For the 2024 season, the company’s investment in the sport’s premier series took a significant step back when Estonian star Ott Tänak returned to Hyundai. This year, the British team has returned to its roots by supporting the aspirations of financially capable drivers Adrien Fourmaux and Gregoire Munster to reach the top of the sport.
However, in Kenya’s Safari Rally in March, M-Sport will bring three cars to the start line when Greek-Belgian gentleman driver Jourdan Serderidis makes a surprise return to the Rally1 cockpit. The millionaire driver owns one Puma Rally1 car himself, but discussions about rental operations have also taken place.
“We are constantly in discussions regarding renting out the Rally1 car. In addition, we aim to create a hybrid-less version of the Rally1 car. We want people to have the chance to try it out, and through that, we can bring the top-class car back to national rallies as well,” M-Sport Ford team principal Richard Millener revealed to RallyJournal.com.
“There hasn’t been such activity yet, but there are many interested people who have inquired about the opportunity. The goal is to do something on that front. It could also be a good springboard for younger drivers to try out the car without having to immediately jump into a hybrid car.”
On the other hand, M-Sport currently has no desire to compete more fiercely in the WRC2 class. Skoda, Citroen, Toyota, and Hyundai will likely dominate the top spots in the WRC’s second class for at least the first half of this season.
“The Rally2 class is a tricky area for us right now. We know our car can be competitive there. We’ve had a lot of discussions over the past year about this season, but the driver market in that class is quite crazy,” Millener states.
The team principal emphasizes that M-Sport does not want to fight for minor positions, which would not even be sensible from a marketing perspective. M-Sport’s entire operation is based on business.
“Many drivers have received great opportunities that we cannot match within our budget’s constraints. At the moment, we don’t have big plans for the WRC2 until we can ensure we have a driver who can fight for wins.”
“We don’t see the point in competing for 5th or 6th places. We know well what the car can achieve. We need to be sensible about this. That’s why we are currently supporting drivers in national series with engineers and setup advice,” Millener emphasizes.
“If a driver becomes available, for example, mid-season, we might explore if it would make sense to join in. But at least the first three races will be missed in this regard.”
Millener also reminds that the World Rally Championship is not nearly the biggest slice of M-Sport’s business, which is still led by the “Cumbrian iron fist” Malcolm Wilson.
“M-Sport as a whole is extremely busy right now, with the Dakar project ongoing, in addition to producing engines for the WTCC series Mustangs and Rally1 cars. We need to be smart and use our resources on sensible projects,” Millener underscores.
“In terms of the World Rally Championship, we believe the most sensible approach is to properly run two Rally1 cars now.”
