Gill claims maiden WRC2 stage win in Croatia fightback

Australian rally driver Taylor Gill and co-driver Dan Brkic have secured a hard-fought ninth place in the highly competitive WRC2 class at the Croatia Rally, highlighted by a stunning maiden WRC2 stage win.

Driving a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2, Gill’s first competitive tarmac outing in the new machinery was a tale of two halves.

Friday proved to be a punishing opening leg as the Australian crew struggled to find confidence on the notoriously slippery Croatian asphalt, which was heavily polluted by huge amounts of gravel dragged onto the racing line.

Compounding the tricky conditions, a puncture cost the duo valuable time and dropped them down the order.

“Our Croatia Rally had a bit of everything, but all in all, we’re pleased with what we accomplished over the three days,” Gill said.

“There’s no secret that we struggled to find the feeling on Friday, and that showed on the stage times. Getting to grips with the tricky conditions wasn’t easy and it was one of the hardest learning days we’ve had in a long time.”

Despite the troubles on the opening leg, the pair bounced back, and Saturday witnessed a remarkable turnaround.

Returning to roads that were familiar from the 2024 event, Gill found his rhythm immediately.

On Saturday’s opening test, he was less than a second off the stage win. Two stages later, Gill broke through to claim his first-ever WRC2 stage win—impressively conquering a brand-new stage to do so.

Across the entirety of Saturday's leg, Gill and Brkic were the second-fastest WRC2 crew, dropping just a handful of seconds to the eventual rally winner and tarmac specialist Yohan Rossel.

“To respond on Saturday the way we did is something I’m really proud of, and a stage win is something we can really hang our hat on," Gill explained.

"It wasn’t just the stage win, though. To be the second fastest WRC2 crew over the course of Saturday shows that we can sustain our pace on tarmac over more than just one stage.”

On Sunday, the pair maintained strong speed through the morning before adopting a measured, sensible approach in the afternoon, backing off to navigate the final kilometres, of which included a popular moment on the live television coverage.

The penultimate corner of the rally briefly caught Gill unawares, forcing an unintended yet spectacular slide which was hugely popular with fans and commentators alike.

Despite the pace shown in both Sweden and Croatia, the stark reality of rallying in the WRC2 class means the team’s budget is now entirely exhausted.

Gill and Brkic will return to Australia this week to begin the rigorous commercial work required to get back on the world stage for the second half of the year.

“From here, we return to Australia for a couple of months as we try to put together some more budget," Gill noted.

“The next rally on our to-do list is Rally Finland, but we need to raise the budget, like we’ve done for Sweden and Croatia in recent months.

“Again, we’re starting with a blank slate. Our outstanding sponsors have enabled our program so far, and we’re hoping to provide extra value for them as we push for more.

“I believe our results prove our worthiness of a place in the series and we’re not done just yet.”

Rally Finland takes place at the end of July.

• Taylor Gill and Daniel Brkic’s 2026 WRC program is supported by: Ferratum, PowerPlay, Accent Benchtops, FlowTech Australia, Hissi Keskus, Premier Pools, WOLF Sports, Dogbox Oy, Lithiumax, RallySchool Australia, Curiositi, The Oil Warehouse, M31 Consulting, Punkahajun Kilpi Oy, RallySport Magazine, and Ice Cube