For the very first time, Estonia is hosting its World Rally Championship round without Ott Tänak and Martin Järveoja on the entry list.
However that’s not to say there’s a shortage of local talent on display this week – far from it.
Some of the WRC’s most exciting next-generation drivers hail from Estonia, and at their home round of the championship they each are able to compete for a €50,000 prize fund – a rarity in modern-day competition.
With €25,000 on offer to the highest-classified Estonian in WRC2, €15,000 for second and €10,000 for third, there’s far more than just local pride on the line.
So who are the drivers competing for this cash boost?
Robert Virves
As last year’s Rally Estonia winner in WRC2, and the only one of the group to have won at this level, on paper Robert Virves is the best placed to come out on top of this battle
But since when have rallies been won on paper?
Virves is in the thick of a title fight in WRC2, with two victories from two starts so far in his Toksport Škoda Fabia RS Rally2.
With another title rival, Teemu Suninen, also competing, might Virves’ eyes be more focused on that bigger picture than glory at home? Although there’s a high chance beating Suninen could mean winning the rally anyway.
“In the big picture, we will still take the WRC Rally Estonia the same way as any other competition, but of course such awards are always welcome,” Virves said.
“Our goal is to definitely fight for the WRC2 class victory on our home roads this year. It certainly won’t be easy at home, the competition in the WRC2 class is tough, and this time there are also good Estonian drivers at the start who want to show their speed and it will definitely be an exciting fight with them.”
Romet Jürgenson
Like Virves, Romet Jürgenson is a Junior WRC champion – winning the title two years after his compatriot in 2024.
But unlike the rest, Jürgenson is benefiting from a full world championship program in 2026 with M-Sport, driving its Ford Fiesta Rally2.
Reliability issues and small driving errors have plagued his campaign, leaving the FIA Rally Star graduate a lowly 44th in the WRC2 standings.
But Jürgenson is far better than that statistic suggests and has always gone well at home, winning his class in both Rally4 and Rally3 before finishing fifth in WRC2 in 2025.
“This award is a very cool opportunity and I don’t remember anything like this being done anywhere before,” Jürgenson said. “Again, a novel solution from WRC Rally Estonia and it will definitely motivate the young drivers a lot.
“The goal at the home world championship stage is to do the maximum that is possible, because we should already have some experience. The plan is to put the gas on and then see how we can position ourselves compared to others.”
Jaspar Vaher
Jaspar Vaher has never competed in WRC2 before, yet many will expect him to feature at the very front.
That’s because the Toyota driver has made waves this season, coming close to winning the ERC’s Royal Rally of Scandinavia and beating Hyundai Rally1 driver Esapekka Lappi on his most recent event start: Jyväskylä Ralli.
While Vaher has never driven a GR Yaris Rally2 at home before, he won Junior ERC at Rally Estonia in 2024. But how will his speed compare to the world’s best on the global stage in this category?
“When I heard about this year’s WRC Rally Estonia award, it was a very positive surprise and I think it’s a very cool project,” Vaher said. “It certainly adds motivation that the fight is not just about time, but also about a real financial prize.
“I can’t set any specific goal for myself. The Swedish rally was a big success and I showed good speed, but in Estonia we’re racing against other guys and with tires that I haven’t driven before. So I don’t set any local goals for myself and I’ll try to do my job as well as possible on my home roads.”
Patrick Enok
Like Vaher, Patrick Enok is plying his trade in Finland this year, driving a Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 from Printsport.
The 20-year-old doesn’t (yet) have the backing of a manufacturer, but he is profiting from an additional €50,000 grant courtesy of WRC Promoter.
Enok’s Rally Estonia record is solid: he finished second in ERC3 in 2024 and won the RC4 class in the WRC in 2022 at just 16 years old.
“The fact that I had the opportunity for additional funding from the WRC Promoter takes the pressure off, that I don’t have to think about where to find funds and I can focus more on the sporting result,” Enok said.
“Certainly, racing for such a prize at the WRC Rally Estonia opens up additional opportunities; it’s not just a race for a result, but there is also a real financial prize behind that result. It doesn’t directly create additional motivation, but it is definitely a nice reward.
“I want to race with all the other Estonian youngsters and I think Jaspar’s speed at the Swedish ERC stage showed that theoretically we could race at the front. Rallies are different and at times the competition in the World Rally Championship can be stronger than in the ERC, but I think we are not too far from the speed of the top five or even the top three.
“It is difficult to set a goal, but we certainly won’t go to the home World Rally Championship just like that and the main thing is to be at the pace of the top five.”
Egon Kaur
At 38 years old Egon Kaur doesn’t represent the next generation of Estonian rallying, but write him off at your peril.
Within a whisker of becoming WRC Academy champion in 2011, Kaur’s WRC story is well told but he still has plenty to give.
A regular top-10 finisher in WRC2 at Rally Estonia, Kaur will drive a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 in 2026 having finished third at the Lõuna-Eesti Ralli two weeks ago.
Joosep Ralf Nõgene
One spot, and just 6.3s, behind Kaur at Lõuna-Eesti was fellow Toyota pilot Jossep Ralf Nõgene.
At 23, his best years are surely ahead of him and this weekend’s Rally Estonia prize fund is a strong opportunity for him to make his mark on the biggest stage.
Predominantly driving in Finland this year, Nõgene scored eighth place at the ERC’s Royal Rally of Scandinavia and has a class podium at Rally3 level at Rally Estonia.
