•Rally 3 is the third-tier car in the FIA Rally Pyramid after the hybrid-powered Rally1 (WRC Car) and Rally2 which is the former R5.
•Trailblazing McRae Kimathi finished sixth overall in both the WRC3 and the Junior WRC which is a single-manufacturer class featuring the M-Sport Poland Ford Fiesta Rally3.
Kenya’s Hamza Anwar is among 10 talented international line-ups featuring in the WRC3 category at Rally Sweden this week.
After shakedown, Hamza was placed sixth fastest in class on SS1 and SS2. He moved up to the fifth position at SS3 and SS4 at a promising pace in the event that started on Thursday and ends on Sunday.
The son of former Nanyuki Rally winner (Asad Anwar) became the second-ever Kenyan to race on ice and snow.
Trailblazing McRae Kimathi finished sixth overall in both the WRC3 and the Junior WRC which is a single-manufacturer class featuring the M-Sport Poland Ford Fiesta Rally3.
Rally 3 is the third-tier car in the FIA Rally Pyramid after the hybrid-powered Rally1 (WRC Car) and Rally2 which is the former R5.
Hamza and his partner Adnan Din piloted the Fiesta in the FIA African Rally Championship (ARC) last year, fishing third overall and winning the ARC Junior title which earned him the opportunity to drive in the Junior WRC.
Leading the field in WRC’s all-snow event after the first four stages is Irish driver William Creighton who had chalked up a 30.5-second advantage over French star Laurent Pellier, who has been causing ripples in recent years.
The 27-year-old Pellier dominated last year’s Junior ERC series, earning himself a prize drive in this year’s Junior WRC, and will be hoping to show his skills as he graduates to the world stage aboard an unfamiliar car.
Toni Herranen, also from Finland, is another European Rally Championship graduate. Technical woes on his WRC3 debut in 2022 denied him a podium finish on home soil, but he’s eager to make amends. Compatriot Jesse Kallio, 23, and Czech Republic’s Filip Kohn are both newcomers to the series.
Eamonn Kelly of Ireland, Tom Rensonnet of Belgium and Hamza round out the field, bringing a truly international flavour to the competition. The trio will also be fighting for points in the FIA Junior WRC series, which kicks off this week.