M-Sport Ford World Rally Teams

[MentalParadox]

Joining M-Sport would only make sense for Ott and Thierry THIS year. Next year might already be too late. Remember the previous cycle? M-Sport tends to nail regulation changes, but after 1-2 years the big budget teams inevitably overtake them. M-Sport was really good with Ogier in 2017-2018, but from 2019 onwards that pace was gone (Ogier timed his departure well). I'm afraid it's already over for M-Sport. The advantage they have in 2022 is smaller than many expected it would be, and they are already not the fastest car anymore - clearly Toyota is. What M-Sport need to be able to compete long-term beyond the first year of every cycle, is FULL support from Ford. Bring back Ford World Rally Team.

[Fast Eddie WRC]

Sadly Ford (Europe) is struggling big-time and is rumoured to be closing factories and even ending production of certain models (Fiesta and Focus). Sales of such traditional cars continues to fall drastically as sales are taken by SUVs and cheap Asian cars. The chances of M-Sport becoming a full factory-backed rally team are even less now than before.

[EstWRC]

damn i dont get this SUV popularity by humans, killing the other car models, sad

[Fast Eddie WRC]

damn i dont get this SUV popularity by humans, killing the other car models, sad

Strong marketing of these bigger cars (which make more profit), plus human nature that associates higher/larger.with stronger/safer is mainly to blame.

In Ford's UK case, the Puma now outsells the Fiesta 3 to 1 and the Kuga outsells the Focus.

https://www.motor1.com/news/593700/f...tion-end-2025/

[bandit12]

damn i dont get this SUV popularity by humans...

Have you ever had one?

[EstWRC]

Have you ever had one?

No, but I have had quite a lot of experience driving them for years at my previous workplace

Also, two years ago when I started to look for a new car, I tried some of them at the markets here. Yes, the higher seating position is a good thing with a better view, that I really like but doesn’t get my buying one instantly

But more room? Most of them, especially the smaller ones like Kuga and Puma for example, don’t have more room than Mondeo, Passat and Superb for example, especially the boot.

But anyway, that’s just me. Im not the target audience or I’m just not that old yet.

Sorry for getting off topic. Don’t like to do that. My last post regarding this

[mknight]

https://dirtfish.com/rally/wrc/what-...driver-lineup/

Picks:
“We signed Craig for a reason, for consistency and results over the course of a season."

"I would only really change the lineup if we had someone who we think can win the championship."

“The other two teams are… anybody driving for the other two teams would have to make a serious commitment to come to us because we’re in a very different position to them."


---
So in shorts:.
They didn't sign Breen to fight for championship but for consistency and results. (which are not happening atm).

But...they will only change if they can get someone who can fight for championship.

Isn't that a contradiction since he admits Breen is not delivering what he was signed for?

(For the record I don't think the main problem is Breen himself. I think the problem is that Breen is the lone driver expected to bring results, if they had at least two Breen would improve as well).

The other funny part is saying that all the other drivers are "performing"......by best stage or split times (likely meaning Fourmaux). So now splittimes are the goal....

The last part is basically saying they are a B-team. Which is clear to everyone, but interested to now see them openly admitting it.

[wyler]

https://dirtfish.com/rally/wrc/what-...driver-lineup/

Picks:
“We signed Craig for a reason, for consistency and results over the course of a season."

"I would only really change the lineup if we had someone who we think can win the championship."

“The other two teams are… anybody driving for the other two teams would have to make a serious commitment to come to us because we’re in a very different position to them."


---
So in shorts:.
They didn't sign Breen to fight for championship but for consistency and results. (which are not happening atm).

But...they will only change if they can get someone who can fight for championship.

Isn't that a contradiction since he admits Breen is not delivering what he was signed for?

(For the record I don't think the main problem is Breen himself. I think the problem is that Breen is the lone driver expected to bring results, if they had at least two Breen would improve as well).

The other funny part is saying that all the other drivers are "performing"......by best stage or split times (likely meaning Fourmaux). So now splittimes are the goal....

The last part is basically saying they are a B-team. Which is clear to everyone, but interested to now see them openly admitting it.

I don't see any contradiction. Everybody knows that breen is not a championship contender, so of course, they want him deliver podiums and points to be in the mix with the manufacturer team. that's the aim foe m-sport.

of course they will not change breen for another breen-like driver. top tier drivers are unlikely to downgrade to m-sport, so why change? there's no assurance unemployed drivers will do better (and established drivers like lappi and suninen didn't shine with them either at their time...)

on developing drivers, i think it is normal that the references are scratchs and splits. they have to invest in people that show raw potential to be among the fastest, and splits are a good way to check. they have no experience to match the top drivers on a whole rally, but they're looking for raw signals while developing drivers. is the same as they always did. hard to say they didn't have results. besides championship material like tanak and evans, even a "failure" as camilli still has a consistent career in lower tiers. last, looking at raw splits and scratches m-sport youngsters are doing better than solberg and often competing with katsuta.

[Fast Eddie WRC]

The interview confirms what I've been saying all along - it's all about money and they're without full (Ford) factory support versus two mighty automotive powerhouses.

“But at the same time, compare our driver bill to the others and I think we still do well with where we are with the resources we have.”

Millener doesn’t believe there are currently any drivers available on the market that could win M-Sport the championship.

“Not at the moment that we would have any ability to get hold of… anybody driving for the other two teams would have to make a serious commitment to come to us because we’re in a very different position to them. If you’re looking at the whole picture, why would anyone want to leave the other teams who have got very good visions for the future of where they’re going to be at [and] very good resource.”

[doubled1978]

It really is a shame as while he says they don’t want to give the impression they have no hope unless Seb turns up, that is actually the reality currently. He could easily have been top 3 in each event he has contested this year, and may well be right in the mix in Greece too.
It’s a pity Breen hasn’t delivered much this year so far, while he isn’t a top tier guy, he is better than what he has shown so far this season.
I am believer that Fourmaux will come good at some point, but he clearly is holding back trying not to bin it after the start of the season he had, but sadly is still having these small errors that knock him back. Greensmith is what he is, a pay driver doing ok but nothing more.
Like Millener says though, it will take a serious commitment from one of the elite guys to go to MSport at the moment, so really we are looking to Breen to be at his best for the remainder of the season and see if he can grab a few more podiums and maybe sneak a win when circumstances favour.