With Tänak, M-Sport has only one goal: to win the drivers' title

M-Sport is ready to move to the next dimension. The hopes raised before the start of the 2022 season, with the introduction of the hybrid Rally1s, were ultimately drowned out by unreliable reliability and drivers guilty of errors, each more derisory than the last. If the campaign had started excellently well with a victory for Sébastien Loeb at Monte-Carlo, it ended pitifully with more than 250 points behind Toyota in the championship.

“The objective is clear: to win the drivers’ championship” 

In 2023, the British structure wants to take a step forward: regain a certain credibility and establish itself as a real competitor to play in the championship. Richard Millener, director of the private M-Sport Ford team, even hopes to play a better role than simple outsider. “See Ott [Thank you] returning to M-Sport will be a big moment for everyone at Dovenby Hall. The goal for 2023 is clear for us and for Ott: to win the 2023 Drivers' Championship. To achieve this goal together it will take a lot of work and energy, but we are prepared and ready to take on this challenge. »

To do this, M-Sport is counting on its experience, as painful as it may be, with the Ford Puma. The American car proved unreliable, despite good overall performance. “We have gained a lot of experience with the Puma in 2022, we know the strengths of the car and we are convinced that Ott is the right person to drive it to get the results we deserve., believes Rich Millener.

A line-up of champions at M-Sport with Loeb and Tänak?

The driver's title with Tänak, and why not the constructors' title? If the objective is not displayed, M-Sport also hopes to tickle Toyota and Hyundai for the team title. The Estonian's teammates are not yet known, but we should find Gus Greensmith, Pierre-Louis Loubet and Sébastien Loeb aboard the Puma next year. The nine-time world rally champion will be able to bring all his class and experience to help M-Sport progress in the hierarchy.

“Looking back at our highlights [of 2022] (…), this victory at Monte-Carlo with Sébastien [Loeb] was extremely special, remembers Rich Millener. And he continued to display a burst of speed and leadership potential in rally with our car as soon as he got behind the wheel. Beyond Sébastien Loeb, Gus [Greensmith] and Pierre-Louis [Loubet] obtained very good results. Gus's start to the year was superb, don't forget he was third in the championship after Sweden! And Pierre-Louis signed his first scratch and he took the lead in a rally for the first time this year. That's the kind of pace and potential we can really work with and we'd love to take advantage of it moving forward. »

ALSO READ > Ott Tänak ambitious for 2023: “We can fight for the championship”