The British squad fielded four Rally1 crews this time, as regular drivers Grégoire Munster and Josh McErlean were joined by Latvia’s Martins Sesks and local gentleman driver Diogo Salvi. In addition, two drivers competed in WRC2 with M-Sport machinery – Estonia’s Romet Jürgenson and the returning Pierre-Louis Loubet from France.
There were no big expectations for the team’s results – and indeed, the outcome was modest. McErlean was the top Ford finisher in eighth place, over five minutes off the lead. The team’s nominal lead driver, Munster, was outpaced by his teammate and ended up ninth.
Team principal Richard Millener tried to put a positive spin on the situation.
“What a hard rally! It was so demanding for not only the drivers, but the team as well. Lots of logistical challenges and long hours and without all this dedication and determination of the team then to have all six cars at the finish just wouldn’t be possible,” Millener said.
“All of the crews across Rally1 and Rally2 have shown good pace over the event, and with each event that passes, the consistency of this pace gets better and better, so we are heading in the right direction as the year progresses.”
Normally, Millener’s press statements include comments on each of the team’s drivers – but this time, he only mentioned McErlean and Salvi, who rented a car from the team. Munster’s performance on Portugal’s gravel was certainly underwhelming, but it’s still rare for the team boss to leave his top driver completely unmentioned.
In fact, this hadn’t happened once throughout this or last season – until now.
“A special well done to Josh and Eoin (Treacy) who, for me, have driven superbly this weekend and things look promising as we head into Sardinia,” Millener stated.
“Finally, it was fantastic to see Diogo live out his dream to compete on his home event in Rally1 machinery. It was a pleasure to have such a character join the team, however I think he will need a few days rest now,” the team boss joked.
The next round of the WRC season takes place in two weeks’ time on the island of Sardinia.
