Robert Virves

Last updated

Robert Virves
2022 Rally Poland - Robert Virves 2.jpg
Personal information
Nationality Flag of Estonia.svg Estonian
Born (2000-07-08) 8 July 2000 (age 25)
Estonia
World Rally Championship record
Active years 2020–present
Co-driver Flag of Estonia.svg Jakko Viilo
Flag of Estonia.svg Aleks Lesk
Flag of Estonia.svg Sander Pruul
Flag of Sweden.svg Julia Thulin
Flag of Portugal (official).svg Hugo Magalhães
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Craig Drew
Teams Toksport WRT
Rallies28
Championships 0
Rally wins 0
Podiums0
Stage wins0
Total points7
First rally 2020 Rally Estonia
Last rally 2025 Rally Finland

Robert Virves (born 8 July 2000) is an Estonian rally driver. [1] He won the 2022 Junior World Rally Championship. [2] He competes for Toksport WRT in the World Rally Championship. [3]

Contents

Career

2022

At the Rally Estonia, Virves set a new record with most stage wins in the Junior WRC class in a single rally event. He won 17 stages, one more than Sébastien Ogier at the 2008 Jordan Rally. [4]

After winning the Acropolis Rally Greece, he become the 2022 FIA Junior WRC Champion. [5]

2023

For winning the 2022 JWRC championship he earned six rallies with Ford Fiesta Rally2 car, supported by M-Sport. He also partnered with RedGrey Team to participate in more rallies outside World Rally Championship. His 2023 World Rally Championship season mostly was a failure. Finishing in points only in two rounds out of six with his best result in Estonia, when he finished in sixth place in WRC2 class. He ended the season with two retirements in Finland and Greece and leaving him in 28th place overall in WRC2 class.

2024

Having trouble of finding sponsors, Virves made his first start of the season in Rally Sardegna. He finished both rallies in Sardegna and Poland in eleventh place overall, but in Poland he got his first WRC2 podium finishing in third place. Showing great speed and consistency he also got to drive in Finland. In Finland he was holding third place when his bonnet came up during the stage and lost many places. After that the Estonian rally fans started a campaign to fund Virves driving in Greece. [6] Virves was fighting for the victory in Greece and finished the rally exactly the same time as Sami Pajari. Since Pajari was faster than him in the SS1, Virves was left second. [7] Regardless, he finished the rally in fifth place overall.

2025

In January 2025, it was announced that Virves signed a contract for a full season drive in 2025 WRC with Toksport WRT. [8] He had a terrible start to the season as he had not scored a single point after Portugal. Virves finally scored his seasons first points in Sardegna and Greece, finishing seventh and eighth in WRC2 class. For next round in Estonia in his home event, Virves won the rally in front of Linnamäe and took eight stage wins. It was his first win WRC2. [9]

Rally victories

WRC2 victories

#EventSeasonCo-driverCar
1 Flag of Estonia.svg 2025 Rally Estonia 2025 Flag of Estonia.svg Jakko Viilo Škoda Fabia RS Rally2

WRC2 Challenger victories

#EventSeasonCo-driverCar
1 Flag of Estonia.svg 2025 Rally Estonia 2025 Flag of Estonia.svg Jakko Viilo Škoda Fabia RS Rally2

JWRC victories

 # EventSeasonCo-driverCar
1 Flag of Greece.svg 2022 Acropolis Rally 2022 Flag of Sweden.svg Julia Thulin Ford Fiesta Rally3

Other notable victories

 # EventSeasonCo-driverCar
1 Flag of Estonia.svg Rally Estonia Nationals 2024 2024 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Craig Drew Škoda Fabia RS Rally2

Results

WRC summary

SeasonTeamStartsVictoriesPodiumsStage winsDNFPointsFinal result
2020 Private100000NC
2021 Private500000NC
2022 Private500000NC
2023 M-Sport 600030NC
2024 Private40000719th
2025 Private/Toksport 700020*NC
Total2800057

WRC results

YearEntrantCar1234567891011121314Pos.Points
2020 Robert Virves Ford Fiesta Rally4 MON SWE MEX EST
30
TUR ITA MNZ NC0
2021 Autosport Team Estonia Ford Fiesta Rally4 MON FIN CRO
51
POR
33
ITA KEN EST
34
BEL
22
GRE FIN ESP
30
MNZ NC0
2022 Starter Energy Racing Ford Fiesta Rally3 MON SWE
34
CRO
21
POR
27
ITA KEN EST
17
FIN BEL GRE
19
NZL ESP JPN NC0
2023 M-Sport Ford WRT Ford Fiesta Rally2 MON SWE
18
MEX CRO POR
Ret
ITA
17
KEN EST
14
FIN
Ret
GRE
Ret
CHL EUR JPN NC0
2024 Robert Virves Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 MON SWE KEN CRO POR ITA
11
POL
11
LAT FIN
14
GRE
5
CHI EUR JPN 19th7
2025 Robert Virves Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 MON SWE
32
KEN ESP
Ret
NC0*
Toksport WRT POR
Ret
ITA
15
GRE
14
EST
11
FIN
13
PAR CHL EUR JPN SAU

* Season still in progress.

WRC-2 results

YearEntrantCar1234567891011121314Pos.Points
2023 M-Sport Ford WRT Ford Fiesta Rally2 MON SWE
9
MEX CRO POR
Ret
ITA
12
KEN EST
6
FIN
Ret
GRE
Ret
CHL EUR JPN 27th10
2024 Robert Virves Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 MON SWE KEN CRO POR ITA
6
POL
3
LAT FIN
8
GRE
2
CHI EUR JPN 10th45
2025 Toksport WRT Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 MON SWE KEN ESP POR
Ret
ITA
7
GRE
8
EST
1
FIN
3
PAR CHL EUR JPN SAU 5th*50*

* Season still in progress

WRC-2 Challenger

YearEntrantCar1234567891011121314Pos.Points
2023 M-Sport Ford WRT Ford Fiesta Rally2 MON SWE
5
MEX CRO POR
Ret
ITA
9
KEN EST
4
FIN
Ret
GRE
Ret
CHL EUR JPN 15th24
2024 Robert Virves Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 MON SWE KEN CRO POR ITA
5
POL
2
LAT FIN
6
GRE
2
CHI EUR JPN 8th54
2025 Toksport WRT Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 MON SWE KEN ESP POR
Ret
ITA
7
GRE
4
EST
1
FIN
2
PAR CHL EUR JPN SAU 4th*60*

* Season still in progress

ERC results

YearEntrantCar12345678Pos.Points
2022 M-Sport Poland Ford Fiesta Rally3 PRT1 PRT2 ESP1 POL
13
LAT ITA
15
CZE ESP2 50th4
2023 RedGrey Team Ford Fiesta Rally2 PRT
16
CAN POL LAT
5
SWE ITA CZE HUN 26th19
2024 Robert Virves Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 HUN CAN SWE EST
2
ITA CZE GBR POL 18th28
2025 Robert Virves Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 ESP
Ret
HUN SWE POL ITA CZE GBR CRO NC*0*

* Season still in progress

JWRC results/WRC-3 Junior

YearEntrantCar12345WDCPoints
2020 Robert Virves Ford Fiesta Rally4 SWE EST
3
ITA MNZ 9th17
2021 Autosport Team Estonia Ford Fiesta Rally4 CRO
7
POR
3
EST
7
BEL
3
ESP
3
5th78
2022 Starter Energy Racing Ford Fiesta Rally3 SWE
6
CRO
2
POR
3
EST
2
GRE
1
1st130

References

  1. "Robert Virves". wrc.com. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
  2. "Virves crowned FIA Junior WRC champion". wrc.com. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
  3. "Robert Virves naaseb Sardiinia MM-rallil Škodaga võistlusrajale". 7 May 2024. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
  4. Lindsay, Alasdair (21 July 2022). "The Ogier record that was broken on Rally Estonia". DirtFish.
  5. "WRC - Virves becomes first Estonian Junior WRC Champion". Federation Internationale de l'Automobile. 12 September 2022.
  6. "Estonian fans rally for Virves' WRC2 Greece entry" . Retrieved 8 February 2025.
  7. "EKO Acropolis Rally Greece: Škoda crew Robert Virves/Aleks Lesk finishes with the same time as the WRC2 winners" . Retrieved 8 February 2025.
  8. "Finally! A brilliant opportunity for the Estonian driver" . Retrieved 8 February 2025.
  9. "Home hero Virves seals maiden WRC2 win in Estonia". 20 July 2025. Retrieved 20 July 2025.