In just a few years, Max Smart has gone from zero experience on four wheels to becoming the only African in the Junior World Rally Championship, making history with podium finishes and stage wins along the way.
Cape Town, South Africa (08 October 2025) – Rallying is not for the faint-hearted. It’s not about circuits or predictable laps. More about the roaring engines and a co-driver shouting directions through mountain passes and sometimes muddy curves. For South Africa’s Max Smart, that is exactly where he feels most alive.
“Rally is quite different to circuit racing. We don’t race on a track. We race on closed public roads. Anything from gravel to ice and tarmac. It’s a team sport because I’ve got a co-driver next to me who tells me where to go. In rally, we have to try to remember 2,000 corners, not just 20 like in F1!”
In 2022, Max’s life shifted into high gear when he won the African final of the FIA Rally Star programme, earning him the one seat available for the entire continent.
“They were picking one driver from every continent of the world, and I got to represent Africa. That changed my whole life.”
After intensive training in Europe, Max made his debut in the FIA Junior World Rally Championship (JWRC), and he had already earned a podium finish. Competing against drivers with three to five times more experience, he proved he belonged.
“The biggest lesson has been believing in yourself. I’d never rallied before Rally Star, and suddenly I was up against the best juniors in the world. But I’ve still managed to get two podiums and a stage win. Just believing against the odds.”
Being the only African on the JWRC grid might sound daunting, but Max handles it with calm focus.
“I don’t really feel pressure because I just focus on the process instead of the performance. You get stuck on how well you’re doing, you get in your own head. So I just focus on improving at every corner, every stage.”
Now, all roads lead to Central Europe, where Max will compete across Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic from 16–19 October.
“It’s a tarmac rally, and at this time of year it can get really wet and slippery. It’s also the final rally of my Rally Star programme, so it’s emotional. I just want to bring together everything I’ve learnt over the last three years. One last go with this team, but definitely not my last go in the sport.”
With his mindset and talent, Max Smart is flying the South African flag while carving out a new path for African motorsport on the global stage.
Give Max a follow on his social media; he is building something remarkable and waving the flag on the global stage. We can support him every step of the way.
Sources: GTG Interview
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