M-Sport Ford World Rally Teams

[er88]

about drivers for next year...


I see nobody hasnt mentioned Sordo or Breen. We know that Hyundai has Tänak and Neuville, also Solberg, so for 3rd car the competition is between Solberg, Sordo and Breen. If they are sharing the 3rd car again, then there isnt rallies for them all. Adamo has also said in couple of interviews that he isnt sure he will continue with the sharing tactitcs next year.

Although i think you could rule Sordo out because he doesnt want to do whole season but didnt he say something else lately on dirtfish or somewhere?

If i would be Breen then i would definitely take the opportunity

Yeah Breen needs a full season now, he can't just keep doing the fast rallies. If I was him I would be speaking to Malcolm to see what's possible. We still haven't seen the best of him.

[Fast Eddie WRC]

Dirtfish on the Puma at Goodwood:

Basically, it’s the front end of a Puma bolted to the rear of M-Sport’s test car. What’s coming at the actual unveil will be different from the b-pillar backwards. Not massively different, but different. That’s when it’s all Puma.

[mknight]

Breen still has not done a decent result on anything than a fast gravel/snow rally, in Hyundai he only had two opportunities so far (2019 GB and Croatia this year) one more coming in near future (Ypres).
So he might come into consideration after Ypres.

What I remember is that Malcolm seemed quite negative about employing Breen at the end of 2018 when he was dropped by Citroen and Malcolm was pressed on that during some public meeting. Hard to read Malcolm, but Breen did not get a spot at MSport at that time.


I think Adamo's comments about maybe not sharing 3rd car were based on the idea that Solberg in 3rd car will do well on all rallies.
Safari probably calmed those thoughts a bit for the time being.

[er88]

Yeah Malcolm has the problem now that it seems he will have to sign a driver he seemingly doesn't rate fully.

Lappi - was let go because he couldn't pay, which wouldn't have happened if MW was fully convinced by him. Now he's looks set to join Toyota instead.

Breen - drove Fiestas for years, worked his way through Swrc and ERC etc, but never really seemed like an option Msport considered to give a full wrc drive to.

Mikkelsen - could've been signed at any point during the last few years, but even with some budget it wasn't enough to secure a drive this year at Msport. When MW was asked about signing him, he blew the question off and said he wanted a top 4 driver but would "keep an eye" on wrc2 this year....

Ostberg - bad blood there. A non starter unless Ostberg wants to fully fund a drive there again (beyond unlikely now).

Meeke - too old for a typical Msport signing. Again, as a young british driver Malcolm didn't give him one single opportunity, or even when Meeke became a proven event winner and a driver with top speed.

Paddon - could've been picked up by Msport at any point in the last few years. Only chance he "would've" got was in Finland, which was because Paddon found backing. Been out the wrc picture for too long now I feel, whereas other drivers are competing in wrc2/erc.

[Fast Eddie WRC]

Puma Hybrid explained
https://youtu.be/DEY9W65LsZU

[er88]

Joke of an operation if they stick with their current driver lineup. All this publicity and backing from Ford is all well and good, but if their drivers are many minutes of the pace next year then.....

[Fast Eddie WRC]

@MSportLtd
It’s a huge privilege to have CEO & President of Ford Motor Company, Jim Farley, unveiling the all-new M-Sport Ford Puma #Hybrid Rally1 on its public debut here at @fosgoodwood to both Goodwood and Worldwide fans. This truly is a key moment in Ford’s rally history proving that electrification can be brought to the most prestigious form of motorsport.

[AndyRAC]

Since when has rallying been the most prestigious form of motorsport? And can only attract 3 manufacturers..... Don't you just love PR??

[macebig]

Don't think a Ford CEO has appeared in WRC related presentations since Nasser. Significant gesture.

[denkimi]

Yeah Malcolm has the problem now that it seems he will have to sign a driver he seemingly doesn't rate fully.

Lappi - was let go because he couldn't pay, which wouldn't have happened if MW was fully convinced by him. Now he's looks set to join Toyota instead.

Breen - drove Fiestas for years, worked his way through Swrc and ERC etc, but never really seemed like an option Msport considered to give a full wrc drive to.

Mikkelsen - could've been signed at any point during the last few years, but even with some budget it wasn't enough to secure a drive this year at Msport. When MW was asked about signing him, he blew the question off and said he wanted a top 4 driver but would "keep an eye" on wrc2 this year....

Ostberg - bad blood there. A non starter unless Ostberg wants to fully fund a drive there again (beyond unlikely now).

Meeke - too old for a typical Msport signing. Again, as a young british driver Malcolm didn't give him one single opportunity, or even when Meeke became a proven event winner and a driver with top speed.

Paddon - could've been picked up by Msport at any point in the last few years. Only chance he "would've" got was in Finland, which was because Paddon found backing. Been out the wrc picture for too long now I feel, whereas other drivers are competing in wrc2/erc.

there are no drivers available who could win the championship.

so what he needs are drivers who could win a rally, and then meeke would be my first choice.