Young Australian driver Molly Taylor has signed a major deal to
tackle the Junior World Rally Championship.
Molly will compete this year with D-Max Racing, an Italian-based
company that manages motorsport programs across Italy and Europe
for customers driving Citroën rally cars.
The 25-year-old Sydneysider will contest the year in a
Citroën DS3 R3T, the same model she drove to success
in last year's European Rally Championship (ERC), to become the
Number One-ranked female rally driver in the world after taking
victory in the inaugural ERC Ladies Trophy.
Marketing pressures have seen Molly part company with long-time
British co-driver Sebastian Marshall. Keeping it in the family, she
will be joined in the car by her mother, Australian champion
co-driver, Coral Taylor.
"I asked Seb how he would feel wearing a wig and a skirt but he
didn't feel it would suit him," Molly joked.
"However, he understands the commercial reality of what I have
to do. He is a first-class co-driver and I will miss having him in
the co-driver's seat. I wouldn't be where I am without him, but I'm
also mindful that to take the next step in my career, I need to be
in a position to attract the commercial partners to make this
happen.
"Equally I'm excited to share this next stage of my professional
development with my mother, who has had my back since I first
stepped into a car. She is arguably the best co-driver in
Australia, plus she has had World Rally Championship experience -
and no-one knows me better."
Coral Taylor, who has partnered Toyota's Neal Bates to four
Australian Rally Championship crowns, understands the marketing
appeal of an all-female team and she is looking forward to 'calling
the corners' for her daughter.
"I have admired all the hard work Molly has put into her rally
career and I have had the occasional opportunity to compete with
her in the past so I know what she is capable of. I'm really
looking forward to Portugal."
D-Max Racing Team Principal Max Beltrami has confirmed that
taking part in the WRC with Molly is a great opportunity and a big
reward for his young team.
"We want to be ready to fight together with Molly and Coral to
achieve the best possible result. We've already had a test session
with Molly and she immediately found the support of the whole team.
I hope she will feel at home with us during this season."
Molly's 2014 program includes Vodafone Rally de Portugal (April
3-6), Lotos Rally Poland (June 26-29), Neste Oil Rally Finland
(July 31-August 3), ADAC Rallye Deutschland (August 22-24), Rallye
de France-Alsace (October 3-5) and Wales Rally GB (November
14-16).
"I'm really looking forward to getting back in the car," Molly
says.
"It has been a very busy four months to get us to this position
and I'm really grateful to Michèle Mouton and Fabrizia
Pons from the FIA Women In Motorsport Commission and my advisor,
Piercarlo Capolongo, who have been instrumental in getting my 2014
program together."
Molly moved to Europe in 2009 to build her rally career after
winning several class championships in Australia. In 2011, she was
one of six young drivers to win a scholarship in an international
shootout between 18 drivers from around the world.
That gave her a fully funded drive in the WRC Academy, a junior
section of the World Rally Championship. For the last two years,
she and Marshall have contested selected rounds of the European
Rally Championship and the WRC, posting several class victories
along the way and last year's ERC Ladies Trophy.
Liz Swanton │Media Adviser
Molly Taylor Motorsport
www.mollytaylor.com.au
Telephone │ 02 9771 1277 │
International │+ 61 2 9771 1277
Mobile │ 0417 232 643 │
International + 61 417 232 643
Email │ lizswanton@hotkey.net.au