Ole Christian Veiby to contest the FIA Junior World Rally Championship

For his six JWRC points-scoring events, the 18-year old from Kongsvinger has nominated Rallye Monte Carlo (22-25 January), Portugal (21-24 May), Finland (30 July-2 August), France (1-4 October), Spain (22-25 October) and Wales Rally GB (12-15 November).

As a pre-season test, Veiby and co-driver Anders Jaeger will contest the forthcoming opening round of the FIA European Rally Championship – the Jännerrallye in Austria (4-6 January). They’ll also contest his native Rally Finnskog (7 February) and Rally Sweden (13-15 February).

Veiby is part of EVEN Management, which boasts drivers Andreas Mikkelsen (3rd in the 2014 WRC with Volkswagen Motorsport), Esapekka Lappi (2014 FIA European Rally Champion) and Pontus Tidemand (2013 FIA Junior World Champion) in its stable.

Having raced in Crosskarts, the Porsche Carrera Cup Scandinavia and selected rounds of the FIA World Rallycross Championship, Veiby made his FIA World Rally Championship debut in Spain last year – before taking his Citroën to an excellent 5th in class (34th overall) finish on Wales Rally GB.

Veiby said: “It is no small boy’s dream come true when everything is now ready to run in the JWRC. First and foremost, this is going to be a learning year. The experiences I gain from the 2015 season should give me a good basis for further initiatives.

“Of course I want to do the best I possibly can in every rally, but this year I’m not so keen on where I finish in the results list. I am patient and have a lot to learn. I’m still very early in my career and I want to build stone by stone, without taking any shortcuts.

“I am very happy to be working with Print Sports, as it is the same team that Esapekka Lappi was with when, in 2012, he became the youngest ever Finnish Rally Champion. I was with them at Rally Spain and Wales Rally GB last year, so I know I’m in the best hands with our Finnish friends on the team.

“I’m looking forward to starting the JWRC on Rallye Monte Carlo. It’s not possible to get a more challenging debut. The legendary rally has everything, and it is not without reason that it is described as perhaps the hardest rally in the world.”