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By: Luke Barry | DirtFish

DirtFish learns about Norbert and Francesca Maior’s relationship in and out of the car, and what’s next for them

World Rally Championship drivers having siblings that also compete is far from a rarity.

World champions like Colin McRae and Petter Solberg fall into the category – their brothers, Alister and Henning, even competed against them in period.

It happens at all levels, and in all time periods. Take today’s M-Sport Ford drivers Adrien Fourmaux and Grégoire Munster as another example. Adrien’s brother, Maxime, rallies in France while Grégoire’s, Charles, made it two Munsters on the start-line of this year’s Safari Rally Kenya – albeit in different classes (Rally1 and Rally2).

But how many siblings can you name that actually competed together as opposed to against each other?

Gilles and Hervé Panizzi are perhaps the most famous family duo, as the French brothers claimed seven WRC wins for Peugeot. But that was over 20 years ago.

Rally di San Remo 2002
Gilles (right) and Hervé Panizzi were a formidable duo on asphalt rallies in a Peugeot 206 WRC

Today, Norbert and Francesca Maior are unique.

Winning last year’s Junior ERC in emotional, last-gasp fashion, the brother and sister pairing were rewarded with a season in Junior WRC for 2024. Two podiums and a win to see out the season in Greece lifted them to second in the championship and proved they were more than up to the task.

But what is it actually like competing with your brother/sister?

How they joined forces
Norbert and Francesca’s rallying story begins with their father Robert, who has competed semi-regularly in their native Romania over the years.

But Norbert, two years Francesca’s senior, was the true inspiration for Francesca to start rallying. Not that she ever thought she’d end up sharing a car with him.

“He started karting when he was like six or seven years old and in that moment, I was just like a little kid going to his races and following him,” Francesca tells DirtFish.

“I also did some laps behind him with a little kart, just trying to learn because I loved what he was doing, and then when he started to do rally, he was 16 I was 14, and I was like ‘OK if he’s doing rally I have to do it as well to try at least’ and I did some laps in a test with him and with some other drivers and I said I love it!

Norbert and Francesca never originally had plans to compete together

“And then I started to work for it. In the beginning we didn’t really think about going together or something like that because he needed a co-driver that had more experience because he was young also, and I had no experience at that point.”

This was 2017, Norbert’s third season behind the wheel, while Francesca started her first rally alongside her dad before sitting with other drivers. But with just one season of co-driving under her belt, a decision was made.

“Norbert needed a co-driver,” Francesca says, “and I love to work for it, I love to grow.

“So we just started to be in the same car, and then we realized that we have a big passion, like both of us, so we can work for it. And he helped me a lot to grow up in co-driving, and then we just decided it’s working in a good way, so we can keep going.”

They’ve formed a formidable partnership ever since, winning countless class titles in Romania before clinching the Junior ERC title in 2023 which elevated them to the world championship this term.

Is it an advantage?

Anyone fortunate, or unfortunate, enough (delete as appropriate…) to have a sibling is well aware of how fickle a relationship that can be.

One minute you’re best friends, the next you’re stern enemies.

That adds an extra complexity to the already-important bond between driver and co-driver, so is it actually a benefit to Norbert and Francesca?

“Now it’s really good because we know each other so well and, I don’t know, we connect [with] each other in the car, we trust each other and it’s really nice,” Francesca explains.

“We have also moments, because everybody is asking us, yes, we have also moments that we fight and everything. But we move on fast. It’s like a one-minute, two-minute fight and then it’s like nothing happened and we keep going.

“Yeah, it’s a really nice relation that we have in the car and I think it’s really helpful that we are brother and sister because even if we fight, even if something is not working well, we are there for each other and we love it.”

The big advantage of Francesca is she wants to be in the rally car maybe more than me

Norbert agrees.

“I always said that it was the right decision [to compete together] because I’m not sure the other drivers how [they] are doing or the thinking, but for me the most important thing for a co-driver is that they want it more than me to be there,” he tells DirtFish.

“This is the most important: the passion. For example, if the schedule is complicated, we need to watch the video at two o’clock in the morning, three o’clock in the morning, we need to do it, so we need to have passion to do it. If you are tired or something like this, we are a team and we need to think in the same way.

“So the big advantage of Francesca is that point – that she wants to be in the rally car maybe more than me, or at least at the same level. Starting from here, from that point, everything can be improved, everything can be done well and we can grow together.”

That’s not to say it’s always been straight-forward.

“Of course, at the beginning it was not easy because you need experience, you need kilometers in the car to feel the pace, to feel the voice that you need to read the pacenotes and so on,” Norbert continues.

“So it was not easy at the beginning but now I think that Francesca is a top level co-driver and I’m really happy to have her in my car, because also in our country it’s difficult to have a co-driver and for me it’s not a good thing to change the co-drivers every time.

2024 was Norbert and Francesca’s seventh season together in the car

“So to have the same co-driver [for] many years, it’s a big advantage because we are starting a rally and everyone knows exactly what they need to do. Our jobs are really simple because on the rally Francesca is doing everything, and outside the car I am trying to manage everything, to get the sponsors, to have meetings, to organize tests and so on.

“So my job is to drive and to manage to get at the rallies. After we are on the rally location, Francesca is the boss and she knows every time what we need to do.”

Has rallying affected their brother-sister relationship?
Competing with a sibling is more common at the lower levels of rallying, but it’s far more pressurized doing so in the WRC at a professional level as part of Romania’s Napoca Rally Academy.

So how has Norbert and Francesca’s professional relationship affected their actual relationship?

“I think outside of the car we have just become more, let’s say, mature,” Francesca believes. “So we are more like grown [up] people.

“We don’t have any more those little fights that we had when we were little outside of the car. So now we are just… I don’t know, we can count on each other in any moment.”

Despite spending lots of time together, Norbert and Francesca are able to enjoy each other’s company

Norbert laughs: “But to be clear we are not staying together every time because we are living in different cities!”

Time apart from each other is important to keep their relationship healthy – just like with any other driver and co-driver pairing.

“This season like 90% of the time we were together because we would keep moving from one rally to another,” Francesca adds.

“So we spent really a lot of time together. Probably this winter we will want a little break from each other!”

The benefit of competing together though is the lack of any sibling rivalry. Any success for Norbert is also success for Francesca, and vice versa. That’s special for the entire Maior family, let alone the two inside the car.

For Norbert it often acts as an extra source of motivation.

“It’s special because, you know, not every time the things are looking great and we need to work a lot, working and working and working and maybe in one moment you are asking yourself why you are doing all these things and sometimes the answer is that Francesca is there, Francesca wanted to be there,” he says.

Norbert and Francesca motivate each other if one is losing hope

“My family, our family goes to the rally so it’s a tradition in our family, and sometimes when I feel that it is really difficult, maybe I have a boost of motivation because of Francesca and my family to be there.

“So it’s special and sometimes it motivates me to do all the things.”

“Yes,” Francesca concurs, “since I was little, I loved to be around Norbert and with my family and we were everywhere together. So I think this is really, really nice because sometimes siblings, when they grow up, they start to separate [from] each other to be, I don’t know, everyone in their own job or in their own private life.

“But for us it’s different because we are together like a lot of time and we really enjoy the time together even if we are in rally, even if we are just home and I don’t know. We enjoy to be together and to be in the same car, to achieve good results.

“And even when we don’t achieve results and we just have a, as Norbert said, a bad time, we’re there for each other and somehow we keep going. Sometimes we say ‘oh, this is so hard’ or one of us wants to… not give up, but you know that moment when you are just tired and you want a little break?

“The other one will say, ‘no, you cannot have any break. We need to keep going and to keep pushing because this is our dream’. So we like this.

“We are really happy and grateful to have these opportunities because we can be together a lot of time and we can have the same passion and we love this.”

What’s next?

Having flown high in Junior WRC this year, the plan is more of the same next year

Their biological bond is a unique aspect of the Norbert and Francesca Maior story, but it is not what defines them as a rally crew. Results are, and so far things are going swimmingly.

Considering they had not done any WRC events prior to this season, and had never competed in a four-wheel-drive car before, to finish second among such a competitive Junior WRC field – and win Acropolis Rally Greece – is a huge endorsement of their talents.

The Acropolis was a particularly special victory, as after a crash at the previous round in Finland their entry was far from guaranteed. Norbert told M-Sport Poland’s Maciej Woda to proceed preparing the car, but at that point he didn’t have the budget to compete.

It was a risk, but through tireless work they were able to make the start.

“It was the right decision,” Norbert smiles.

“That result was really special because after winning the Junior ERC for sure I didn’t thinking that we can do some nice result this year, because imagine: it was first time with four wheel drive car, first time in WRC so all new, so it’s really special and I really hope that somehow next year we will do something similar because it feels like we can.

“This is the main thing. Every rally it feels like we can. It feels like maybe if we are doing more test kilometers maybe we can be there in the top position, but it is the way we are doing.

Maior Norbert, Jürgenson Romet, Rensonnet Tom
Norbert and Francesca are busy working on making sure they visit a WRC podium more often

“So I don’t want to complain, it’s just the fight every day to be there and to prove that we can, because this is the most important goal for us, to prove that we can show also speed, we can show also great result, but step by step we are working every day to it.”

A Junior WRC 2025 is the plan again for the program, and it’s what they deserve.

“We need to say a big, big thank you to everyone that made this possible because as Norbert said it was really hard to be in Greece but it was really hard to be in every race,” Francesca concludes.

“Also last year to win the Junior [ERC] championship we needed a lot of support and we had it, so it’s a lot of people that did this, so it’s not only our achievement, it’s also the team, the partners, and every single people that ever just helped us with anything.

“A lot of people that worked for this, so we need to say a really big thank you, and hopefully next year we can do it even better.”

by: World Rugby

On Saturday, Aimee Barrett-Theron will run out at Allianz Stadium to become the first female match official to take charge of 40 tests.

Barrett-Theron will likely take a moment to process the achievement and may also allow herself a glance at the Allianz Stadium stands in search for her twin brother, before blowing her whistle to start England’s final WXV 1 warm-up match against New Zealand.

It is a momentous milestone for the South African referee, and former Springbok Women player, who is no stranger to breaking ground, being the first woman to take charge of Currie Cup, Super Rugby and United Rugby Championship matches.

This latest slice of sporting history has been given added significance not only by the location of the match, in Twickenham, but by the fact her great friend and fellow match official Sara Cox will join her in the 40-test club only six days later.

“It’s so special,” Barrett-Theron told World Rugby. “I actually see it in two ways. The first one is to share it with Sara Cox, who’s a really good friend of mine.

“We’ve come through the ranks together. We started reffing the sevens circuit together and into the 15s, done a few World Cups so it’s just so, so special to share it with her.

“I know when I try and get to the UK, when I have games out there, I always try to visit her because she’s just a really good person. So, it’s special in that way.

“And then the other side of it is, it’s amazing to be a part of the game for so long. I started playing in 2005 and I saw it in its real development stages and to see where it is now and to have done 40 tests, it’s just amazing because the level goes up.

“You know, from the first 10 [tests], the second 10, the third 10, and we’re at this incredible level at the moment. So, it’s just really exciting.”

Barrett-Theron and Cox first worked together at the HSBC USA Women’s Sevens in Atlanta in April 2016, the South African’s debut on the circuit, and they have pushed each other ever since.

“We chat on a regular basis. We try video calls, we’ll chat over WhatsApp,” Barrett-Theron added.

“I wouldn’t even say it’s a rivalry, we’re just two referees taking on the male dominated worlds in our respective countries. And we’ve shared some really good times together.”

Big dreams

As Barrett-Theron suggests, the women’s game has come of age in recent years with national attendance records falling like confetti across the world.

Organisers are expecting at least 40,000 – and potentially closer to 50,000 – fans to head to Allianz Stadium on Saturday for what will be the Red Roses’ third test at the iconic venue in less than 18 months.

The South African has seen that journey up close, having played at Women’s Rugby World Cup 2010 in England and then officiated at the showpiece tournament in both 2017 and 2022.

Barrett-Theron has also experienced a big crowd in Twickenham, having been in the middle when a crowd of 58,498 watched England beat France last April, a world record for a standalone women’s test.

“I always had big dreams and probably growing up, I didn’t see myself being a woman as any different,” she said.

“I’d see the men competing at the World Cup, so I was like, ‘Cool, that’s where I want to compete. I want to compete at the World Cup’. I didn’t really see gender with rugby.

“Now that the women’s game has grown so much, I’m just really privileged to be a part of that.”

Within five months of her World Series bow, and with only three tournaments under her belt, Barrett-Theron ticked off the first item on her career wishlist when she refereed at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

She has gone on to officiate a Women’s Rugby World Cup semi-final, the all-time classic between England and Canada in Auckland, and has designs on returning to England and potentially Allianz Stadium next year, selection permitting.

“Having played in a World Cup myself and then being on the other side of it, I really cherish the World Cups,” Barrett-Theron said.

“But if I can take it back to a dream that I had when I’d watched my first kind of ‘World Cup’ and the Sydney Olympics, I knew I wanted to be there one day.

“So, being able to run out at the 2016 Olympics will always be very high up there. But it’s been quite special to have quite a few milestones, quite a few really incredible experiences out there so far and I hope there’s many more to come.”

Importance of preparation

That Barrett-Theron has achieved a lot since that first sevens tournament in 2016 is clear. So, what are the secrets to her success?

“I really pride myself on my preparation for the games,” she replied. “Physical preparation, mental prep, prepping for the teams and different styles of teams.

“I’m fortunate enough to be a professional rugby referee. So, I do have the time to spend on it, and I think a lot of people don’t know how much time we do spend on it and how seriously we take it. In preparation and in review.

“It’s always tough watching yourself back on camera, but it’s something that you just get over and you take your lessons from each game, and you try to grow from there.

“So, yeah, probably a few factors around that and then just general determination, resilience with it. It’s a tough world to be in at times.

“You know, a lot of pressure on results and a lot of focus on the referee and I think I’d say my profile in general, I’m really trying to open up that side to it where I am more of a human being.

“I am very real on the field with the players. I have so much respect for them. I’m still a massive fan girl on the inside, and I hope that comes out in my performances.”

With that in mind, how does she hope people see her? “I’d like players to just be able to say, ‘Ah, it’s Aimee. It’s Aimee reffing’, you know, ‘calm, confident, comfortable. Will ref with a rugby brain as opposed to being perfectly technical’.

“I really want to try and get the most out of the game and allow the players to play the best rugby they can.”

Words of wisdom

It is an approach that has carried her far, but does Barrett-Theron have any advice for those match officials who may be starting out on their refereeing journey?

“I think the best thing to do is get your foundation right,” the record-breaking referee said. “Put in the hard work and the physical training. Make sure you pass the fitness test because on the field, especially being a woman, the first question is, can she keep up? Is she as fit as me?

“I made sure that I covered all my bases when it came to that, and if we need to reach the main standards, we reach the main standards.

“And then the other thing is to watch as much rugby as you can, but to see it not as a supporter of your team. Actually, watch the ref, watch how they move around the field, watch the signals that they make.

“I remember some of my first games, I thought I knew the signals, of course, but to actually do it yourself, I watched the video back and I was horrified. It took things like practising in front of the mirror to get the small things right.

“And then lastly, some of the best advice I got early on was, don’t try to be perfect. You know, the mistakes are the best way to learn.

“I think that’s sometimes what’s scary about reffing because you’re scared to make a mistake. You don’t want to change a game or make the wrong call and everyone shouts at you.

“Actually, sometimes [it’s OK to say], ‘Guys, I got that wrong’ or ‘I didn’t see it that way’ or ‘I missed it, sorry about that’. And you go on.

“As soon as we take that pressure off ourselves, it just allows you to be a bit more free on the field.”

Sage words from one of the best in the game.