Fair & pretty honest assessment from Malcolm. Too many in WRC have their heads in the sand. Other motorsport categories are giving better entertainment, coverage, ROI, etc
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Fair & pretty honest assessment from Malcolm. Too many in WRC have their heads in the sand. Other motorsport categories are giving better entertainment, coverage, ROI, etc
Right, but I fear he is exchanging causes with consequences.
It's true that something is missing on the promotional side of WRC, but the ones with their heads in the sand are Ford executives.
Toyota, VW, Hyundai and Citroen will be fully committed at the beginning of a new WRC golden era, but Ford prefers to be more involved in RX (still a marginal motorsport series comparing to WRC), forgetting they are the brand with most prestigious WRC heritage!
Above all, I think Wilson words reflect his perplexity about Ford motorsport options…
Ford now have a Global motorsport programme - with Ganassi/ Multimatic running a pair of the new Ford GTs in the GTE-Pro class in the WEC. And with proper backing, and promotion. A far cry from their WRC programme; I don't remember the Ford US top brass being involved with the WRC at all.
Yep, it seems all Ford motorsport programmes are now mainly U.S. oriented: besides Nascar and the GT programme that you've mentioned, there's also the Hoonigan/Block Rallycross World Championship participation (with technical support of MSport).
But Ford is a top 5 global automaker, with a strong european position. That WEC (a 2nd level programme, like GM's Corvette) and RX participations aren't enough. They should back MSport properly and enter WRC again as a manufacturer.
Motorsport.com
M-Sport driver Mad Østberg has driven flawlessly all weekend and climbed the standings as a result.
M-Sport World Rally Team's Mads Østberg and Ola Fløene have climbed into fourth position at Rally Mexico – courtesy of an intelligent drive behind the wheel of their Ecoboost-powered Ford Fiesta RS WRC.
Tackling 152.40 competitive kilometres, the second full day of competition included a pass of the Ibarrilla stage (SS11) which has posed something of an ‘Achilles Heel’ for the Norwegian in previous years. This year however, the gravel tracks didn’t cause him any issues as he settled into a comfortable rhythm.
Driving well, Østberg has run an intelligent rally thus far. Avoiding the pitfalls that catch out a number of crews year on year, the Norwegian has driven flawlessly all weekend and climbed the standings as a result.
With the FIA World Rally Championship's longest stage in more than 30 years left to contest, his consistency means that he and Fløene are in a strong position and have the potential to capitalise further should the unforgiving stages produce any more drama tomorrow.
Mads Østberg (4th) said: "Results wise it's looking really good. We've been driving well all weekend and I've driven my best all day. We've avoided any mistakes and we're now in fourth place which would be a really good result come the end of the rally. I think it's fair to say that both myself and the team were hoping for more, but that's the way it is and we're all working hard to improve."
What development steps has the Fiesta gone through since it was born, in all aspects of the car?