M-Sport Ford World Rally Teams

[Fast Eddie WRC]

It's no bluff... M-Sport NEED a sponsor.

[deephouse]

Monster, Martini, Castrol, even Redbull, Rockstar, Abu Dhabi, Qatar... Where are everyone now.

[tommeke_B]

Not the best time from M-Sport. I guess last few years the massive R5 sales and service/parts made up a lot. Now that seems to be falling back, at the time they need to invest money on developing a new (proper) R5 car to secure their future.

[able1]

Monster, Martini, Castrol, even Redbull, Rockstar, Abu Dhabi, Qatar... Where are everyone now.

There are no top drivers in msprt , no sponsor will just throw money at them , they want something im return

[mknight]

There are no top drivers in msprt , no sponsor will just throw money at them , they want something im return

Yep, imo Wilsons tactic of getting drivers that pay only goes so far.
He should have gotten himself one known good driver (that can get podiums) to have something to show sponsors. Preferably also one with good marketing potential.

Slme examples that were available this year: Latvala, Lappi, Paddon and Østberg. A bit too late now imo.

[tommeke_B]

Paddon and Ostberg are still available. And I think he already has a driver that could get some podiums next year, a Finnish one.

[Tarmop]

WRC needs M-Sport more than M-Sport WRC. He got his titles, paying himself for the last or at best case scenario, 3. place in the manuf. championship, isn`t really appealing, after the previous two years, or is it?

[mknight]

Paddon and Ostberg are still available. And I think he already has a driver that could get some podiums next year, a Finnish one.

Yes but it's quite late to start getting sponsors on Paddon or Østberg now.
Suninen is not (yet) a known good driver that will attract sponsors. It's early and he is learning but on some rallies this year he was last by quite some margin.

@Tarmoo, Msport without WRC will have to fire quite a lot of people that now work on WRC cars and write off a lot of sunken costs in the cars.

[dimviii]

Not the best time from M-Sport. I guess last few years the massive R5 sales and service/parts made up a lot. Now that seems to be falling back, at the time they need to invest money on developing a new (proper) R5 car to secure their future.

you really believe that this business cant afford wrc entry?

[tommeke_B]

you really believe that this business cant afford wrc entry?

It's not about being able to afford it. It's the question if the investment is still reasonable regarding the return. With the previous generation of WRC-cars, the works cars were some sort of advertising for the sales and running of the private WRC-cars. And there were quite a few of them. Nowadays being there with a WRC team doesn't lead to selling or renting out any other WRC-cars. Maybe it's better for his business to focus on R5 and R2.

Anyway with current WRC I think history will repeat itself, costs will get out of hand and manufacturers will eventually pull out. It's not a real question if it will happen, but when...