Juga ‘bummed’ to miss out on title but ‘proud’ of achievements

In many a season, five podium finishes out of six and three Top Qualifier (TQ) positions would be sufficient to clinch the coveted crown, but in the FIA European Rallycross Championship’s new Euro RX5 category in 2026, that was ultimately not quite enough. As he looks back now, however, Martin Juga is justifiably ‘proud’ of what he accomplished...

In its inaugural campaign, Euro RX5 attracted a high-calibre, 15-strong grid, and Juga was a leading contender from the outset. Arriving on the international scene as a domestic champion in both rallycross and Crosskart Rallysprint, the Estonian immediately made his mark by scorching to a full set of fastest times in the Qualifying stages in the curtain-raising contest in Rīga, only to pick up an early puncture in the Final that restricted him to a frustrated third-place finish. 

As some consolation, Juga was presented with a special €1,000 award by eight-time FIA World Rallycross Champion Johan Kristoffersson for his gritty effort in the face of adversity, and he was the driver to beat in Qualifying once again next time out at Nyirád – before similarly falling narrowly short in the all-important Final.

It would transpire to be something of a recurring theme for the talented young gun. Juga topped the timesheets in ten of the season’s 22 Qualifying Heats, placed inside the top three in seven more and only once missed the top six – when he was disqualified from Q1 at Mondello Park after the front mudguards on his Pace Motorsport-prepared LifeLive TN11 were found not to comply with technical regulations.

Even then, he produced an impressive fightback. Still languishing outside of the Semi-Final spots after Q3, the 20-year-old unleashed a heroic performance to haul himself into the reckoning, and proceeded to push title rival Armin Raag all the way in the Final on his way to scooping the runner-up spoils.

That meant just two points separated the countrymen at the summit of the standings going into the double-header season finale at Lousada, and Juga laid down a marker on the opening day by soaring to two quickest times in Qualifying and a third TQ position of the campaign – when none of his adversaries managed more than one.

And then, his ill-fortune struck once more. A flapping door proved enough of a distraction to prevent him from progressing beyond the Semi-Finals for the first time all year – at the worst possible moment. Although the Tallinn native responded with another rostrum result the next day, by then, the damage was done and the title lost – but his reputation as a star of the future in the sport remained firmly intact.

“Of course, we were bummed to lose out like that after coming so close, but we had to accept it and be proud of what we did achieve rather than dwelling on what we didn’t!” reflected Juga, a member of the current Team Estonia Autosport intake.

“When I look back at the season as a whole, I feel honoured to have gotten the opportunity to compete in such a prestigious series with our small three-person team – my father, my mechanic and myself – and achieve five podiums, a lot of fastest laps, a bunch of hole-shots at the starts and even the seventh-best time overall in FP1 at Höljes (ahead of 22 of the Euro RX1 protagonists), which showed we had the speed to play with the big boys!

“The level of competition was very strong throughout, and the title fight with Armin [Raag] was neck-and-neck, which made things really interesting and fun. We were on-point in the Qualifying races and unfortunately ended up just one podium away from six-out-of-six. I’m still not sure why we were never able to secure the top spot in a Final, although we did encounter a lot of ill-fortune. Our speed was always there, but in rallycross, we all know luck plays a big role, too.

“Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, and while the last two rounds in Portugal were a bummer for me with horrible luck at the starts in the races that truly mattered, it was really cool to take P1 and P2 in the championship for Estonia, which shows that as a nation, we’re capable of doing big things!

“⁠I don’t yet have a good picture of our plans for 2027, but we’re working hard to raise the budget to return – because my dream for next year is to get back behind the wheel and try to give it even more!”