M-Sport Ford World Rally Teams

[macebig]

Suninen is dead in the water and Lappi would rather agree on sharing the 4th Hyundai with Sordo than return to Ford. Mikkelsen may be considered since they already had talks for this year.

[skarderud]

Lappi and Sunninen! Yes, why not, but Mikkelsen? I think he showed very clearly this year that Rally1 is not the right place for him...

Mikkelsen had good pace on gravel when he got a chance, and quite good at sunday in Japan, the other tarmac-session was bad, but that was the car also.
Lappi hasn't shown anything better in my eyes, but what is the driver and what is the car?

I've wanted to see both of them in a other car, to see if that do any difference. Munster is clearly not a No1 driver, so M-sport has to make a deal with some driver(s) with speed.

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[Fast Eddie WRC]

I wonder if Rossel can get some funding together and support from the FFSA ? He seems like the next French driver off their production line and M.Wilson has successfully taken quite a few of them over the years...

[AndersX]

Suninen is dead in the water and Lappi would rather agree on sharing the 4th Hyundai with Sordo than return to Ford. Mikkelsen may be considered since they already had talks for this year.

Suninen has the same manager as Kankunen; i would be very surprised if they would not figure out smth. I still do not get how had he managed to fall in to the basement with his carrier. He was a guy with big potential. I think the bridge to M-Sport is burned by him. All who mention Lappi - he has said 101 times - he does not want to drive full season. Plus, all his latest crashes were expensive. I doubt M-Sport would be ready to risk with that. I still think the potential pot of drivers around M-Sport for 2025 consist of Munster, Sesks, Solberg, Grazin, Rosell. But i would not be surprised if Virves flows up or may be even McErlean or some of the fast Italians from ERC. I think the pool of young and high ceiling guys in lower cats is as big as it has been for years.

[Danny0405]

- Suninen has tested the Yaris Rally2 some weeks ago - some rumors about replacing Pajari in Printsport WRC-2 program but Solberg is also evoked for this drive (+ some outings in Rally1 when Ogier is not there).

- Virves has clearly been evoked as a candidate for some promotor-backed outings in Rally1 next year (same than Sesks in 2024)… but the spirit of this system is more about a pair of outings, not even a part-time program

- I wouldn’t discard indeed the Irish guys because the Federation has plenty of money (McErlean being the only one being a bit close)

- don’t believe for the moment about the young Italians, the money gap is too big

[AndersX]

Dirtfish: " But Oliver Solberg won’t rally a Puma, as he announced on Monday morning that he’ll be competing in WRC2 in a Printsport Toyota GR Yaris Rally2"

Though, no references to this anywhere else yet. Maybe Luke refers to US time zone morning?

[macebig]

Solberg was never on the cards. He wouldn't drop Monster and the family is set on chasing a Toyota seat.

[Fast Eddie WRC]

Lack of Ford backing was behind Fourmaux leaving M-Sport (he states...)

https://dirtfish.com/rally/wrc/the-r...ort-departure/

[rallyfiend]

Lack of Ford backing was behind Fourmaux leaving M-Sport (he states...)

https://dirtfish.com/rally/wrc/the-r...ort-departure/

Well, if you read the actual quotes without the spin, it was money.....

[Fast Eddie WRC]

“I think the story would have been really nice to get my first victory and maybe fight for a championship with them again,” he said. “You know, to finish the story from where it starts to where it should finish.

“But at the end, we need some support from Ford, so I think this is the right move.”