Junior WRC
Johansson: “I’d rather end up stuck in the forest than finish second”
Mille Johansson has described the mindset that carried him to the 2025 FIA Junior WRC title - an all-or-nothing approach that culminated in one of the most dramatic finishes in the category’s history.
The Swedish youngster sealed his maiden world title at Central European Rally after overturning a deficit on the final stage to edge Taylor Gill by just 1.6sec. It was one of the tightest Junior WRC finishes since the championship’s inception.
“It’s been quite a messy rally for us,” Johansson admitted after the podium in Passau. “We started off strong, but then on Saturday we got stuck in a ditch on the first stage in the morning and lost about 30 seconds. From that point on, it was all about not losing any more time while still being careful and not taking too many risks.”
That composure kept the Swede in contention, but with the title slipping away, Sunday brought only one option. “Today has been all-out from the start,” he explained. “It’s honestly unbelievable how it came down to just one stage deciding the whole championship. I’m super happy to be able to push when I needed to and that I had the capacity to do so.”
Asked if the approach was a case of going for broke, Johansson didn’t hesitate. “Yeah, that’s basically what we said before the stage - it was all or nothing. I’d rather end up stuck in the forest than finish second.”
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The 20-year-old’s rise has been rapid. After winning the Junior ERC last season, Johansson joined the Junior WRC ranks this year with co-driver Johan Grönvall and adapted instantly to the Ford Fiesta Rally3. Stage wins on every surface and consistent points finishes kept him in the hunt throughout, setting up the CER showdown.
“Honestly, no, I couldn’t have imagined it happening this quickly,” he smiled. “It’s quite unique to win a championship in your first year. We didn’t have the same experience on some of the events that others have, so to finish like this is just amazing.”
Johansson’s title makes him the first Swede since Tom Kristensson in 2020 to lift the Junior WRC crown - and adds another Scandinavian name to the list of future stars forged in the category. His next challenge is already clear - WRC2 - behind the wheel of an M-Sport-supplied Ford Fiesta Rally2.
