Mikko Hirvonen bids farewell to Ford

If Mikko Hirvonen won his 14 victories in WRC with Ford, the Flying Finn will never have managed to win the title of world champion against the invincible Sébastien Loeb. After missing the coronation by a hair in 2009 and 2011, he is preparing to join his biggest rival in Citroën Racing and took advantage of his last visit to M-Sport to say goodbye to his team and humbly look back on his journey with the American manufacturer.

“We lost two titles with a very small margin”, recalls Mikko Hirvonen. “There are always things that could have been done in a different way, many things could have happened, but for some unknown reason it didn't happen. I'm actually pretty happy with what we've achieved. Of course, we narrowly missed the title twice but we were still in the fight. Thinking of all the drivers who have driven for Ford, like Carlos Sainz, Marcus Grönholm and Colin McRae, I don't feel the most victorious. There have been some incredible riders who have won titles, which I haven't been able to do. I have the most victories with Ford and I have won five championship medals, but it is still difficult to imagine myself being the most victorious Ford driver in the WRC. I'm proud to be at the top of a list that includes so many great drivers. »