WRC 2
The epic 3000km road trip key to realising Taylor Gill’s Croatia dream
When it comes to commitment few can match the 3000 kilometre-plus road trip undertaken by WRC2 rising stars Taylor Gill and Daniel Brkic just to be on the start line in Croatia next week.
Following an impressive run to fourth on their WRC2 debut at Rally Sweden, the Australian duo have successfully scraped together the budget to pilot a rented Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 in Croatia. But in order to make the most of the budget painstakingly accrued, the 2025 FIA Junior WRC’s runner-up pairing embarked on an epic five-day road trip, towing the Croatia Rally challenger from their base in Finland across eastern Europe.
"It is the cheapest way to do it and that is the main thing obviously. In a normal case you would pay someone to drive the car down and we would fly to the rally, but this is the most efficient way, driving the car down ourselves,” said Gill. “Myself and Dan are quite invested in what we are doing, so it is just part of what has to happen.
Daniel Brkic behind the wheel on the journey to Croatia from Finland
© Taylor Gill Personal Collection
“If we want to compete in the WRC and keep doing these events with the Rally2 car, these are the kind of measures we have to take.”
The journey has seen the pair traverse through Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czech Republic, Austria and Slovenia on their way to the Delta Rally team’s headquarters in Italy. The operation will fit an asphalt kit to the GR Yaris and will run the pairing in next week’s rally. After undertaking a shakedown on Thursday and a test next Monday, the pair will make the final leg of their trip by hopping across the Italian border to Croatia.
Taylor Gill competing on Rally Sweden in February
© At World
Reflecting on the logistics just to compete in Croatia, Gill admitted that it has been “quite the trip” but there have been perks. The scenic tour through eastern Europe also included a stop over at M-Sport Poland, which supplied the Ford Fiesta Rally3 they piloted to second in the Junior WRC category last year.
“It has been quite the trip. It has been a lot of work to organise and it started pretty much straight away after Sweden. The plan was set before we left Finland and so far everything has been smooth and stress free," he said.
There is really no point in rocking up half-baked
“It has been cool and we have stopped and seen different things along the way. We stopped at M-Sport Poland for a few hours which was really nice. It is a cool trip and a cool way to see the European countryside. We are Australians so we are used to long road trips.”
Taylor Gill contesting 2025's ERC Croatian round
© At World
On Wednesday (1 April), the focus switched to driving the rally car rather than towing it across Europe, with Gill set to shakedown the GR Yaris, in what will mark his first outing on asphalt in the car before Monday’s test.
“We have a limited budget but we are trying to do things as properly as possible. There is really no point in rocking up half-baked [without a test] and knowing there is no chance from the start so we want to give ourselves a chance at least,” he said.
“We have some good people around me helping me get prepared. I have done a few Tarmac rallies now but I think the main thing will be how rapid everything is coming at you. You have to keep the reflexes pretty sharp.”
Views from the epic road trip
© Taylor Gill Personal Collection
Looking ahead to next week’s rally, the 22-year-old has proven his skills in Croatia previously, finishing second in there in the Junior category back in 2024. While this year the rally has moved from Zagreb to Rijeka, Gill is looking forward to making a return to asphalt.
“I feel more confident on Tarmac than on snow as a surface in general, I mean I have done three snow rallies and six Tarmac so it makes sense from that side as well. The competition is going to be pretty red hot in Croatia and there are a lot of fast guys to try and put behind us, but we will do what we can and focus on our own rally.”
Taylor Gill previously finished second in Croatia in the FIA Junior WRC
© Jaanus Ree
In addition to a plethora of new stages, the event will be the first time Gill has contested a rally working with a route note crew (fellow WRC2 competitor Lauri Joona and co-driver Niklas Heino), something for which he has sought advice from fellow antipodean Hayden Paddon, who will pilot Hyundai’s third factory i20 Rally1 car in Croatia.
Hayden [Paddon] has been good and has been giving me some advice over the last few years
“Hayden has been good and has been giving me some advice over the last few years and especially in the lead up to Croatia as it will be my first time working with a route note crew, so that will be a whole new experience,” Gill added. “He’s given me a little bit of advice there. It will be good to have another Oceania driver there.”
Once next week’s rally is completed Gill and Brkic will again be clocking up the kilometres as they swap their Finland base for Australia, on a mission to secure the funding to continue their season. The pair have their eyes set on securing the budget to compete in Secto Rally Finland (30 July - 2 August).
Hayden Paddon has been acting as a mentor to Gill
© WRC
“It is not easy [to find the budget], that is for sure. We had the budget for Sweden and have just been able to scrape enough together for Croatia, and I don’t want to call it cutting corners, but we have had to do things like drive the car ourselves to the rally,” he said.
“After this we will go back to Australia for a few months and I basically have to go head down bum up to finish the budget for Finland. It is going to be a pretty big task."
