Targeting a top six finish heading into the event, the young Estonian pairing executed their plan perfectly. “Fifth was actually the goal for the weekend,” said Jürgenson. “But obviously, once you’re in the mix, you get hungry. On some stages we saw the chance to push for more, but we didn’t quite manage to find that extra 110%. Still, we worked really hard and drove well, so I’m definitely pleased.”

The result didn’t come without its challenges. While chasing down fourth place on the final stage, Jürgenson overstepped the limit in the closing kilometres. “On the penultimate corner of the rally, let’s say I overestimated my abilities and hit a barrier, which damaged the compression strut,” he explained. “It nearly cost us the rally, so I definitely feel lucky to be here.”

Reflecting on the rally as a whole, Jürgenson described the weekend as “up and down”. He added: “On the stages we knew well, our pace was strong. We could use our experience to gain an edge, and our splits were really encouraging. But on the newer sections, we didn’t have quite the same confidence, and that’s probably where we lost some valuable time.”

The support from home fans was impossible to ignore and clearly gave the duo a lift. “I felt this year the support was next level,” said Jürgenson. “You could feel everyone behind us. Seeing walls of Estonian flags and fans cheering you on – it’s a feeling like no other.”

With Rally Estonia complete, focus now turns to the next WRC2 outing at Rally Finland. With its high-speed gravel stages and similarities to Estonia, confidence is high within the camp. “We can definitely take a lot from Estonia into Finland,” said Jürgenson. “It’s an event we know well – we had strong pace there last year, and many of the stages are the same. I feel like we’ve got momentum now, so we’re going there with a positive mindset.”

FIA Rally Star Project Leader Jérôme Roussel, hailed the result as a clear sign of the pair’s continued development: “Romet and Siim’s last WRC2 event, Rally Sardinia, was all about managing the car in tough conditions. Estonia presented a completely different challenge – one that demands raw speed. To get a good result in Estonia, you have to be consistently quick, and that’s exactly what they were.

“Estonia isn’t new territory for Romet and Siim – they’ve competed here at national and European levels, and as a result, have good knowledge of these stages. They used that local knowledge brilliantly, pushing hard where they were confident, and being measured where they were not. It was a fast, error-free drive that shows just how much they’ve grown.

“It’s remarkable to think this was only their fifth WRC2 outing. The way they managed the rally from start to finish, balancing speed and car control, is a clear sign of their growing maturity and familiarity with the WRC2 category. To finish fifth in such a competitive WRC2 field is a tremendous achievement.

On behalf of the FIA Rally Star family, I would like to congratulate Oliver Solberg and Elliott Edmonson on their maiden WRC win. This highlights the incredibly high level of the WRC2 Championship and confirms that young drivers combining raw talent and hard work deserve a chance to show their potential at at the top of the sport.”