Mini: Prodrive loses its official status

Mini Motorsport changes official team in WRC ! Prodrive had ensured the development of the Mini JCW WRC but was in the hot seat at the start of the season. Faced with a serious funding problem, David Richards' structure could only enter one car in most of the events on the calendar. Relations with the BMW Group were deteriorating and a meeting was to definitively put an end to cooperation between the propeller manufacturer and the British structure. The end result is not as critical even if Prodrive loses its official team status. It will be able to continue to run Dani Sordo and a second paying driver while remaining responsible for the construction and technical support of customer cars.

However, it will no longer represent the colors of the brand since this role has now been acquired by Team Mini Portugal which currently runs Armindo Araujo and Paulo Nobre. With the Portuguese team registered for all rounds of the season, the Mini JCW WRC will be definitively approved to participate in world events until 2018. This news is still a hard blow for David Richards' structure, which could well further scale back its program in the face of a lack of financial support. Dani Sordo had however proven the potential of the English team by taking second place in Monte-Carlo last month.