The boss of M-Sport Ford, Malcolm Wilson, says that it is not certain yet if his team will continue competing in World Rally Championship next year considering Ford's ambitions for off-road motorsport series, but he wants to see Adrien Fourmaux becoming a WRC Champion with them in 2026.
M-Sport Ford is a semi-manufacturer team and has the lowest budget compared to its rival teams, Hyundai and Toyota, which has the support of their factories. Ford Performance had announced that they would help Malcolm Wilson's team when Sebastien Ogier drove for the blue oval seven years ago, but their support was only for the development of the Fiesta and the Puma. M-Sport Ford survives thanks to its sponsors, but cannot afford to sign big names, such as Ott Tanak and Kalle Rovanpera. Last but not least, Adrien Fourmaux managed to finish at the podium places four times so far this season while Tanak won two rallies with the Puma in 2023, but the team remains at the bottom of the manufacturer standings for many years.
"Unfortunately, we can’t continue like we have been", Wilson said.
"But let’s wait and see.
"I mean, as you know, it’s the last thing I want to do is walk away from WRC.
"It’s been my life.
"Ford is exactly like myself, they want to stay in rally.
"There’s a big commitment now to Dakar.
"There’s no question Ford is moving more to the off-road world.
"So, yeah, there’s definitely a desire, but at the end of the day, it’s about return on investment and that’s the big target at the moment.
"But I’ve got to be honest, my clear ambition is I want to make Adrien world champion.
"And I think, from my point of view, I think he’ll be ready to do that in 2026".
Source: DirtFish.com
Photo Credits: M-Sport
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