At the age of only 18 years old, Max McRae is already a third-generation rally driver from the famous McRae family. His father Alister McRae drove a total of 77 FIA World Rally Championship rallies in his career and his uncle Colin McRae won the world championship in the 1995 season. Alister and Colin’s father Jimmy McRae, who is also a rally legend, achieved rally success in Britain and also on an international level back in the glory days of rallying in the 1970s and 1980s.
Max, who grew up in Australia and has done some local rallies there but also came to Britain and Ireland during the summer to contest some rallies, including the McRae Rally Challenge, which was held in honours of his great uncle Colin. He went to Poland last week to test the Ford Fiesta Rally3 from M-Sport Poland, a car that competes in the JWRC and WRC3 classes, now he is looking to find some budget so he can afford to compete in the JWRC class in 2023 after the successful test.
“I was pretty keen to do Junior WRC anyway, but now I’ve driven the car I just know that’s where I’ve got to be. The chance to drive that car on rounds of the World Rally Championship is totally the way to go and that’s what we’re working really hard towards now.” Max said.
“To move from rallying in Australia to going to the world championship is a step up in budget, but it’s also an incredible opportunity to take experience of rallying at the highest level on surfaces and events like the snow in Sweden, the Tarmac in Croatia and then rough and smooth fast gravel in places like Sardinia and Estonia. I don’t know what the calendar will be for next year, but events like that are the dream and a special way to take experience.”
