Munster confirmed
https://dirtfish.com/rally/wrc/munst...25-wrc-season/
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Munster confirmed
https://dirtfish.com/rally/wrc/munst...25-wrc-season/
He's indeed a nice fella and showed signs of progress by year end, but having him lead the team is a stretch, to say the least. Unless they pull out an outstanding second driver from nowhere, this definitely looks like a "survival year" for MSport ...Quote:
Originally Posted by EstWRC
They ptobably come up with Greensmith or Loubet.. But lets hope for Sesks, Mikkelsen or LappiQuote:
Originally Posted by djip
According to Dirtfish the second driver will be announced tomorrowQuote:
Originally Posted by Krigen
If you read the article of Dirtfish, M-sport said "another promising junior crew". Therefore, from this statement, IMO it is unlikely Mikkelsen or Lappi. It is either Sesks or Turkkan (I know it is a long shot but that was the first name came to my mind when I saw the word junior and given the connections with his team Castrol Ford Team Turkey and M-sport and in addition his recent test with Rally1 in UK).Quote:
Originally Posted by Krigen
However, I dont think Turkkan will be doing a full season (instead I think, there will be some rallies in Rally1 next year for him and most of the season will still be in JWRC or WRC3)
ah mate, no oli, no sesks (probably). that sucks :(
wrc2 to be cool then, but so little coverage. is rallyTV doing the half hour wrc2 highlights still??
I wonder if it will be Josh McErlean or Jon Armstrong. Both have backing from Motorsport Ireland, and both were present in Japan with Instagram posts talking about "good experience for the future" or similar. I could definitely see one of them taking the seat, and either would be better than Munster.
Well, it seems next announcement (tomorrow?) will be bigger surprise than Munster. That´s why he was allowed to have this day in the limelight alone, going out first in the presentations.
Somebody is flying under the radar. 😁Quote:
Originally Posted by Rallyper
Turkkan has barely any R5/Rally2 experience. 6 rallies with Fiesta R5 in 2022, 1 rally with Fiesta Rally2 in 2024, for the rest of the past 2 years he drove Fiesta Rally3.
Is he really going for Rally1 without even a single season on Rally2? He probably can, money wise, but I don't know if he should.
https://www.ewrc-results.com/profile...8-ali-turkkan/
I hope the second seat will be given to Sesks, but I think Armstrong has a chance, for many years he's been works driver of M-Sport in lower classes.
If the money can be found, then it has to be Sesks after his heroics this year and experience with the Rally1 Puma.
Otherwise the Irish Rally Academy could put a big investment into one of their guys, probably McErlean.
what bout those talks about a F1 driver testing msport cars in secret? wasnt that a rumor for a few hours during this year? bottas even said it wasnt him somewhere...
Somehow, I don't think Checo Perez qualifies as "another promising junior crew" - even if it was him in the test!Quote:
Originally Posted by saco0o
McErlean is officialy announced as second driver at M-Sport for 2025
Is this the weakest lineup ever they have had?
Oh boy gonna feel them for next year
Well, must admit I did not expect McErlean to get full season, but reading bits and pieces on Irelands Academy ambitions and funding, one could expect this to happen. History shows that getting full season with M-Sport without any experience is rather risky business - you must perform, not-crash and commit to the driver financially for several years - Camilli, Greensmith, Sunninen etc. The jump from R2 to R1 is too big in everything.
If Sesks still gets some drive, it will be less pressure for him to perform at his max, not just roll till finish at 6th place.
Don't forget they still have Serderidis as back up planQuote:
Originally Posted by EstWRC
People: we need new blood on rallies, mainly in Rally1.
People too: oh no, not that new...
Super chance for him, but full season is quite a surprise..
Good. He will learn with time. Not the pressure of doing all right in less rallies.
Nice experience for Josh, but there is no sense! He showed at least some speed in WRC2 this year, but should have been at least one more season driving Rally2. Now he is learning at the same time Rally1 and new events and it will be very difficult.
At least, he already won a WRC stage. :D
https://www.ewrc-results.com/results...s=351638&sct=1
It’s the weakest line up any team has ever had.Quote:
Originally Posted by EstWRC
I really thought it would be Sesks, but I assume it was again money. Both drivers have enough backing to "outperform" Sesks in funding race. But it would be shame if both drivers would never reach more than 5th place (as I seriously believe). Don't know why, but wouldn't be next year championship way cheaper for M-Sport without Hybrid? If it's one more round excuse for that, they should skip Saudi. Maybe they lost RedBull backing, since this company almost always appears on winning teams and drivers.
Let´s be positive and hope both drivers gain experience.
I´ve been following this sport for decades and seen many drivers come and go.
One thing is for sure, it takes time to be top speed driver (there´s been exceptions) and both Munster and McErlean might as well fulfill expectations over time.
But, hey, not in RMC 2025...
Of course I agree. But giving another season to Munster at the top level is a complete non-sense. All previous young talents had been given one year at the top then demoted to lower category, and they came back very strong. But the team keep talking how good Munster is, but he isn't. Either he is slow (and make way to 5th place by many guys crash infront-years behind in time) or he bin it completely. I agree it take time to develop, but there are drivers who could achieve much more in way less time (believe me it would be cheaper). But M-Sport is in business mode and they are realistic they can't achieve anything special rather than develop drivers and then sell it to bigger teams.Quote:
Originally Posted by Rallyper
Let’s not kid ourselves about the quality or development of the chosen drivers. M-Sport have them paying to keep the Rally 1 project afloat. I hope both drivers can be competitive, but let’s be honest we can all name plenty of quicker drivers with far more potential than both.
This confirms how Rally1 was the wrong way to go if you want good numbers in WRC1 competition. Costs are just way too high for anyone except the big Manufacturer teams and those with huge personal or national MSA backing. Hopefully the 2027 Regs will allow for more gifted drivers to be able to compete at the top level.
In the meantime we need the Promoter to step in again and fund some extra Rally1 drives.
2005 Ford team: Toni Gardemaister and Roman KrestaQuote:
Originally Posted by Doon
This line up was also one of the weakest but credit to Toni, he had a good season (even exceed the expectations)
I hope Sesks will get few rounds in a 3rd Puma. But to grow, he'd need a nice full season in WRC2 where he can learn on asphalt and slower gravel rallies.
I thought Toni was really unlucky to end up out of a drive after 2005. He was never going to be a team number 1, but he would have been a good 2 or 3 in any team in my view.Quote:
Originally Posted by AE1WRC
Well Josh came right out of left field, I didn’t see that coming! If it is too early, time will tell, but he has the seat, so it’s up to him to use it now. Good luck to him.
I hope too that Sesks can get some drives as he has shown that he is worth that. Can they put a WRC2 season with a few WRC1 drives together?
this was better, Gardemeister was a decent driver compared to Munster and McerleanQuote:
Originally Posted by AE1WRC
Look, i have nothing against those drivers but M-sport is my favourite team and im just sad to see such a weak line-up for them and another survival year.
But its been like that and will be like that, what can you do
Some people here knew 2000s drivers much better than me but I think Toni was not that bad driver but unlucky with usually getting underperforming cars.Quote:
Originally Posted by AE1WRC
I am happy for McErlean, I think he has more potential than Munster to have long and solid WRC career. Solberg and then Sesks would be preferred choices in a vacuum but seems M-Sport just needs to survive season before costs will be decreased in 2027. Reminds me of Haas in F1 deciding to put Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin in their seats some years ago.
Kinda dissapointed in Latvian business not doing more to give Sesks a seat. Would be also interesting for Orlen (polish oil company involved in Latvian market) to buy a seat to share between Sesks mostly on fast gravel and Marczyk mostly on tarmac. That would be cool concept, more cool than sponsoring dinosaurs like Kajetanowicz and Martin Prokop.
There will definitely be a 3rd Puma in most (if not all rounds). Sesks will get some rounds on fast gravel.
...but only until today.Quote:
Originally Posted by AE1WRC
It's hard to even compare Munster and McErlean with Gardemaister and Kresta. Gardemeister was a former works driver for Seat and Skoda. He had several top 5 finishes in WRC, including 3rd place in New Zealand 1999. Kresta was 2 times Czech champion and also former works driver for Skoda.
Whereas Munster and McErlean have what achievements?
But I wish them both good luck and to M-Sport Ford, too, of course.
Exactly. This Ford lineup is the perfect argument against all those people who still say that Rally1 should stay.Quote:
Originally Posted by Fast Eddie WRC
We need new top drivers, not rich kids.Quote:
Originally Posted by Andre Oliveira
While we have drivers like solberg, gryazin or rossel available, we have 2 rich kids without decent track record taking the best seats.
M-sport has become a full pay to arrive and drive team, they aren't even trying anymore.
Quote:
Originally Posted by EstWRC
Even in 2006 when Toni was driving part time in Xsara (and 307), his performance was quite good (I mean not on Gronholm and Loeb level but he was right up there in terms of pace with likes of Sordo Hirvonen and Solberg).