Teenager Tom Williams tackles JWRC

February 9, 2018 0 Comments

In only his fourth season of rallying, Tom Williams will contest this year’s FIA Junior World Rally Championship in a Ford Fiesta R2T, starting with the forthcoming opening round in Sweden.

The 19-year old Oxfordshire driver has been quietly gaining experience under the radar – shying away from the fact that his parents, David and Sadie, won the 2007 Peking to Paris Motor Challenge in a 1938 Chevrolet Fangio Coupe! David is very well known in British national rallying for his spectacular exploits in a Nissan 240RS in the late 1980s and early ‘90s, and for guiding Richard Burns from the Under 17 Car Club to World Rally Champion.

Tom only started rallying in 2015, yet still won Rookie of the Year in the Formula 1000 series when he was 16. He rallied a Fiesta R1 on selected British gravel and Tarmac events in 2016, becoming BRC 5 Champion and making his WRC debut in a Fiesta R2 on Wales Rally GB, finishing a very impressive 2nd in class RC4 and 45th overall. He continued with the Fiesta R2 last year, finishing runner-up in the BRC Cadet class – as well as gaining more WRC experience by contesting Rally Germany, Finland and GB. Over the winter, Tom has been a volunteer at the John Haugland ice driving school in Norway and did the recce for the recent Monte Carlo Rally.

Tom, who wears a Stilo DES Carbon helmet supplied by Nicky Grist Motorsports, is supported by Genesis3D, 88cars, Pirelli, Spillaway Projects, Holt, FX Rallyschool, Raceparts and 2jgraphics.

“I am pleased to say that we have been accepted into the 2018 FIA Junior World Rally Championship, where we’ll be competing against fifteen crews around the world in identical Ford Fiestas run by M-Sport,” said Tom. “As I am one of the youngest competitors this year, I will be hoping to gain as much experience as I can against some of the quickest junior drivers around. I will have Phil Hall beside me co-driving again this year.

“Thank you very much to all my sponsors, family and friends for supporting me and helping me get this amazing opportunity.”

2018 FIA Junior World Rally Championship calendar 16‐18 February….Rally of Sweden 06‐08 April….Rally of France - Tour de Corse 18‐20 May….Rally of Portugal 27‐29 July….Rally of Finland 14‐16 September….Rally of Turkey