Membrado, who began his career in Latvia, wins Finland's JWRC rally on Sainz's advice
18-year-old Spanish driver Gil Membrado, who started his motorsport career in Latvia, received a phone call of advice from Carlos Sainz before the final stage of the Finland rally and claimed his first JWRC victory.
Young Spanish rally driver Gil Membrado, who took his first steps in motorsport in Latvia, has claimed an emotional victory in the JWRC category of the Finland rally. Ahead of the final stage, the 18-year-old trailed Finnish driver Lévi Lasila by 3.2 seconds in the overall standings.
A call from a legend
Before the decisive stage, Membrado spoke by phone with Spanish motorsport legend Carlos Sainz, who in 1990 became the first non-Nordic driver to win the Finland rally. Sainz gave him brief but crucial advice — to push flat out and commit fully. Membrado said this advice helped him decide on an aggressive approach for the final stage.
A tense finish
The young driver said he made two mistakes during the final stage, leaving him uncertain after the finish whether he had managed to overtake his rival. Checking the results revealed that Membrado's crew had won by a narrow margin of about two seconds. He also praised Lasila's performance, describing the battle between them as extremely close.
First win of the season
The JWRC round included 20 stages in total, of which Membrado's crew won only four, including the last one. This marked his first stage and rally win in his last four events, and he now sits third in the overall JWRC standings. His team was the only Spanish crew in the entire rally. Home driver Lévi Lasila finished second, just two seconds behind, while Sweden's Kalle Karlberg took third, more than a minute off the pace.
