WRC looks to be competitive in 2024
Young Driver Line-Up
WRC looks to be competitive in 2024 and M-Sport team principal Richard Millener is confident that a young driver line-up it is planning for next year can be competitive in the World Rally Championship.
The Ford team is yet to announce their plans for next season, but if they decide to continue competing in the top tier of rallying, they will have to make changes to their driver lineup as Ott Tanak has decided to rejoin Hyundai for 2024.
Ford Puma Reduced
This season, the team reduced the number of full-time Ford Puma entries from three to two, with Ott Tanak and Pierre-Louis Loubet driving. However, Loubet will not be participating in this weekend’s season finale in Japan. Instead, Adrien Fourmaux will be taking his place.
M-Sport has entered private teams for Jourdan Serderidis (Monte Carlo, Mexico, Kenya, Greece), Gregoire Munster (Chile, Central European Rally), and Alberto Heller (Chile).
The Ford team is currently reviewing options with its partners and possible drivers as they consider their plans for next year. Team Principal Richard Millener has indicated that they are likely to have a young driver lineup.
Potential Candidates
According to Millener, potential candidates include Loubet, Fourmaux, and Munster. Loubet had a challenging first full-time WRC campaign, recording two sixth-place finishes, while Munster, driving the Serderidis-owned entry, has shown promising pace in both his Rally1 outings since stepping up from Rally2.
Fourmaux has also made a name for himself in Rally2, winning the second-tier class at last month’s Central European Rally and claiming the British Rally Championship title.
M-Sport on Twitter: “Big plans for 2024? Let’s plan them together 💪 / Twitter”
Big plans for 2024? Let’s plan them together 💪
“They’re the three drivers that would obviously come to mind as people that we would look at as they have experience in the car,” Millener told Autosport/Motorsport.com.
“We have still got some work to do to make sure the budgets are available to be there next year, but I think if we run the juniors more consistently, we have shown what they can do and I think that is the goal.
“I do think there is podiums available for all of them if they are sensible with their drives. Winning outright is probably another step on, but there is no reason why we can’t be competitive.”
Oliver Solberg Collaboration
Talks were held between M-Sport and Oliver Solberg last season regarding a possible collaboration for this year. It appears that the 22-year-old, who has won two WRC2 titles this year and is supported by Monster Energy, would be a good fit for 2024. However, M-Sport’s partnership with Red Bull, an energy drink company, has complicated a possible move for 2023. Millener stated that the team is in discussions with Red Bull to maintain their relationship for next year, but no agreement has been reached yet. Millener also stated that Red Bull, like all partners, is interested in performance, but they need to be realistic about where they can go.