The fiercely contested support category of world rallying has witnessed a stellar campaign from Estonian driver Robert Virves, who successfully claimed the WRC2 world championship crown following a series of intense battles across demanding gravel and tarmac stages. This remarkable journey began when Robert Virves kicked off his season by securing a commanding victory at Safari Rally Kenya, an early milestone that immediately laid down a strong marker against his championship rivals.
That momentum refused to slow down, with further crucial victories in Greece, Estonia, and Finland firmly establishing the Estonian's control over the championship standings. Over the course of a demanding season, Robert Virves alongside his trusted co-driver, Jakko Viilo, consistently demonstrated exceptional pace to claim four victories and two runner-up finishes from the seven rallies that counted toward their world championship points.
In fact, that impressive tally nearly stretched to five wins as Robert Virves was kept at bay by Roope Korhonen at the season-ending round in Sardinia, where a razor-thin margin of just 0.7 seconds separated the leading pair at the finish line following a relentless flat-out duel.
"I always approach an event as a normal rally. It doesn’t matter whether I have already secured the championship or not," Robert Virves stated in an interview with Estonia’s public broadcaster, highlighting the focused mindset that kept him sharp despite mounting pressure.
"I gave it everything and, in a way, it was really enjoyable. The only aim was to climb one position at a time. It was a really strong performance from us," Robert Virves added, reflecting on his determined charge through the stages.
For co-driver Jakko Viilo, the achievement carried deep emotional significance as it marked the first world championship title of his professional motorsport career. "It sounds really good. This is definitely the fulfilment of a dream. I dreamed about this as a child, and now we have achieved one championship. Hopefully, there is an even bigger one ahead of us. We are working towards it," Jakko Viilo shared with clear ambition for the future.
This latest crown represents Robert Virves’s second career WRC title, following his previous triumph when he was crowned Junior WRC champion back in 2022. Furthermore, Robert Virves now stands in the history books as the first Estonian driver ever to secure two world championship titles in international rallying.
"The competition in WRC2 has been insanely strong in recent years. I think we can be proud that we have managed to achieve a result like this against such tough opposition," Robert Virves concluded. Although the competitive WRC calendar has concluded, the hard work is far from over for Robert Virves and Jakko Viilo as they continue logging crucial testing mileage behind the wheel.
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