WRC 2
Enok: WRC backing turned “impossible” Estonia plans into reality
Patrick Enok says support from WRC Promoter and WRC Delfi Rally Estonia has transformed what looked like an “impossible” 2026 programme into a first WRC2 start on home soil later this month.
The 20-year-old Estonian will line up at WRC Delfi Rally Estonia in a Printsport-run Škoda Fabia RS Rally2, co-driven by Silver Simm, as part of a strong home contingent in the WRC2 field.
It will be only Enok’s second appearance on the world stage, four years after he contested Delfi Rally Estonia in Rally4 machinery. This time, the challenge is bigger: a full WRC round, a Rally2 car and a home crowd watching closely on some of the fastest gravel roads in the championship.
For Enok, simply getting to the start line already represents a significant step.
“A couple of weeks ago, it was not even certain that we would be driving and running,” he explained. “The first half of the spring was quite a quiet time, with not much progress on the budget. But from mid-April or May onwards, things have been going quite well, and now more things are coming together.
“Two or three months ago, everything looked pretty much impossible. Maybe Rally Estonia was somehow possible, but all the other things were not looking so good.”
WRC Promoter and the organisers of WRC Delfi Rally Estonia announced last month a €100,000 support package aimed at backing the next generation of Estonian rally talent. That includes a €50,000 prize fund for eligible young Estonian drivers competing on the event, plus a further €50,000 grant to the Estonian Next Rallystar Fund in support of Enok’s development programme.
For Enok, the impact has been immediate.
“Of course, it is a big help,” he said. “It is quite a lot of money, even in the rally world. Usually, if you get some sponsorship, it is not that amount of money.
“It was a bit of a surprise for me - a big surprise - when I first heard a few talks about it. Then, when it was announced, it made me feel quite emotional.
Enok in action in the Finnish Rally Championship
© Taneli Niinimäki / AKK
“It definitely releases some pressure from our team in terms of finding the budget. Mainly, of course, for this event, but also for the future. It is a bit of a boost and it is good to have this backing. But, of course, now that I have this backing, I have to do my job on the road.”
That job is not a small one. Enok has built much of his recent experience in the Finnish Rally Championship, where high-speed gravel competition has provided strong preparation for Estonia. But he knows a WRC round brings a different scale altogether.
“One thing is obviously the length of the rally, because a WRC event is much longer, with more stages and more kilometres,” he said.
“Preparation-wise, there are more videos to watch and more to prepare yourself for. Others have driven those stages before, so that gives me a little bit of a disadvantage, but the videos are there to help me get up to date.
“There is also the mental side - getting yourself into the right rhythm and the right mindset. It’s going to be a long rally, and you have to manage your pace wisely.”
Although Rally Estonia is a home event, Enok is not pretending every kilometre is familiar. He contested the event in 2022 and returned when it formed part of the FIA European Rally Championship in 2024, but this will be his first Rally2 appearance on the stages.
© Taneli Niinimäki / AKK
“Many of the stages are quite similar, and some of them are exactly the same as stages I have driven on national rallies,” he said. “I know quite a lot of the stages and I know the area quite well, but at the same time, if you have only done recce there, or only driven there once, it is still a bit new.
“When I did some of those stages last time, I was in a Rally4 car. Now I am in a Rally2 car, so there is quite a big difference there.
“To be honest, I would say I feel confident on around half of the stages, and the other half are a bit unknown for me.”
The young Estonian will also be eligible for the event’s young driver prize fund, which will reward the top three eligible Estonian crews in the final classification. Enok admits the financial boost would be welcome, but insists it will not influence his approach.
“I would say I am more focused on just doing a good job on the rally,” he said. “I am not really focusing on the prize money.
“Of course, afterwards it would be nice to be in the top three Estonians, and it would be a big boost to get some extra money. But generally, I am not really focusing on that. I think I just have to focus on doing a good job on the road. That is the main thing.”
Beyond Estonia, Enok is already looking at the possibility of adding Secto Rally Finland to his programme, depending on how his home WRC round unfolds. Further outings in the Finnish championship could follow, while asphalt and rough gravel experience are also on his longer-term wish list.
“Actually, we are also looking to do Rally Finland,” he said. “Of course, it depends what happens here at Rally Estonia, but budget-wise I think we can do it.
“After Rally Finland, we will look at whether we can continue in the Finnish championship. Maybe we could do something in Italy on Tarmac, or on rougher gravel, because I don’t have too much experience there. On Tarmac, I have no experience, but on rough gravel I have some.
“In terms of next year, it is pretty much unknown. We will try to do our best this year, and then when the autumn comes, we will look at the options, look at how the season has gone, talk to some people and see where it takes us.”
