Türkiye’s Türkkan ready to hit the Junior WRC stages

Türkkan will join the one-make M-Sport Poland Ford Fiesta Rally3 series from next month’s Croatia Rally (19 – 21 April) onwards, followed by outings in Italy, Finland and Greece. Joining him for the journey will be his regular co-driver, Burak Erdener.

The Istanbul native has climbed the ranks at a rapid pace since he ventured into rallying just five years ago. Türkkan steered his Castrol Ford Team Türkiye-backed Fiesta Rally3 to a class podium on his FIA World Rally Championship debut in Italy last year, and won last year’s Turkish Rally Championship whilst driving the car against nine Rally2 vehicles. With this title, he also become the youngest driver to win the Turkish Rally Championship at the age of 24.

More recently, Türkkan also piloted the same car to a second-place finish overall in snowy conditions at February’s Sarikamis Rallisi – a round of the Turkish series – beating drivers in more powerful machinery along the way.

“It was always our plan to be in Junior WRC this year,” Türkkan told WRC.com. “That’s why, last year, we tried to do the same rallies like Sardinia (Italy), Finland and the Acropolis (Greece).

“I think that was the best way to prepare, in WRC3 with our own car and our own mechanics, but this year we are here to win. Thanks to our team Castrol Ford Team Türkiye, its sponsors and TOSFED (Turkish Automobile Sports Federation) who made Junior WRC happen for us in 2024”

Türkkan, a Red Bull athlete, began his motorsport journey at the tender age of six and garnered attention in the realm of circuit racing before shifting his focus to rallying.

“My dad was driving in circuit races and rallies with a [Ford] Escort MKII and Formula 3,” he explained. “I was actually riding motocross bikes when I was four, but it was really in 2005 that my career started with karting.

“I was driving always on circuits until 2018. I was driving in the GT4 European series and in 2017 I became the youngest Turkish circuit champion - I didn’t even have my own driving license! After this, I didn’t see any way to go forward with my circuit career, so I switched to rallying with Castrol Ford Team Türkiye and Red Bull. They supported me for one season with no marks on the car or myself, but I showed my potential in six rallies.

“On circuits, you always need to stay between the lines,” Türkkan continued. “But, in rallying, you can drive with many different styles and still win the stage. A circuit is like science and the rally is like art – you are more free with the car.”

This year’s FIA Junior WRC series has attracted a record-breaking field of drivers in identical M-Sport Poland-supplied cars utilising Pirelli Tyres and Wolf Lubricants. Though Türkkan was absent in Sweden, which drew 19 Junior WRC entries, he hopes to hit the ground running in Croatia.

“Of course, I feel confident on Tarmac due to my high-speed experience on the circuits. But Croatia is a very difficult rally because the road gets very dirty. It’s not like a full Tarmac rally, it’s kind of between gravel and Tarmac, let’s say. We will see what we can do.”