Carlberg controls opening day of Junior WRC in Croatia

Mille Carlberg maintained his strong form from the season opener by securing a significant lead during Friday's opening stages of the Croatia Rally. Despite not having driven the car since his victory in Sweden, the Swedish driver claimed five stage wins to distance himself from the rest of the Junior WRC field.

Ali Türkkan emerged as the primary challenger, climbing to second overall by the end of the day after a strong afternoon loop that included two stage victories. Craig Rahill sits in third, having celebrated a personal milestone by securing his first-ever Junior WRC stage win during the morning session.

Gil Membrado follows in fourth after a measured performance, while Kerem Kazaz rounds out the top five despite a minor impact during the morning loop. The field faces a challenging Saturday with eight stages covering over 115 competitive kilometres.

In the separate WRC3 category, Türkkan holds a comfortable lead over Membrado and Kazaz. Defending champion Matteo Fontana, who initially led the WRC3 standings, saw his rally effectively end after going off the road on SS5.