The team principal of M-Sport Ford, Richard Millener, admits that the British team is very proud of Fiesta's success in WRC, but at the same time he feels sad that he will not see again this car in gravel stages.
The Ford Fiesta WRC with the current aero package was first introduced in 2017 and the Cumbria team won two manufacterer's championships in 2017 and in 2018 when it had as its drivers Sebastien Ogier, Elfyn Evans and Ott Tanak.
However, with the new regulations coming ahead of the hybrid era, M-Sport decided to switch into Puma which is already a hybrid road car and its target was to approach Ford Performance with the intention of the last one supporting the semi-private team in this new project.
Gus Greensmith and Adrien Fourmaux are currently driving the Fiesta this season while Teemu Suninen had beed driven this car for years until his departure at the end of this year's Ypres Rally Belgium.
We have to mention that M-Sport Ford announced today that Craig Breen will be behind the wheel of the new Puma the next two years, but it is yet to confirmed which drivers he will have as his teammates in 2022 although it is tipped that Greensmith and Fourmaux will renew their contract with the team.
"These cars are special", said Millener.
"You only have to watch the action from this week, it’s been quite exceptional.
"To see the Fiesta World Rally Car flying through these Finnish forests has been an absolute treat.
"I think I speak for everybody in the team when I say this car will always have a very special place in the heart of M-Sport.
"It’s actually pretty sad to think we won’t see it in gravel-specification on a WRC round again.
"Right from that first test when Séb was in the car in Wales, we knew we had something special with this one and the next two years demonstrated just what a great, great car the Fiesta is.
"That gives us all confidence as we look forward to next season.
"Finland this week has been a bit of a tough one for us, but the guys have taken a lot of experience and that was what we were here for.
"But, yeah, anybody watching these cars last week will know they’ve seen something special".
Source: wrc.com
Photo Credits: M-Sport
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