Five-way Junior WRC title fight set for Chile decider
Five drivers, double points and one potentially career-changing prize. The 2026 FIA Junior WRC Championship reaches its decisive conclusion at Rally Chile BIOBÍO this week.
Calle Carlberg heads to South America holding a slender three-point advantage over Ali Türkkan, but with 16 stages still to run and an enhanced points haul available in Chile, the battle is far from settled.
At stake is considerably more than just the Junior WRC title itself. The eventual champion will earn four fully funded WRC2 rounds in 2027, including testing, aboard an M-Sport-run Ford Fiesta Rally2 – one of the biggest prizes in junior rallying.
Carlberg leads the standings on 95 points, with Türkkan on 92. Secto Rally Finland winner Gil Membrado sits third on 71, followed by Leevi Lassila on 61 and Kerem Kazaz on 32, with all five retaining a mathematical chance of becoming champion.
Adding further intrigue is Junior WRC’s unique scoring system. Only each driver’s best four classification results count towards their final total, while classification points are doubled for eligible crews at the Chile finale – meaning victory is worth 50 points rather than the usual 25. One bonus point also remains available for every stage victory.
Carlberg, who started his campaign by winning in Sweden, admits the stakes have brought some nerves.
“I’m feeling good; a bit nervous as there’s a lot on the line, but I am ready for the challenge!” said the Swede.
“All of the Junior WRC events this year have been brand new to me, so Chile is no different. It feels quite good knowing that the others will be on the same level as me with no experience. I think that should play in my favour a bit.
“I hope to be able to call myself Junior WRC champion after this event!”
Türkkan has been Carlberg’s closest challenger for much of the campaign, claiming victories in Croatia and Portugal. The Turkish driver has taken an unconventional approach to preparing for Junior WRC’s first visit to Chile – shifting his body clock onto South American time while still at home in Istanbul.
“I’ve been trying to get comfortable with the time difference; living in Chile timezone in Istanbul for the last seven days,” he explained.
“It’s a bit difficult but also fun. Playing video games until 6am with my friends to stay awake like we used to do back in our childhood!
“My goal for Chile is to be as fast as Finland but making no mistakes and finally bring it home.”
Membrado arrives with arguably the strongest recent momentum after breaking through for his maiden Junior WRC victory on Finland’s ultra-fast gravel roads.
“We’ll try to keep the rhythm of Finland but of course we know that will be difficult,” said the Spaniard. “It’s a long rally, and of course an important one because it is the last round and this means double points.
“I’m really excited to start the rally and of course I’ll try to do my best, but as always, the target number one is to learn as much as possible.”
Lassila, meanwhile, has finished on the podium three times this season and has sights set on climbing further from fourth in the standings.
“Rally Chile will be a completely new experience, doing a rally outside Europe,” he said. “I’m really looking forward to it. I’m hoping to have a clean, good rally and climb up to the top three in the championship.”
Kazaz completes the quintet of mathematical title contenders and arrives on the back of victory at Cappadocia Rally in the Turkish Rally Championship.
“The season finale is going to be really exciting and very competitive,” he predicted. “Every stage will be a fight, and we’re ready to fight from the first one to the last.”
Craig Rahill is no longer in title contention but heads to Chile buoyed by a strong run since Finland, including second place in ERC3 at Barum Czech Rally Zlín.
The Irishman described Chile as his first “long-haul rally” and is targeting a strong result while gathering experience on unfamiliar roads.
Another wildcard comes in the shape of home driver Gerardo Rosselot, who returns to Junior WRC competition in front of the Chilean fans.
Rosselot made three Junior WRC appearances in 2024 and sees this rally as an opportunity both to challenge the championship regulars and strengthen his case for a future full-season programme.
“I firmly believe that I have everything necessary to get into that fight and show what I am made of,” he said.
“What do I expect? Something very simple: to demonstrate my level again. I want to win, it’s what I dream of the most and we work for that. But mainly, demonstrate that we have the level to fight the Junior WRC.”
Brand-new to Junior WRC, Chile provides a fittingly unknown challenge for the championship regulars. The Concepción-based gravel fixture features 16 stages covering 311.7 competitive kilometres, with fast forest roads, significant elevation changes and technical sections placing a premium on both speed and tyre management.
Maciej Woda, FIA Junior WRC Championship Manager said: “This is exactly what Junior WRC is all about. We arrive at the final round with five drivers still mathematically in contention, double points on offer and a completely new challenge for everybody in Chile. There is a huge amount at stake, not only the title but also the opportunity to step into WRC2 next season with the prize package. We’ve seen an incredibly competitive championship this year and now it comes down to one final rally. Whoever wins it will have earned it.”
