WRC
WRC Breakthrough Driver of the Year: Meet the 2025 Nominees
Four drivers made major strides across the FIA World Rally Championship classes in 2025, delivering career-defining performances that reshaped their trajectories.
As part of WRC.com’s end-of-season fan awards, supporters can now choose who made the most significant breakthrough of the year.
01
Oliver Solberg
Oliver Solberg’s 2025 season marked a step into the sport’s top tier in every sense. The Swede dominated WRC2 with Toyota’s GR Yaris Rally2, winning in Monte-Carlo, Portugal, Greece and Paraguay before sealing the title in Chile to cap five victories from seven point-scoring starts. His approach matured noticeably from past seasons, combining raw pace with measured management and far fewer of the big moments that had interrupted previous campaigns.
The defining chapter came in Estonia, where he and co-driver Elliott Edmondson were handed a one-off Rally1 opportunity by Toyota. Solberg responded with one of the stories of the season: nine stage wins, a calm performance under pressure and a landmark first WRC victory on his debut in car. It was the clearest indication yet that he is ready to return the championship’s front rank on a full-time basis – and he will do so in 2026 with Toyota.
Solberg will be hoping for more of this in 2026
© WRC
02
Matteo Fontana
Matteo Fontana transformed from Rally3 hopeful to WRC3 champion in the space of a single season. Driving a Ford Fiesta Rally3, the Italian set a high bar from the outset with wins in Italy, Paraguay, Chile, and Saudi Arabia. His strength lay not only in outright pace but in reading rallies well - staying clear of trouble, applying pressure when it mattered and maintaining a level consistency that quickly made him the benchmark in the category.
Fontana wrapped up the WRC3 crown at FORUM8 Rally Japan before closing his campaign in emphatic style in Saudi Arabia, winning all 16 stages on his way to a fourth triumph from seven starts. It was a season that showcased both speed and composure and marked the youngster as a clear candidate for future progression into Rally2 machinery.
Fontana and co-driver Alessandro Arnaboldi were a dominant force in WRC3
© WRC
03
Roberto Daprà
Roberto Daprà delivered one of the most memorable surprises of the 2025 season with his maiden WRC2 victory at Rally Italia Sardegna. The Italian had shown flashes of speed earlier in the year, but Sardinia proved a breakthrough: a clean run through the rough opening legs kept him in contention, and a committed final-day charge allowed him to vault from fourth to first as rivals faltered. Crossing the finish line as a first-time WRC2 winner on home soil was a career-shaping moment.
Beyond that headline result, Daprà became an increasingly solid presence in the WRC2 Challenger battle. Regular points finishes and improved pace across varied gravel events underlined his upward curve and positioned him firmly among the emerging names within the Rally2 field.
Daprà's maiden victory came on home soil at Rally Italia Sardegna
© WRC
04
Roope Korhonen
Roope Korhonen’s season reached its high point on the fastest roads in rallying. The Finn produced a superb performance to win WRC2 at Rally Finland, edging rallying legend Jari-Matti Latvala by just 1.1sec in a flat-out fight that showcased the clarity and commitment of his driving on home territory. It was a breakthrough victory that confirmed his potential at the sharp end of the category.
Korhonen backed that result with steady scoring throughout the year, finishing runner-up in the WRC2 Challenger standings. Combined with additional mileage in the ERC, 2025 became a year of visible consolidation for the young Toyota driver - one in which he proved he could convert speed into results against experienced opposition.
Korhonen beat WRC veteran Jari-Matti Latvala by 1.1sec in Finland
© WRC
05
VOTE NOW:
Fans can now cast their vote for the 2025 Breakthrough Driver of the Year by clicking here. Winners will be announced in early January.
