Claire Schönborn, Suvi Jyrkiäinen and Lyssia Baudet selected for WRC Promoter’s Female Talent Development Programme

Announced during the summer, the Women's Talent Development Program reached a major milestone this week. After selecting 15 young women from 13 different countries, the promoter of the WRC brought them together in Krakow, Poland for three days of training and assessment. Several modules were to be completed covering the key themes that would enable participants to participate in a round of the World Championship. Theory was important and it was explained in the superb premises of M-Sport Poland. Workshops were organised around media interaction, interventions on the car and the role of physical preparation. Before taking to the terrain, work was carried out on note-taking with Reeta Hämäläinen, Emil Lindholm's navigator in WRC2, but also drivers Eyvind Brynildsen and William Creighton. The latter were then called upon for the part behind the wheel. The Finn was responsible for carrying out a reconnaissance exercise with note-taking in English on an asphalt road, while the Norwegian and the Irishman served as instructors on the track. karting of Steel Ring in the Czech Republic. The final day was dedicated to driving on land on a site in Poland. As the Boris depression had hit the Krakow region before the start of this course, it took place under the sun.

From the very first discussions, it was clear that the chosen group was homogeneous. None of the girls proved to be overwhelmingly superior to the others, but none were completely out of the running. The involvement and motivation were there with pertinent questions and a concentration that had the potential to seduce the jury, which included Peter Thul (for the promoter), Pernilla Solberg (the president of the WRC commission), Burcu Cetinkaya (member of the FIA ​​Women in Motorsport Commission), Maciej Woda (director of M-Sport Poland) and Isolde Holderied (former winner of the Women's World Cup).

The "driving" aspect was obviously the most anticipated in the ranks of the participants. Some had never had the opportunity to ride on tarmac and others were discovering dirt. In both cases, no incidents were reported, while the planning and timing were respected.

After three studious days in a very pleasant atmosphere, the difficult moment of announcing the choice came on Wednesday evening. After a complicated deliberation, the jury selected: Claire Schönborn (25 years old), Suvi Jyrkiäinen (24 years old) and Lyssia Baudet (21 years old).

« PFor us it was very difficult to make a choice, explained Peter Thul, WRC Promoter's sports director. We certainly hope that it was the right one. We will see it at the next stage of the process at Rally from Central Europe. Each of the finalists was exceptional. We know their CVs. Some of the girls had no experience of gravel driving and they really surprised us. They all performed fantastically. I have to say that each of them was the right choice to be part of the fifteen selected. Regarding Central Europe, it is a very difficult asphalt rally, with changing weather conditions, which crosses Germany, the Czech Republic and Austria. They will do a pre-event test and we will set up a professional structure in collaboration with M-Sport Poland. »

« I feel like I'm dreaming, smiled Lyssia Baudet, who convinced the jury with her freshness and performance behind the wheel. I know, however, that this is only the beginning. I have a lot to learn and I am ready to get started… starting tomorrow! I particularly enjoyed these few days with the other candidates whose level was high and I am thinking of them. »

Before taking part in the penultimate WRC event, the three winners will carry out preparations that will allow them to avoid making their first appearance in the WRC without any reference points.