Tue 12 Dec 2023

Vote Now: WRC’s Most Improved Driver 2023

In the first of WRC.com’s end-of-year fan polls, you – the fans – get to decide which driver you feel improved the most over the course of the 2023 FIA World Rally Championship season.

We’ve come up with the shortlist below. Now it’s over to you to cast your vote! Voting closes at 12:00 CET on 31 December 2023, and the winners of all polls will be unveiled in early January.

Nicolas Ciamin
Category: WRC2
Position: 15th

Although the man from France wasn’t able to put together a full season-long programme, the speed he displayed in all four rallies he contested was unquestionable. Ciamin came close to triumphing in Croatia but rolled on the penultimate day while sitting second overall. He more than made up for that a few months later, however, claiming his maiden victory at the Central European Rally in a successful switch from Volkswagen to Škoda machinery.

Sami Pajari
Category: WRC2
Position: 7th

In what was a breakthrough debut season in the WRC’s premier support category, Pajari showed exactly why he has been tipped by many to become a future world champion. Driving a Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 for Toksport, the 22-year-old Finn secured impressive podiums in Sweden, Estonia, and Chile. The highlight, however, was his and co-driver Enni Mälkönen’s victory on home soil at Secto Rally Finland.

William Creighton
Category: Junior WRC / WRC3
Position: 1st / 6th

After finishing fifth in the Junior WRC last year, Creighton reached new heights in 2023 by becoming the first Irishman to win the series since his compatriot and role model, the late Craig Breen. Creighton and co-driver Liam Regan won two out of five rounds in their Ford Fiesta Rally3, and even resorted to pushing their car several kilometres to a tyre fitting zone after suffering radiator damage at the finale in Greece. That determination alone was worthy of a championship title.

Diego Domínguez
Category: Junior WRC / WRC3
Position: 2nd / 2nd

Domínguez narrowly missed out on this year’s Junior WRC crown, falling short by just eight points. His season was one of ultimate consistency, however. The Paraguayan finished outside the podium just once during his Junior WRC campaign and, in WRC3, he won three rallies from five starts.

Hamza Anwar
Category: Junior WRC / WRC3
Position: 9th / 12th

Prior to February’s Rally Sweden, Anwar had previously only contested two WRC rallies - both of which were in his native Kenya. A few misdemeanours and technical problems prevented the 25-year-old from mounting a serious title bid, but his speed followed a constant upward trajectory. By his final outing in Greece, the youngster was posting several top-three stage times.