ERC – The Peugeot 208 T16 and the Ford Fiesta R5 at the heart of all attention in Ypres

La première sort des ateliers de M-Sport, l?autre est l?œuvre de Peugeot . Two new cars respecting the R5 regulations and representing the future of regional rallies will be present this weekend in Ypres for the rally of Belgium, seventh round counting for the European Championship (ERC). The Ford Fiesta R5 et the 208 T16 will not enter competition, but will compete in the 20 special stages as “zero” cars. Strong of his second place just signed in Sardinia, the best result of his career so far, the national star Thierry Neuville will be at the wheel of the Fiesta R5 prepared by his team, M-sport.

As a reminder, the R5 category was designed by the FIA ​​in order to eventually replace the Super 2000s, which are legion in the ERC, by offering a “cheaper” and more efficient solution. Thus, costs are controlled due to the demand from manufacturers to use standard components with a long lifespan, while the increase in performance will be achieved thanks to technological advances and the use of turbo engines.

An important moment

“The R5 category is an important ingredient in the future of the ERC”, explains François Ribeiro, Development Director of Eurosport Events, the promoter of the ERC. “M-Sport, Peugeot and Citroën are building new generation cars that respect technical regulations and other cars are following the same path. These manufacturers are attracted to the R5 formula and are facing incredible market demand. The FIA ​​is determined to keep the costs of the R5 category under control, which is the key point for the success of this new category. It's going to be a big moment for the sport when these cars take to the stages at Ypres. We are delighted that M-Sport and Peugeot Sport have accepted our invitation to run their Fiesta R5 and their 208 T16 together. We will see their level of performance and their behavior in action. As promoter of the European Championship, this will be an ideal opportunity for Eurosport Events to showcase the immediate future of the ERC now. »

For his part, Malcolm Wilson is looking forward to this experience, for several reasons: “By running the car in Ypres we can benefit from full-scale testing and the fact of having Thierry (Neuville, Editor’s note) in the machine is a plus because he is a driver who can gain experience », notes the boss of the M-Sport team. “We also want to achieve a very good performance in order to prove the skills of the car to our future customers during a very important rally. There is no reason why Thierry can't do it. The Rally organizers and Eurosport Events have gone to great lengths to make this possible so it is important to them that the car is driven by the local hero. The R5 is ideal for the ERC and Ypres is the ideal place to start what we hope will be a very successful project. »