The World Rally Championship are looking to increase female participation in the sport which the introduction of their women’s driver development programme.
The WRC are hoping to uncover new talented drivers and path a way into the series. Women have enjoyed great success as co-drivers in recent years with Reeta Hamalainen winning the WRC2 title and Enni Malkonen winning the WRC3 title, both in 2022.
However, that success has not been seen for drivers, as Michele Mouton remains the last driver to win a round of the championship back in 1982. The WRC are hoping to change that, as with their new programme, they are offering a successful applicant a fully supported seat in junior WRC for 2025.
After being inundated with applicants from drivers aged 27 and under from all over the world, the series have revealed their 15 finalists, who will take part in a three-day camp at M-Sport Poland’s headquarters in Krakow. From there, three successful candidates will participate in Rally Central Europe in Rally3 machinery in October, where one driver will be selected for the 2025 drive.
As the latest female talent is close to joining the series, Full Oversteer takes a look at the last five female drivers to participate in the WRC.
Cristiana Oprea
With her appearance at the 2022 Rally Croatia, Cristiana Oprea made history as the first ever Romanian driver to participate in the WRC and the European Rally Championship, the latter of which she currently competes in.
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Oprea drove a Peugeot 208 R2 in the RC4 (Group Rally4) class around the course in Zagreb. She would finish 56th overall and ninth in class.
Rally Croatia would turn out to be Oprea’s only appearance in a WRC event to date. The 32-year-old is the founder and administrator of “Femei în Motorsport”, dedicated to promoting women involvement in Romanian motorsport.
Maxime Wahome
With her also only competing in one WRC in her event thus far in 2022, Maxime Wahome certainly made an impression on the track.
Competing alongside her brother Jeremy, the 28-year-old entered her home event in Kenya at the Safari Rally in WRC3 machinery.
Driving a Ford Fiesta Rally3, Wahome would win her class, finishing over 25 seconds ahead of her brother in second as she finished 17th overall, Jeremy finishing in 21st.
Myriam Peretti
Perotti competed in two WRC events in 2021 in Monaco and Sardinia, and endured a difficult time in the RC4 class.
On her debut in Monte Carlo, the 39-year-old dorve a Ford Fiesta R2T National and finished eighth in class, 53rd overall.
At Peretti’s second rally in Sardinia, she would face a challenging event as her Peugeot 208 R2 suffered a mechanical failure and forced her to retire.
Patrizia Perosino
The 63-year-old veteran got her first and only chance at the WRC at her home event in Monza in 2021.
Driving a Skoda Fabia R5 in WRC3, Perosino languished down in 17th in class and over 32 minutes behind the leader Andrea Crugnola.
Perosino continues to make rallying appearances to this day, taking part in the Rally Lana in 2024 and finishing first in the female class, 37th overall.
Rachele Somaschini
Somaschini had a few cameo appearances in the WRC from 2019 to 2021, with the 30-year-old racing in five events in total.
Competing with Citroen, the Italian raced in Monaco in 2019 and 2020, finishing down in 61st and 63rd respectively.
Somaschini’s struggles would continue in her other two events in 2020, finishing 50th and 39th in her home rallies in Sardinia and Monza. She raced at Monza again in 2021 and recorded her career-best finish in the WRC with 32nd overall.