2025 WRC News & Rumours

[Co-driven]

Maybe we could see some friendly help even between rivals as Neuville helping Ogier, or Rovanpera helping Munster.

I think this can't happen as the drivers must be entered under the same competitor.

[denkimi]

They can already help each other, as long as they don't touch each others car, tools or spare parts.

[Andre Oliveira]

MUNSTER AND LOUKA TO SPEARHEAD M-SPORT'S WRC CAMPAIGN IN 2025

M-Sport Ford World Rally Team is excited to confirm that Grégoire Munster and Louis Louka will continue with the team and the Ford Puma Rally1 for the full 2025 FIA World Rally Championship season.

Now heading up the team after a valuable year of experience in the championship’s top tier, Munster and Louka will look to make further achievements across 14 rounds of the 2025 season, which spans four continents and three different surface types.

Munster, who will be 26 years old on Christmas Eve, has exemplified the value of the progression opportunities available within the sport, graduating from Belgian national championships into WRC2 in 2022, before making his Rally1 debuts at the end of 2023 and his first full season in the top flight during 2024.

The Luxembourg and Belgian pairing delivered strong performances throughout 2024, building pace in their Puma Rally1 as the season progressed and their confidence grew. They would claim a career-best result on Rally Sardegna, finishing fifth overall after a tough battle in demanding conditions.

They would go on to finish fifth on two subsequent Tarmac events in Central Europe and Japan, adding a handful of top-five and top-three fastest stage times to their career rosters.

Munster’s resilience is testament to his abilities as a driver in the top level of the championship. Despite encountering challenges early in the season on unfamiliar events and surfaces, Munster has since made steady progression throughout his first full season in a Rally1 car.

Now with another full season in the top-flight category ahead of them, Munster and Louka's target will be a maiden podium finish in 2025. Determined to leverage their growing experience with the Ford Puma Rally1, the crew has already gained valuable insight into car setup, pace notes, and performance optimization, which they will carry forward as the championship transitions to new non-hybrid regulations in 2025.

Heading into 2025, Munster and Louka will lead M-Sport’s line-up alongside another promising junior crew, set to be announced tomorrow.

With Rallye Monte-Carlo already on the horizon, the team at M-Sport are preparing for a busy season and look forward to supporting Munster and Louka to achieve more strong results in the upcoming season.

Richard Millener, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team Principial, said:
“I have really enjoyed working with Grégoire and Louis this year, so to have them back again in 2025 is a big positive for me. They made some great progress over the course of their debut year, and although we must remain realistic with the goals and expectations for them in 2025, it is a great opportunity for them both. I am very happy to be working with them again for another full season and I believe they thoroughly deserve this opportunity.”

Grégoire Munster said:
“I’m really looking forward to next year and to have the opportunity to drive the Puma again, especially in the good team structure and atmosphere at M-Sport. I’m happy to be continuing with Louis as well, with the aim to continue our progress in the top category, and improving from where we finished in 2024.

“Of course, that means aiming to break a top five finish with fourth overall, and hopefully eventually some podium places too. I’m excited to see what we can do.”

Louis Louka said:
“I’m very happy to be back in the team for another year in 2025! I hope we will use the experience we got last year well to improve this year: that’s always the goal, to improve rally after rally and to continue like that for this upcoming season. It’s a real privilege to be one of the crews competing in the full championship, especially with a team like M-Sport with so much experience. For young crews like us it’s important to benefit from the experience that M-Sport has, so we can improve and keep learning. I’m really thankful to M-Sport and to Greg for trusting me to take on this adventure again! I’m really looking forward to Monte-Carlo and to take on this new season.”


https://www.m-sport.co.uk/single-pos...mpaign-in-2025

[mousti]

According to someone from Autohebdo who posted a entry list for Monte Carlo. Sesks second driver for MSport and Gryazin back with Toksport Skoda.

Verstuurd vanaf mijn 2406APNFAG met Tapatalk

[Andre Oliveira]

Same guy that says the next M-Sport driver to be announced is british…

[deephouse]

Same guy that says the next M-Sport driver to be announced is british…

Ingram, McRae

[Destra quattro]

Same guy that says the next M-Sport driver to be announced is british…

Irish ...some can't tell the difference...

[Andre Oliveira]

M-SPORT AND MCERLEAN JOIN FORCES FOR RALLY1 CAMPAIGN IN 2025



M-Sport Ford World Rally Team is excited to announce that Josh McErlean and Eoin Treacy will join its ranks for the 2025 FIA World Rally Championship behind the wheel of a Ford Puma Rally1.

The Irish pairing will make their debut together in the sport’s top-flight after successful seasons across the WRC2 and ERC championships. Supported by the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy, McErlean and Treacy will compete in the full season, tackling 14 rallies across four continents and three different surfaces.

McErlean, whose career began by claiming the Junior 1000 Rally Challenge title in 2015, has been building strong and steady foundations for his Rally1 debut over the last decade. After gaining early experience in Ford machinery with a Fiesta R2T in the British Rally Championship in 2017 and 2018, McErlean went on to claim the Great Britain Junior title in 2019, along with the Motorsport Ireland Billy Coleman Award as young Irish rally driver of the year. He also made his WRC debut on Wales Rally GB later that year.

Gaining more seat time in an R5 car in the WRC and European Rally Championships throughout 2020 and 2021, McErlean secured an impressive third in the WRC3 category on Rally Catalunya in late 2021.

Moving up into WRC2 in 2022, McErlean achieved three top-five finishes in the WRC2 Junior category and banked valuable experience at key European events in Portugal, Sardinia, Estonia, and Finland.

A busy season would follow in 2023 as McErlean took on five ERC events alongside a demanding WRC2 campaign. His achievements would include an impressive fourth overall on ERC’s Rally Latvia and several other top-ten finishes in both highly competitive championships throughout the year.

Thanks to the continued support from the MI Rally Academy, with the backing of John Coyne, the now 25-year-old has enjoyed a rapid rise throughout an impressive season in 2024 alongside James Fulton, claiming a stunning WRC2 second-place finish on his category debut in Portugal early in the season.

The Academy’s support has been vital to McErlean’s progression over the last five years and formed a crucial part of this new partnership with M-Sport.

McErlean will now partner up with co-driver Eoin Treacy, who has worked with the M-Sport team alongside Jon Armstrong in the ERC throughout 2024. Treacy has taken part in an Academy co-driver development programme over the last three years to prepare him for this next chapter with McErlean. With solid experience in the British Rally Championship and select WRC events, Treacy makes the perfect fit to partner McErlean as both make their top-level WRC debuts in 2025.

The Irish duo join M-Sport’s full-time line-up for the 2025 season alongside Grégoire Munster and Louis Louka. M-Sport is eager to welcome McErlean, Treacy, and the MI Rally Academy team to its Rally1 ranks as they embark on this new chapter together in 2025.

Richard Millener, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team Principal, said:

“M-Sport is renowned for giving opportunities to up and coming talents in the sport. With the backing of the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy, that is exactly what we will be doing for Josh and Eoin. 2025 will be a huge challenge for them both, but a once in a lifetime chance to show the world that they have what it takes to forge a career at the pinnacle of the sport.

“We need to continue to invest in new and emerging talent in the WRC, I am proud to be able to give another two guys the chance to do this. The targets and expectations for the year will be very sensible, but I know that the team and all the Irish fans will be behind the pairing and this opportunity for them.

“I am really looking forward to working with them, and the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy, to make this a positive season for us all.”

John Coyne, founder and patron of the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy, said:

“The Academy’s purpose is to identify and develop young Irish athletes to compete successfully at the highest levels of the World Rally Championship. As key members of our Academy development programme, Josh and Eoin have made tremendous progress in applying their natural talents and developing their skills. I’m looking forward to continuing to guide and support their progress over the coming years at the top level of the sport.”

Josh McErlean said:

“Joining M-Sport Ford next year to drive the Puma Rally1 in the World Rally Championship is truly a dream come true. I’ve always aspired to compete at the highest level of motorsport, and now that opportunity is becoming a reality. I’m incredibly excited to be working with such a professional and dedicated team, and Eoin and I are ready to give it everything.

“This is a massive step in my career, and I want to express my sincere gratitude to everyone involved— Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy, John Coyne, supporters, family, and the team—for making this possible. I can’t wait to get behind the wheel.”

Eoin Treacy said:

“I’m really looking forward to 2025 with Josh, M-Sport, and the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy. It’s a dream come true to start a season at the top level of the sport. Working with M-Sport in 2024 ERC alongside Jon Armstrong was a huge learning experience for me and I look forward to continuing to develop through 2025.

“I’d like to thank John Coyne, Josh, M-Sport, the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy for their support.”

https://www.m-sport.co.uk/single-pos...mpaign-in-2025

[Typ85]

money, money, money... shit team!!!

[Andre Oliveira]

Better have only Hyundai vs Toyota then?