Martin Juga spent nearly the entire 2025 RallyX season leading the CrossCar championship, but his title hopes ultimately slipped away, leaving him to settle for second place behind Thomas Eek Murstad.
On paper, the young Estonian driver from PACE Motorsport had all the right ingredients. Between Montalegre and KymiRing, he strung together an impressive streak of seven consecutive podiums. And yet, paradoxically, he never managed to claim a single win aboard his LifeLive chassis during that run.
Heading into the final stretch of the season, Juga was the clear favorite for the title. But those hopes unraveled with three consecutive eliminations at the semifinal stage.
“The turning point of the season was definitely the round in Älvsbyn,” Juga admits. “Up until then, everything was working perfectly — we had a solid grip on the fundamentals, and luck was on our side. But in Sweden, things started to go downhill. After that came Nysum, a track where I’ve never really had much luck since I started competing in RallyX. We had to deal with it and try to make the most of each day while keeping our heads high and pushing for better results every time.”
At Estering, the final stop on the calendar, the PACE Motorsport driver gave it his all — qualifying for both finals and securing a third-place finish in Race 1.
“When we arrived in Germany, we knew the potential was there — just like it was last year. Nysum had also confirmed that our starts had improved significantly, and that was clear again at Estering. Unfortunately, things just didn’t fall into place the way we’d hoped. And on a personal level, I’m probably still a bit too nice on track — sometimes it’s obvious I need to be more willing to put my elbows out.”
Despite the disappointment, Juga remains proud of the strides he made this year, believing that 2025 marked a genuine step forward in his development as a driver.
“Of course, I would’ve loved to end the season with a win and seal the championship. We had the pace to do it, but rallycross is unpredictable — that’s the nature of the sport. Still, it’s been a great season. We made real progress compared to previous years. We can be proud of what we accomplished, even if there’s that lingering bitter taste of missing out on the title. That’s the game — you have to accept it. Now we’ll see if and when I come back. I’m getting older, and beyond the budget, I also have to think about my personal and professional future. But one thing’s certain: I definitely want to return in 2026.”