New WRC2 benchmarks await Aussies in Croatia

Taylor Gill has his sights on challenging the WRC2 regulars in his Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 at this weekend’s Croatia Rally, the second round of his 2026 FIA World Rally Championship campaign.

In what is a season continuing on a round-by-round basis, Gill’s second chosen event comes at a rally where he holds vast experience.

The Australian has competed in Croatia Rally in the previous two seasons, and will strive to continue his enviable form on the event.

Finding the cash required to enter the event has been the focus of the Finland-based Aussie since he crossed the finish line in Sweden almost two months ago, and an appearance on yet another round of the World Rally Championship is a feat in itself.

Alongside co-driver Dan Brkic, their dedication has made their budget stretch farther than it regularly would. The pair took on the task of transporting the rally car more than 3,000km through nine countries from Finland to Croatia in the week leading up to the rally.

It’s something they’ve taken in their stride, though.

“This is a challenge we’ve been looking forward to since we crossed the finish line in Sweden in February,” Gill explained.

“It’s actually been quite nice travelling to the event this way – it’s felt somewhat like being back in Australia and doing most things ourselves.”

Gill’s choice of Croatia is by no means an accident. 

In 2024, he finished on the JWRC podium in the rally, while in 2025, he was the class of the field in the European Rally Championship, winning his class and claiming 14th outright – one of the best results of a Rally3 car all season. 

"I’ve rallied here a couple of times in the past, so we come in with some confidence of the conditions and roads, however, this year it’ll be in the Rally2 car, so we’ll have to learn that along the way,” Gill said.

“The organisers have introduced a lot of new stages this year, so we’ll have new pace notes to write during reconnaissance.

“We will also be assisted by our route note crew, who drive the stages on the morning of the rally, feeding us with updated information on weather and road conditions.

“Grip levels constantly change as dirt gets dragged onto the racing line, so Dan and I will have to be sharp with our pace notes, in conjunction with our route note crew, from the very first kilometre.”

There are new faces up and down the WRC2 entry list compared with Rally Sweden just two months ago.

Three-time WRC round winner, Andreas Mikkelsen, starts immediately ahead of the Australians, while other former works drivers, including Emil Lindholm and Eric Camilli, will compete directly against them in Rally2 machinery.

Add those names to the burgeoning number of tarmac specialists and WRC2 title contenders, and the number of drivers in a realistic chance of a podium quickly exceeds a dozen.

"Because of our strong result in Sweden, we’re starting further up the road this weekend. Hopefully, that means we get slightly cleaner conditions, which should help us settle into a good rhythm early on Friday,” Gill added.

"The WRC2 field is packed with tarmac specialists, so we know the benchmark is going to be incredibly high. Our main focus is to keep building our understanding of the Rally2 machinery, make consistent progress, and put together a clean and fast event.

“We had a pre-event test to begin that learning on Monday, and we got a feel for how nimble the Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 is on a sealed surface, and it was a real eye-opener. It's an absolute weapon on tarmac!

“It’s going to be awesome to fly the Australian flag yet again and take this challenge head-on.”

Croatia Rally takes place from Friday to Sunday and covers 300 competitive kilometres.

Gill and Brkic will be the 16th car on the road when stage one begins at 5:13 pm AEST on Friday.

• 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