The team M-Sport, who runs the factory Fiesta in WRC, is still in doubt concerning Ford’s official support after 2011.
The involvement in WRC from the American manufacturer for 2012 and beyond is still in doubt. It is now rumored that Ford would stop its official involvement after this season. Sébastien Ogier, who prefered to develop the Volkswagen Polo-R next season, instead of racing in WRC class with Ford, put another doubt in Ford’s willing to continue in WRC.
Still, it seems clear that Malcolm Wilson’s team M-Sport, which runs the Ford factories in WRC for years, would continue even without an official support from the manufacturer. M-Sport already began to prepare the 2012 season, by running two Fiesta WRC in rallye du Var, last round of the French rally championship, in order to prepare the Montecarlo rally, the opening round of the 2012 season.
Jari-Matti Latvala, who has been promoted number one driver since Mirko Hirvonen’s departure to Citroën, took a brillant win, and his first victory on tarmac.
He was assisted by rising star Ott Tanak, Marko Martin’s protégé, who took third position in France. Tanak is rumored to join Latvala in the team Ford, unless Petter Solberg is able to find the budget to drive the second Fiesta WRC next season.
The involvement in WRC from the American manufacturer for 2012 and beyond is still in doubt. It is now rumored that Ford would stop its official involvement after this season. Sébastien Ogier, who prefered to develop the Volkswagen Polo-R next season, instead of racing in WRC class with Ford, put another doubt in Ford’s willing to continue in WRC.
Still, it seems clear that Malcolm Wilson’s team M-Sport, which runs the Ford factories in WRC for years, would continue even without an official support from the manufacturer. M-Sport already began to prepare the 2012 season, by running two Fiesta WRC in rallye du Var, last round of the French rally championship, in order to prepare the Montecarlo rally, the opening round of the 2012 season.
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| Jari-Matti Latvala won the Rally du Var with Ford. (Photo: WRC) |
Jari-Matti Latvala, who has been promoted number one driver since Mirko Hirvonen’s departure to Citroën, took a brillant win, and his first victory on tarmac.
He was assisted by rising star Ott Tanak, Marko Martin’s protégé, who took third position in France. Tanak is rumored to join Latvala in the team Ford, unless Petter Solberg is able to find the budget to drive the second Fiesta WRC next season.