M-Sport Ford announced today that Adrien Fourmaux and Gregoire Munster will be its WRC2 drivers for next season as Jari Huttunen did not renew his contract with the team.
Adrien Fourmaux was at the main squad of M-Sport Ford in 2022 and was driving the third Puma Rally1, but he had many crashes throughout that year, therefore the team decided to drop him from three rallies due to his performance. However, the Frenchman will compete in WRC2 class next year with the Ford Fiesta MKII Rally2 with the view of getting more experience.
On the other hand, Gregoire Munster will join the Cumbria-based team for the first time as he used to drive a Hyundai i20N car in WRC2 and WRC3 class the recent years while he won an event in WRC2 Open and WRC2 Junior this year.
Jari Huttunen was the main driver of M-Sport Ford in WRC2 class for 2022, but unfortunately his plans for 2023 are still unknown after the team signed these two drivers for this championship.
"I’m really pleased to be part of the team for the fourth year in a row, and I’m looking forward to being back in Monte Carlo next month", Fourmaux said.
"We have the opportunity to do an event with the Fiesta Rally2 just after Christmas which will be perfect preparation for Monte Carlo.
"I want to say a big thank you to the team for giving me their trust and the opportunity to drive in 2023, and look forward to seeing what we can achieve together".
Moreover, Munster said: "I have recently been to visit M-Sport at Dovenby Hall to meet the team and the facilities and infrastructure are fantastic; the workshop and the new building are quite impressive.
"The track was very nice to drive on as well, especially with the icy conditions!
"The plan for next year is to compete a lot of events in the Rally2, making use of my previous experience and discovering some events for the first time.
"I need to adapt to the car and want to perform well and get some good results.
"M-Sport is a real talent factory; if you look at Evans, Tänak, Neuville, they all come from M-Sport.
"I think it is the best place to evolve as a driver, the team is nice to work with and the car is strong.
"We have a good season ahead so the focus will be to maximise my work with the team to get some experience and grow as a driver".
Finally, Richard Millener stated: "The Fiesta Rally2 programme is a central component of daily operations here at M-Sport.
"As our flagship customer car, we want to see the Fiesta Rally2 competing on WRC stages against its market competitors.
"The best way we can promote the continued popularity of the Rally2 is by vying for the championship and this is something we think is very achievable.
"I’m pleased to still have Adrien as part of the team as we launch the 2023 season and think this return to Rally2 will be an interesting challenge for him.
"He has seen success in WRC2 in the past and we know Monte Carlo is somewhere he can deliver results.
"I’m also looking forward to welcoming Grégoire to the team for the first time.
"It’s always nice to see new talent within our ranks and he has a strong record that we hope to build on.
"Grégoire gave a fantastic performance in Japan last month, and we will hope to see more of that when he joins us in Monte".
Photo Credits: M-Sport
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