M-Sport Ford World Rally Teams

[Fast Eddie WRC]

Easy better than todays lineup.
He is a proven winner, thats not anything you can say about those others, exept Loeb.

Who would you prefer? Meeke? Or another paydriver?

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I dont see any great performances in WRC cars by him since VW 2016.

Breen did very well in the i20 WRC in 2021 and I accept he was the best available that were not signed up the the other top factory teams. I dont see anyone else that will guarantee better results.

[skarderud]

I dont see any great performances in WRC cars by him since VW 2016.

Breen did very well in the i20 WRC in 2021 and I accept he was the best available that were not signed up the the other top factory teams. I dont see anyone else that will guarantee better results.

Breen was the only one doing good in the Hyundai besides Neuville, not even Loeb, so that is no measure at all.
He don't work that great in the Ford, do you think?
I agree that he was an interesting choice, but maybe not as an team leader.
Mikkelsen did good in the Citröen, you have to admit, but the Hyundai didn't suit him, like all the other "bad" drivers as Loeb, Tänak, Sordo.....

The reigning WRC2 and ERC champion should get a chance in WRC1, without bringing money.
I know Mikkelsen got a offer from M-sport, but he refuses to pay to drive, and i agree in that choice.

I hope Ford put some pressure to M-sport about this pay to drive politics.

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[bandit12]

Breen did very well in the i20 WRC in 2021...

Breen did well only on fast and flowing rallyes..
Where he was in Croatia last year...
He's not bad. Just he has not had proper full season yet.

[Fast Eddie WRC]

Breen was the only one doing good in the Hyundai besides Neuville, not even Loeb, so that is no measure at all.
He don't work that great in the Ford, do you think?
I agree that he was an interesting choice, but maybe not as an team leader.
Mikkelsen did good in the Citröen, you have to admit, but the Hyundai didn't suit him, like all the other "bad" drivers as Loeb, Tänak, Sordo.....

The reigning WRC2 and ERC champion should get a chance in WRC1, without bringing money.
I know Mikkelsen got a offer from M-sport, but he refuses to pay to drive, and i agree in that choice.

I hope Ford put some pressure to M-sport about this pay to drive politics.

A few things...

Mikkelsen has had a long career and many, many chances, so why didnt he get a drive when VW quit you have to ask.

Breen hasnt started 2022 so well but its still early days and new car which another new driver would have to learn. Give him a bit more time.

ERC & WRC2 Champions ? I dont believe they are a better bet than Breen and would need to learn even more rallies.

Pay to drive - well that's because its not a full factory team and they cant afford salaries for a squad of drivers. Blame Ford, not M-Sport.
Breen is paid and he's their choice of those available and I think MW knows best who to pick and pay.

[WRCStan]

It's not so simple debate as who is a better driver, the required risk-tolerance is a lot lower at M-Sport than at Toyota or Hyundai, so if Dr.IverX was at M-Sport fighting for wins, he may get away with it for one round or two, but not 13. He'd be told to tone it down, pay-driver or salaried, even Loeb. Perhaps an owner-customer is free to fight but... oh. When have M-Sport consistently podiumed without manufacturer insurance?

[tommeke_B]

When have M-Sport consistently podiumed without manufacturer insurance?

When Neuville was driving there... Or Tänak (his last year), or Ogier.

For next year, maybe M-Sport needs Neuville or Tänak to become champion, and Neuville or Tänak may need M-Sport to become champion...

[mknight]

I dont see any great performances in WRC cars by him since VW 2016.

Breen did very well in the i20 WRC in 2021 and I accept he was the best available that were not signed up the the other top factory teams. I dont see anyone else that will guarantee better results.

Mikkelsen: 2017 Germany 2nd with C3 - best C3 tarmac result to date)
2019 - Argentina (2nd), Sardinia (3rd - epic Sunday)

There are a few extra podiums here and there, and great performances ruined by the car (Turkey 2018, Sardinia 2018).

But if you choose not to look you wont find.


Breen had zero decent results outside fast gravel/snow with the exception of Ypres 2021 where he was one of the two drivers with previous experience.

Before this season the choice between Mikkelsen and Breen was between "sure" performace around the podium (Mikkelsen) that probably won't surprise much and "risky" Breen with less experience that might surprise.

So far Breen only surprised negatively. (Here he went off again, besides no good stagetimes). On a rally where all 4 other Puma drivers had top 3 or almost top 3 times.
Sure he can still improve, after all his first 3 ralllies at Hyundai were also pretty bad.

But right now it looks kind of funny that he is the only driver getting paid at MSport.

[er88]

Breen was the only one doing good in the Hyundai besides Neuville, not even Loeb, so that is no measure at all.
He don't work that great in the Ford, do you think?
I agree that he was an interesting choice, but maybe not as an team leader.
Mikkelsen did good in the Citröen, you have to admit, but the Hyundai didn't suit him, like all the other "bad" drivers as Loeb, Tänak, Sordo.....

The reigning WRC2 and ERC champion should get a chance in WRC1, without bringing money.
I know Mikkelsen got a offer from M-sport, but he refuses to pay to drive, and i agree in that choice.

I hope Ford put some pressure to M-sport about this pay to drive politics.

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I wouldn't say Mikkelsen did good in the Citroen. He was god awful in Sardinia with an amazing road position, didn't do well in Poland (which was meant to be his best rally), but he did very well in Germany

Then went to Hyundai and said the car suited him better than the Citroen, reminded him of the Polo, but got absolutely battered by Neuville. Similar to how Ogier dominated him for years at VW in the same car.

In terms of raw pace Mikkelsen has also at times been shown up by Lappi/Suninen/Ostberg etc in wrc2, despite being the champion.


However I would still have him at Msport because he's better than Fourmaux and Greensmith. That's obvious. An Msport lineup of Breen, Mikkelsen and then a shared 3rd car of Loeb/Meeke/Suninen would've been a proper lineup.
Let "pay" drivers like Greensmith/Fourmaux/Loubet prop up the 2nd team.

As things stand, it's sad to see that Msport have built a great car but haven't put together the best possible lineup available. Don't understand why Ford are happy considering the budget and input they put into this cars development.

[er88]

Mikkelsen: 2017 Germany 2nd with C3 - best C3 tarmac result to date)

.

That's stretching though, Meeke was leading Corsica until his engine blew and won in Spain because of tarmac performance.

[mknight]

That's stretching though, Meeke was leading Corsica until his engine blew and won in Spain because of tarmac performance.

"Best result to date" which it was. Spain was later and without rain. Meeke on Corsica had half rally to go and was just starting to lose time.

Why do you always have to "adjust" the reality a bit?

Like saying Suninen beat Mikkelsen in Rally2? Like when? Here by leading with 15s before getting a puncture on friday stages that Mikkelsen never drove before?

Talk about stretching.