Mikołaj Marczyk of the PFNteam100 team at the finish line of the ORLEN 78th Rally Poland. After nine years, the victory in this legendary rally goes again to the Polish crew. First place in the general classification of the European Rally Championship!

As part of the PFNteam100 project, the Foundation provides assistance to a talented young rally driver. Mikołaj Marczyk, a rally racer for the Orlen Team and also PFNteam100, a double Polish rally champion, is going higher, already taking part in the WRC2 World Championship this year.

One of the statutory objectives of the Polish National Foundation is to support Polish sport and thus promote our country on the international stage. Over the past few years, we have helped more than 400 athletes who have won a total of almost 600 medals at the European Championships and World Championships. At the last Olympics in Beijing, out of 14 medals won by Poles, 9 belonged to the beneficiaries of the Polish National Foundation. Our team has recently been joined by champion rider Miko Marczyk.

This year, Miko Marczyk will be preparing to compete in five rounds of the 2022 WRC2 World Championship. Following the Rally of Portugal, Rally of Sardinia, these will include the Rally of Estonia, Rally of Finland and Rally of Catalonia. Mikołaj will demonstrate his best driving skills behind the wheel of a Skoda Fabia Rally2 Evo.

This year’s WRC2 season started on 19 May with Rally Portugal. Those familiar with the sport classify this race as one of the toughest of the season. It features some of the fastest speeds of the season and is made up of around 300 kilometres of special stages. Including the connecting roads, each driver has to cover around 1,500 kilometres.

Mikołaj Marczyk emphasised that: „Entering into cooperation with the Polish National Foundation is an honour for me and a very important support for the organisation of my debut season competing in the WRC2 World Rally Championship. The national support is also in line with my mission to achieve the best possible results and represent Poland on the international stage among competitors from all over the world. As a Pole I am proud to represent the white and red colours abroad, which is why I am glad that with the support of the Polish National Foundation I will be able to achieve better results. I will use the funds from the Polish National Foundation to organise my participation in the World Rally Championship in the WRC2 category.”

„The PFNteam100 project has always supported the best Polish young athletes. Just look at the names of the PFN sports family to see the huge success of the programme. Miko Marczyk joining the PFNteam100 is a natural consequence of supporting the best, whose successes contribute to the promotion of Poland. Winning the ORLEN 78th Rally Poland | Rally Poland and after 9 years winning this legendary rally by a Polish crew is a great beginning of cooperation. I am convinced that we can look forward to classifying further successes in the European Rally Championship. Our foundation programme is a unique way of telling the story of Poland from the perspective of the victories of Polish athletes. I congratulate Miko and wish him further success”

— said Dr Marcin Zarzecki, President of the Board of the Polish National Foundation.

„The Polish National Foundation was very enthusiastic to be involved in the cooperation with Mikołaj Marczyk - the best Polish rally driver. Investing in Miko Marczyk’s development and improving his skills is an important part of ensuring Poland’s good image in the international arena. Miko Marczyk’s successes in the World Rally Championship in the WRC2 category are proof that with hard, everyday work and full commitment you can make your dreams come true. I am convinced that thanks to the support of the Polish National Foundation, fans around the world will be able to celebrate more victories for the best Polish rally driver. This is what I wish for you and for myself”

— said Michał Góras, vice-president of the board of the Polish National Foundation.

So far, Miko can boast of huge successes. Here’s a reminder of the most important ones from 2022 and some from previous years:

Janusz Kulig and Marian Bublewicz Memorial Rally - 1st place in the general classification

Rally Valasska - 2nd place in the general classification of the Slovak Rally Championship

World Championship - Rally Croatia - 5th place in the junior classification ( WRC2 junior)

World Championship - Rally Portugal - 2nd place in the junior classification ( WRC2 junior )

World Championship - Sardinia Rally - 6th place in the junior classification ( WRC2 junior )

European Championship - Rally of Poland - 1st place in the general classification, 1st place in the European Rally Championship, 1st place in the Polish Rally Championship

2021 season - Champion of the junior category of the European Rally Championship - Michelin Talent Factory. Starts in the full cycle of the FIA ERC European Rally Championship and in the Profiauto RSMP Polish Rally Championship.

2020 season - Joining Orlen Team. Starts in the full series of the FIA ERC Junior European Rally Championship.

2019 season - Youngest ever Polish Rally Championship champion.

2018 season - Involvement in the Škoda Polska Motorsport factory team, established on the initiative of the brand’s Polish importer. Behind the wheel of the top rally design, the ŠKODA FABIA R5, Mikołaj Marczyk wins the V-ce Polish Rally Championship in his debut season.

In the 2017 season, the driver made his debut on the routes of the Polish Rally Championship with the Subaru Poland Rally Team. Under the guidance of specialists who have trained drivers such as Leszek Kuzaj and Kajetan Kajetanowicz, among others, Mikołaj reached for the title of Polish Rally Champion in the Open N class, going down in history as the youngest winner of this classification. In the season-ending Warsaw Barbórka Rally, he took 4th place, and on the famous Karowa Street he checked in on the third step of the podium.

In 2016, he competed in the Silesian Rally Championship series behind the wheel of a Honda Civic Type-R. In just his second start, he won the Castle Rally, and ended the season with the title of Vice-Champion in the RO1 class and Second Vice-Champion in the RSMŚl general classification. During the December „Barbórka” he started with a Subaru Impreza WRC, recording times in the top ten of the rally as a rookie. In 2013-15 Miko enjoyed triumphs in the karting arena, and also won the general classification of the Power Stage Bednary rallysprint series. He became Polish Indoor Karting Champion three times in a row and also competed in the World Karting Championship, where he finished 12th out of 127 entrants.

The WRC World Rally Championship is the highest category of rallying in the world. Competing in this rally series means promoting Poland in many parts of the world and, in the case of this project, demonstrating the capabilities of the Polish sportsman. Nor is it the first time we can watch Poles competing in this category. For the first time the World Champion in the WRC2 category in 2013 was Robert Kubica and six years later the second place on the podium was taken by Kajetan Kajetanowicz.

Tłum. K.J.