Max Smart becomes first African to win European rally title

South African driver Max Smart has become the first African driver to win a European rally title, a milestone reached just over three years after he had never competed in rallying. The 24-year-old, a former motocross rider, took part in the FIA Rally Star programme after winning its African selection in 2022, learning in a Ford Fiesta Rally3.

Smart had no prior rallying experience when he joined the programme, and it took time to adapt. He stood on a Junior WRC podium in Sardinia on only his ninth start, and continued building from there. With Rally Star and its funding ending in 2025, he faced 2026 as a privateer, finding his own sponsors and budget rally by rally.

Smart said he and his mother worked hard early in the year to contact potential backers, describing the effort as a one-shot opportunity. "I'm just going to give absolutely everything," he said.