It does seem like MW Motorsport, much like Pro-drive before them (and with some of the same key people)
are themselves not really devoted to the idea to be champignons . Drivers capable of being champignons cost a LOT of money... That seems to be in conflict with Malcolm's evident intention to MAKE lots of money and to expand the business into a grand scheme...because the big growth in all kinds of other (other than winning Whirled Rally Champignonskit title) operations didn't happen by accident or just spring up like mushrooms after a rain.
In my somewhat simplistic view and limited experience: if you want to fight for WRC wins, then fight for WRC wins with a little --sorry folks my Angleski fails me--so I use a word from when I was fighting for skills to do another motorsport--- with a little 'envishet'...That's Square-head talk and is 3 parts: 'en' = one; then 'vis' (not to be confused with fis) is 'vision' or 'view' and then the end 'het' is like ness...One-vision-ness..
(va fan säger vi på engelska?)
And if we look back at all the years of M-sport that seems to be lacking especially when we look at how guys there seem to languish and lose direction or momentum.
It seems Malcolm wants a car business empire in Cumbria and it seems he is winning that battle.
https://rallyitaliasardegna.com/2026/02/11/alghero-set-to-welcome-the-2026-rally-italia-sardegna/?lang=en
Probably should be in a new thread but main headline is the rally returns to Alghero.
Yep a shame, but there's probably not many younger rally fans that would join a forum nowadays anyway. Social media is the place they use, but you dont get proper serious discussions there.
I...
I agree. I cant see the older guys like Ogier, Neuville, Evans (& Tanak) wanting to drop down to Rally2 speed after 10 years in the WRC / Rally1 Cars.
Also a lot depends if Hyundai and M-Sport...
1 Evans 2 Lappi 3 Katsuta 4 Solberg 5 Pajari 6 Fourmaux 7 Neuville 8 Sesks COD
[WRC 2026 Pickems] R2 - RALLY...