Schönborn’s road to WRC Rally Sweden

She is the first woman to take an outright domestic Hillclimb victory and has also brought home an Auto Slalom Gold in the FIA Motorsport Games in the same year as becoming Youngster Cup Champion in the KW Berg Cup.

In September this year, her journey took an exciting turn when she was selected as a finalist in the Beyond Rally Women’s Driver Development Programme. Along with her co-driver Jara Hain, Claire headed to the Central European Rally (CER) to battle against two other finalists in a high-stakes shootout for a coveted place in the 2025 FIA Junior WRC.

Driving a Ford Fiesta Rally3 and participating in her first-ever WRC event, she found herself in a situation that would have been unimaginable months ago.

"The Central European Rally was by far the biggest event I've ever been part of. I expected it to be incredible, but it went above and beyond. Starting right behind the WRC stars, Rally1 cars and driving over the start ramp; it’s all something I’ll never forget" Claire reflected.

Despite her hillclimb background, Claire quickly adjusted to rallying’s new challenges. “During the recce, I had an idea of how dirty the track might get, but once we hit the stages, it was even tougher,” she said.

“Learning to read the road and master the cuts was new for me since hillclimbing doesn’t prepare you for that, but I improved every day. By the end, I was using those WRC techniques with confidence.”

Despite this being only her third event, Claire was hopeful of a positive outcome however, the event delivered a twist no one expected. After a neck-and-neck competition with fellow finalist Lyssia Baudet, the judges determined they couldn’t separate the two drivers, leading to a second and final showdown between them at WRC Rally Sweden.

"It was such a surprise! I don't think either Lyssia or I expected to face off again, but the competition was so close that we both earned another shot. Neither of us has driven on snow and ice before, so it will make this next event even more exciting."

With Rally Sweden just months away, Claire is ready to face the new challenges that the icy terrain will bring.

“Sweden is a whole different game. Driving on snow and ice with studded tyres is completely new for me, but I’m optimistic. My main goal is to adapt to the conditions as quickly as possible and finish without issues.”

Adding to her already busy schedule, Claire recently represented Germany in the FIA Motorsport Games in Spain, where she brought home a bronze medal in the Auto Slalom category. "The past few weeks have been a whirlwind. I went straight from CER to the FIA Motorsport Games in Valencia. My teammate and I had a great run in the preliminaries, though a small penalty in the semi-finals kept us out of the top two. Still, taking Bronze was a fantastic experience."

Reflecting on her journey so far, Claire expressed gratitude for the chance to chase her rallying dreams.

“I am incredibly thankful to the WRC promoter and M-Sport Poland for this unique opportunity. My focus now is on preparing as well as I can for Sweden and ultimately earning a spot in the Junior WRC. I can’t wait to team up with Jara again—we’re ready to give it everything we’ve got!”