What if M-Sport was absent in 2024?

M-Sport will it be present at Monte-Carlo? How many times in the past has this question been asked a few days before a season begins? In the long run, it became a sort of refrain. As the response has, until now, always been positive, no one paid any attention to it anymore, being convinced of finding M-Sport badged trucks in the service park. The difference this time is that the question falls at the end of the summer when there are 4 races remaining and above all that the situation does not lend itself to optimism at all.

Rally1s too expensive?

How did this team that has weathered so many storms get to this point? Malcolm Wilson did not completely succeed in his bet. He was one of the fierce supporters of technological change. This was to allow the arrival of other manufacturers, while making the WRC greener and more visible. It was also a way to get rid of the 2017 WRCs which had become indigestible to field. However, the English boss was quick to understand how expensive a Rally1 hybrid was to run. The car itself may be less expensive than the previous one with everything removed, but the presence of the hybrid unit causes the price to explode.

The Dovenby Hall boss also believed that the arrival of new technology would allow his team to return to the top before other brands caught up. It worked in 2017 with the Ogier/Ingrassia/Fiesta trio. This time, despite the sporting sacrifice of 2019, the result is disappointing. Sébastien's victory Loeb at Monte-Carlo 2022 for the very first race of a car of rally hybrid was both a magical moment for M-Sport, but also a mirage impossible to replicate. The Puma has never managed to rise to this level again except in Sweden 2023 where it is the rage ofOtt Tänak who “carried” the car. This time, the talent and responsiveness of the Cumbrian commando were not enough. He also certainly lacked stronger finances. As victorious as it may be, the passage of Sébastien Ogier in the Fiesta was expensive and this was followed by the episodes of the pandemic and the war in Ukraine that the structure had struggled through. Convinced that it was worth the effort, Malcolm took risks again this season to put Ott Tänak in the best possible conditions. This notably resulted in the entry of only two cars, one of which paid for its place.

At M-Sport, everything is done to save money. Richard Millener, the admirably self-sacrificing team manager, proposed, for example, in Finland to further reduce the number of test days in order to limit expenses. The latter also often asserts that the Puma does not need to evolve, that it remains competitive, but do the results obtained after 22 races with a hybrid unit in world championships prove him right? If the finances no longer keep up, if the presence in the WRC represents too great a danger for the viability of the company, how long can Malcolm Wilson afford to persist? It appears that this is becoming more and more difficult. To the point of considering withdrawing from the WRC? With what implications?

Will discussions with Robert Reid, Deputy Director of Sport at the FIA ​​(right of Wilson) and Andrew Wheatley, boss of Rallies at the FIA ​​(left), have convinced Malcolm Wilson to stay in the WRC? (Photo Nikos Katikis / DPPI)

What consequences for the championship?

In all automobile competitions, manufacturers come and go according to their interests without worrying about what they leave behind. It would be the same thing. There would be (still) two cars less, but the season could restart. Some managers have already covered themselves by asserting that if this were to happen, it would not be the first time that the championship was contested between only 2 brands and that there would be no problem, that it would be would come under it. This lack of ambition is deplorable. We must hope that some will still feel slightly guilty for having led the WRC into this impasse.

From the launch of these hybrid Rally1s, their manufacturing price and the cost per kilometer had in fact been denounced. With a player of the caliber of M-Sport on the sidelines, who can still pretend that everything is fine? This will cause the WRC to lose a little more value and above all it will put it under threat of leaving the Hyundai who will probably be the next to jump ship. While the limited presence of Rally1 this year is already open to criticism, what will happen with only 6 cars, 7 in the best scenario? This will be to the detriment of the hopes of this sport who will no longer find any outlet in the elite. Today, everyone is swooning over the level of WRC2, but it is only the result of the lack of seats on the level above and that cannot last. “Hiding” behind a WRC2 that is overflowing with contenders to affirm that everything is fine won’t work for much longer. However, the situation is not yet completely fixed. There are still hopes that M-Sport will not leave.

With the new Dakar program developing, can M-Sport decide to leave Rally1? (Paulo Maria / DPPI)

Is it still possible to reverse the trend?

By sending such negative signals when the next season will begin in more than 4 months, does this not give the authorities a chance to find solutions? If they are finally taken, these should be favorable to M-Sport, but also to the rest of the players. Is there any way to lower the cost of the hybrid unit? Can Compact Dynamics agree to review its prices? Do the FIA ​​or the promoter have levers to allow these budget cuts? Should we consider eliminating the hybrid for a period before the arrival of a new technology? The running of the events is another avenue for reducing expenses, but this seems to take time to come together and the broadcaster does not seem to want to give up its three days of racing, which is understandable. Could the “solution” also come from M-Sport?

By fielding cars for training or paying drivers, this would perhaps allow us to continue to see Puma racing. The question of sporting relevance will still arise. Can staying to make up the numbers excite someone like Malcolm Wilson who is interested in winning? The WRC needs M-Sport more than the other way around, particularly because the English will be involved in the Dakar with Ford, which will guarantee work in the workshop alongside that carried out for customers running on all Fiestas sold. . While the absence of his team would be immensely detrimental for this discipline, the Englishman knows this sport better than anyone and he is certain that this fighter will do what he can to ensure that his company is still in the WRC breach in 2024 We can only hope that this is another false alarm, that the rumors are overly alarmist and that the M-Sport trucks will be in the Gap service park in the month of January to compete in Monte-Carlo.

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