M-Sport crews ready to excel in Estonia 11.07.2022: WRC RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP RALLY ESTONIA July 14-17th, 2022 After a gruelling event in Kenya last month, the M-Sport Ford World Rally Team prepares to launch back into action on Rally Estonia this week with a four-strong line-up of Ford Puma Hybrid R

WRC RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP
RALLY ESTONIA
July 14-17th, 2022


After a gruelling event in Kenya last month, the M-Sport Ford World Rally Team prepares to launch back into action on Rally Estonia this week with a four-strong line-up of Ford Puma Hybrid Rally1s.



M-Sport will take to Rally Estonia’s famously fast stages, starting with a Thursday evening opening super special based on the doorstep of the city of Tartu.



The more traditional action kicks off on Friday as the crews take to the forest to tackle Estonia’s fast gravel, littered with countless jumps and crests.



All four Ford Puma Hybrid Rally1 crews heading to Estonia competed on the event last year, so their experience will be reinforced with confidence thanks to a comprehensive pre-event test held in the surrounding areas earlier this week.



M-Sport Ford front-runner, Craig Breen, returns to Rally Estonia with two podium finishes in as many years on the event. The Irishman boasts significant road knowledge, having competed on Rally Estonia four times prior to the event joining WRC, putting him in good stead ahead of the rally.



Pierre-Louis Loubet returns to M-Sport for his fourth WRC outing in a Ford Puma Hybrid Rally1, bolstered by his outstanding performance in Sardinia where he finished fourth after a weekend-long battle for the podium.



Gus Greensmith has previously competed on the event twice, and with proven pace on fast gravel his intention will be to shake off recent misfortunes. Greensmith started last year’s event well, running fifth overall during the opening stages and so his aim will be to repeat this, giving him a good foundation on which to build throughout the rally.



His first time on the event in top-level WRC machinery, Adrien Fourmaux will take encouragement from his recent stage winning pace and power stage points finish in Kenya to tackle the Estonian gravel. His WRC2 performances in previous years have been strong, claiming a podium result in 2020, and his knowledge of the stages will aid his transition to the higher speeds promised by the Hybrid Rally1 category.



Jari Huttunen makes a return to the Fiesta Rally2 to compete in the WRC2 category following stage winning pace and a podium finish in Sardinia. Huttunen’s appearance in Estonia will be ahead of his recently announced participation in a Ford Puma Hybrid Rally1 on Rally Finland in August.




Rally Estonia marks the fourth and penultimate round of the FIA Junior WRC Championship, which will see six M-Sport Poland-built Fiesta Rally3 cars take to the stages to battle it out on what is proving to be an incredibly close championship, with only 11 points between the podium positions heading into Estonia.




Rich Millener, Team Principal, said:


“Kenya was a tough event, we showed some great speed but unfortunately didn’t get the results we were all hoping for. We now move to an almost opposite rally, a very fast and flowing event with big jumps. All crews have had a very good test in the lead up to the event in order to get their heads back in gear for such high speed stages.



“I have had a lot of positive feedback about the car from the test, so I am hopeful we will perform well over the weekend. Estonia is also a great event with lots of very knowledgeable and passionate fans so it will also be great to see their reception to these exciting new Rally1 cars.”




-A. Rudd, photos Janne Sports and Pro