South Africa’s Max Smart ends his FIA Rally Star journey after an unlucky encounter with a hidden rock forces retirement.
Taylor Gill narrowly misses the FIA Junior WRC title by just 1.6 seconds to Sweden’s Mille Johansson.
The FIA Rally Star programme concludes after five years of discovering and developing a new generation of rally talent.
Central European Rally (16–19 October) marked both an ending and a beginning for South African driver Max Smart. The event, which closed out the 2025 FIA Junior WRC season, was also Smart’s final appearance as part of the FIA Rally Star programme, the global talent detection initiative launched in 2021 to unearth the next generation of world rally champions.
Smart, who has represented South Africa throughout the programme’s three-year competitive phase, approached his last outing with determination and growing confidence on Tarmac. However, his run came to an abrupt end on Saturday when he struck a hidden rock, breaking a steering arm and forcing retirement.
“It’s not the ending I imagined, but rallying teaches you resilience,” Smart reflected. “The past three years have completely changed my life. I’ve learned more than I ever expected, worked with incredible people, and grown as both a driver and a person. My next goal is to compete in the 2026 ERC in Rally3, maybe alongside a British Rally Championship campaign, and hopefully one day return to the Junior WRC to fight for that WRC2 prize drive.”
While Smart’s rally ended early, teammate Taylor Gill and co-driver Daniel Brkic carried the FIA Rally Star flag into the title fight. The Australian duo came within just 1.6 seconds of clinching the Junior WRC title, finishing runner-up to Mille Johansson after a dramatic three-day battle that showcased the strength and spirit of the FIA Rally Star cohort.
The Central European Rally also brought the FIA Rally Star programme itself to a close after five years. In that time, the initiative has transformed promising young drivers from raw talent into internationally competitive athletes. Since its inception, it has delivered back-to-back Junior WRC title challenges, a championship win in 2024, and another that came agonisingly close in 2025.
FIA Rally Star Project Leader Jérôme Roussel praised the achievements of both drivers:
“For Max, this event was about development. He’s shown huge growth and determination over the past three years, and his potential is clear. Taylor, meanwhile, has proven he can fight for world titles. Both represent exactly what FIA Rally Star set out to achieve. To have taken a Junior WRC title in 2024 and come within two seconds of another this year is a testament to the programme’s success.”
Roussel also acknowledged the efforts of the wider FIA Rally Star team and its partners, including M-Sport Poland, Nicolas Klinger, and Bryan To, whose collective guidance has shaped the next wave of rally talent.
As the FIA Rally Star chapter closes, Max Smart’s story feels far from finished. From his early days learning the ropes to competing on the world stage, Smart’s journey has laid a foundation for what promises to be an exciting rally career, one built on grit, growth, and a never-fading passion for speed.
