[WRC] News & rumours (part III)

Malcolm Wilson is as smart as a fox, a survivor, a very intelligent businessman, like David Richards and Eddie Jordan. He has a big and successful company. Everything he says has a reason, he doesn't talk bullshit on Autosport magazine, toooo much potential customers are reading this so no errors allowed here. Every driver with a lot of budget and huge ego thinks that with a Ford WRC car he makes a chance cause the actual drivers do not perform as well as the car does, a so called VW beater. Very smart. It's a free advertisement on most prestigious motor racing&rally magazine/site. That is what I think.

You think a professional rally driver can't understand if a car is competitive or not and listen to its seller to know it?

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Originally Posted by Ounin

Malcolm Wilson is as smart as a fox, a survivor, a very intelligent businessman, like David Richards and Eddie Jordan. He has a big and successful company. Everything he says has a reason, he doesn't talk bullshit on Autosport magazine, toooo much potential customers are reading this so no errors allowed here. Every driver with a lot of budget and huge ego thinks that with a Ford WRC car he makes a chance cause the actual drivers do not perform as well as the car does, a so called VW beater. Very smart. It's a free advertisement on most prestigious motor racing&rally magazine/site. That is what I think.

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show me the source pls, can't find it on autosport.com page.

come on, the last 4 rows of the article is like someone is reading his mind, nothing he sayd, the markko märtin part, its a made up, a bad joke.

There's a question Wilson doesn't want to address : companies do no longer want to put (more) money into MSport WRC program.

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Originally Posted by Karukera

There's a question Wilson doesn't want to address : companies do no longer want to put (more) money into MSport WRC program.

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Because Ford/M-Sport are not winners, and have not been for a very long time.

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Originally Posted by RAS007

Great to see Bruno is still around. Anyone know what he is up to these days?

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Bruno is working at Goodyear in Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg. Testing road tires, giving feedback to the engineers,...

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Originally Posted by RAS007

Because Ford/M-Sport are not winners, and have not been for a very long time.

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That's right they haven't, they lost the factory support from the Ford company due to the world crisis that infected the car industry quite heavily so what's next... Wilson had to rethink its strategy into surviving mode and they went on as a private company, renting its cars to a wide range of drivers. Nothing wrong with that. M-Sport can't compete against other works teams let alone beating them and winning rallies let alone targeting the WRC title. I think Malcolm Wilson M-Sport is doing a very good job, he is making money now and providing many jobs as WRC team, as hugely successful Fiesta R5 manufacturer and as Bentley GT3 semi factory team owner. You know why the last one: big money potential on circuits even more than on rally track, so there we go again.

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Originally Posted by Ounin

That's right they haven't, they lost the factory support from the Ford company due to the world crisis that infected the car industry quite heavily so what's next... Wilson had to rethink its strategy into surviving mode and they went on as a private company, renting its cars to a wide range of drivers. Nothing wrong with that. M-Sport can't compete against other works teams let alone beating them and winning rallies let alone targeting the WRC title. I think Malcolm Wilson M-Sport is doing a very good job, he is making money now and providing many jobs as WRC team, as hugely successful Fiesta R5 manufacturer and as Bentley GT3 semi factory team owner. You know why the last one: big money potential on circuits even more than on rally track, so there we go again.

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I think if they had been able to win the driver's crown, just once even, in the last 18 years, I would feel differently. Don't get me wrong, I am a Ford fan through and through (look at my username), and I was a fan of Malcolm's when he was a driver (K202 HNO Michelin Pilot Escort RS Cosworth 1:18 model is in my study!). But, I can't help feel that perhaps Ford wouldn't have withdrawn factory support so readily if M-Sport had delivered more success over Malcolm's 18 years in charge. Maybe I am wrong; I am aware that without Malcolm, there may no Ford at all in the WRC. That is to say, I am very well aware of his immense contribution to the sport overall, and am thankful for it. Malcolm Wilson Motorsport started out as a customer preparation outfit, and I think they have returned to their roots, for reasons not entirely of their own making. The analogy that comes to mind is of a football club: if Malcolm was the manager of a football team, he would have been punted upstairs a long time ago, into a thoroughly deserved Director of Football role, due to his service to the club, but a new manager with a new approach would have been appointed a long time ago to try and deliver silverware. I am aware that this analogy doesn't translate directly to the WRC and its unique economic drivers, but hopefully you get my point…..Anyway, just my thoughts.

Edit: one last thing I'd like to say is that I dearly wish it had been different. I would have loved nothing more than for Malcolm to bring home the driver's crown for Ford with Sainz (in 1997 or in the dream team of 2001 with McRae and Delecour!) or with McRae, or with Martin, or with Gronholm, or with Hirvonen, or with Latvala, or even with Kankkunen back in 1998. Anyway, as I said, just my thoughts.

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Originally Posted by RAS007

I think if they had been able to win the driver's crown, just once even, in the last 18 years, I would feel differently. Don't get me wrong, I am a Ford fan through and through (look at my username), and I was a fan of Malcolm's when he was a driver (K202 HNO Michelin Pilot Escort RS Cosworth 1:18 model is in my study!). But, I can't help feel that perhaps Ford wouldn't have withdrawn factory support so readily if M-Sport had delivered more success over Malcolm's 18 years in charge. Maybe I am wrong; I am aware that without Malcolm, there may no Ford at all in the WRC. That is to say, I am very well aware of his immense contribution to the sport overall, and am thankful for it. Malcolm Wilson Motorsport started out as a customer preparation outfit, and I think they have returned to their roots, for reasons not entirely of their own making. The analogy that comes to mind is of a football club: if Malcolm was the manager of a football team, he would have been punted upstairs a long time ago, into a thoroughly deserved Director of Football role, due to his service to the club, but a new manager with a new approach would have been appointed a long time ago to try and deliver silverware. I am aware that this analogy doesn't translate directly to the WRC and its unique economic drivers, but hopefully you get my point…..Anyway, just my thoughts.

Edit: one last thing I'd like to say is that I dearly wish it had been different. I would have loved nothing more than for Malcolm to bring home the driver's crown for Ford with Sainz (in 1997 or in the dream team of 2001 with McRae and Delecour!) or with McRae, or with Martin, or with Gronholm, or with Hirvonen, or with Latvala, or even with Kankkunen back in 1998. Anyway, as I said, just my thoughts.

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There are two groups of people involved in rallying; on the outside are we the fans, us, press etc. etc. On the inside are the people and companies that are sending / paying bills. A totally different approach and thé factor of what's going on in rallying if we like it or not. A world championship crown is not important; it's doing the best thing with the money available. If the board of a manufacturer decides, budget is unlimited and only then you can go for the crown. When Ford US decided to pull out it had nothing to do with M-Sport successfull or not it was cold calculated decision. You can't blame Malcolm Wilson because in all his factory years something came in between like a Peugeot WRC or a Tommi Makinen and the last 1 1/2 decade there was a Sebastien virus. When Malcolm steps back a bit? I'm afraid you will put the soul out of M-Sport, also I think Malcolm loves what he does now and is still as sharp as a razor blade. M-Sport is a very successfull undependent company now. If VW or Citroen or Pug or Hyundai pulls out as well as the Abu Dhabi's and the Qatar's; only M-Sport will stand. Maybe his son do has a talent; as future CEO, time will tell.
There is only one mistake I think he has made and did cost him a title; he unnecessarily lost Petter Solberg to Prodrive Subaru when Petter was the hot guy to have.

Kris Meeke in Xsara WRC at McRae Rally Challenge 2015 - having fun and entertaining the crowd at Knockhill Racing Circuit, in ex-Colin McRae Citroen Xsara WRC .. :)

Video clip https://youtu.be/dN2z3Tt_9ac

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CFOrr9rWEAAE_zI.jpg:large

http://www.wrc.com/en/wrc/news/april...6--12-12-.html

http://www.wrc.com/en/wrc/news/may/m...8--12-12-.html