The team principal of M-Sport Ford, Richard Millener, says that it is difficult for the team to find a consistent and fast driver for the WRC2 category next season who will show the potential of Fiesta Rally2 car.
The British team chosen Teemu Suninen and Adrien Fourmaux as its partial drivers for this season and they shared the Rally2 car, but the first one did not respond to M-Sport's targets as he had many crashes this year, so he diceided to leave the team with immediate effect after the end of Ypres Rally Blegium.
One another driver of M-Sport Ford was Tom Kristersson who is 30 years old and took part in five events with the Fiesta Rally2 this year, but he did not deliver the results the team wanted as he had two crashes in Croatia and in Belgium whereas he was forced to retire from Rally Finland due to radiator issue.
It is noteworthy that this year's competition in WRC2 category was high as four ex-drivers from WRC [Mads Ostberg, Esappeka Lappi, Andreas Mikkelsen, Teemu Suninen] competed there and they had the advantage against of the rising yound drivers who only competed in ERC, in WRC3 or in JWRC.
"If you look at the level of drivers that are driving in the competition, they’re all either current or ex-professional WRC drivers", said Millener.
"I guess that’s not really what the class was designed for in the beginning but that’s where it’s gone to naturally and that’s just the way it is.
"Our intention is to find somebody who can drive the car, improve the car and get the results.
"Ultimately, every rally that Teemu was driving this year in the Rally2 car, he’s been either in the lead or fighting for the lead and then he’s unfortunately gone off the road or had incidents that put him out of winning.
"That’s cost us quite a lot in terms of not getting the results on paper even though if you look at the stage results, we have been competitive.
"It’s finding someone that’s available at that pace and we’re working on that.
"As we know the car is good and it’s a key part of the business so yes, our intention is to be represented in WRC2 with someone that can do justice to the car.
"But the number of drivers available at that level, ready to step in and go with it, is quite small.
"That’s something to work on over the close season.
"We want to be competing in that category".
Source: DirtFish.com
Photo Credits: M-Sport
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