It is, however, difficult to set major expectations for success for the British team. Latvian driver Mārtiņš Sesks is still gaining experience in the top class, and the team’s full-season drivers, Grégoire Munster and Josh McErlean, have yet to show the ability to challenge the leading stars of the World Rally Championship.
Jourdan Serderidis will also be competing in Sardinia in M-Sport machinery, though he is primarily focused on enjoying the experience. Temperatures of over 30 degrees Celsius are forecast for the rally weekend in Sardinia, so the enjoyment inside the sauna-like cockpit of a Rally1 car may at times be in short supply.
“Sardinia is always one of the toughest challenges of the year and it looks like next week’s event will be no different. With the weather we’re set to have, managing the tyres and the temperature inside the car is going to be the main challenge,” M-Sport team principal Richard Millener emphasises.
“Our crews are well-prepared for the rough gravel conditions after Rally de Portugal a few weeks ago, and after a positive pre-event test in Sardinia we are looking forward to making more progress during the rally next week.”
A step forward is especially hoped for from Luxembourg driver Grégoire Munster, as he is now contesting his second full season with Rally1 machinery. In Kenya in March, Munster finished fifth and is aiming for at least the same result in Sardinia. In fact, last season Munster also finished fifth on the Mediterranean island.
“Sardinia is another long-standing event on the WRC calendar, and it’s also where we scored our first top-five result last year, so we’re hoping for a good feeling again! It’s a well-known event, but really quite different to Portugal. The stages can be a lot rougher, and their characteristics vary a lot – sandy, rocky, narrow, and technical,” Munster says.
“There are also a couple of new stages, which will make it interesting for everyone, especially the M-Sport crews as we’re a bit less experienced. We’ve done some good testing and gained some real positives, so hopefully we can see that benefit on the event. And hopefully it stays sunny and dry!”
A total of 16 special stages will be run at Rally Sardinia, covering approximately 320 kilometres.
