The first fan-voted award - Breakthrough of the Year – is here, and honours the competitors who’ve pushed boundaries, delivered jaw-dropping performances and established themselves as rising stars.
Take a closer look at the contenders who’ve made waves this season:

Mon 09 Dec 2024
Breakthrough of the Year: Which 2024 star gets your vote?
As the dust settles on an exhilarating FIA World Rally Championship season, it’s time to celebrate the drivers who shone in 2024.

Mārtiņš Sesks
Latvia’s Mārtiņš Sesks proved that big opportunities yield big results. After cutting his teeth in Junior WRC and ERC, he made his Rally1 debut with M-Sport Ford at ORLEN 80th Rally Poland. His fifth-place finish, alongside a stunning second-fastest stage time in a non-hybrid car, was a statement of intent.
Sesks shone even brighter at Tet Rally Latvia, thrilling his home crowd with two stage wins and running in podium position before heartbreak struck with a final-stage transmission issue. His Rally1 journey continued in Chile, where a double puncture prematurely ended his charge but didn’t dim his potential. The future looks exceptionally bright for this 25-year-old.

Romet Jürgenson
Rallying’s ultimate underdog story belongs to Estonia’s Romet Jürgenson. Entering 2024 as an FIA Rally Star rookie, defied expectations at every turn and conquered the FIA Junior WRC in his first full season. Jürgenson claimed 30 stage wins, three podium finishes, and edged Norbert Maior for the title by a 28-point margin.
At just 24 years old and with only three years of rallying experience, his meteoric rise has earned him a well-deserved promotion to WRC2 in 2025, driving a Ford Fiesta Rally2. Will we see him climb even higher next season?

Sami Pajari
Finland’s Sami Pajari enjoyed a dream year, combining dominance in WRC2 with an impressive debut in the premier Rally1 class. Piloting Toyota’s brand-new GR Yaris Rally2, Pajari clinched the WRC2 title at FORUM8 Rally Japan - but it was his foray into top-tier machinery that truly turned heads.
On home soil at Secto Rally Finland, Pajari stunned with a stage win and a career-best fourth-place finish. He followed this up with a gritty drive to sixth at Rally Chile Bio Bío, with such performances earning him a full-time Rally1 seat with Toyota for 2025.

Adrien Fourmaux
Returning to the Rally1 fold in style, Adrien Fourmaux delivered the strongest season of his career with M-Sport Ford. Consistency was key, as he notched five podium finishes across iconic events in Sweden, Kenya, Poland, Finland and Japan.
After a challenging 2023 campaign in WRC2, Fourmaux showed he belongs at the highest level. In 2025, he’ll make the switch to Hyundai Motorsport, where he’ll aim to carry his momentum forward and hunt for his first overall victory.
The power is in your hands!
Head to WRC’s social channels now to vote for your breakthrough driver of 2024. Voting closes at 12:00 CET on 31 December, with the results set to be revealed early next year.

