A Ford Fiesta evolved to attack 2019

Double titled with Sébastien Ogier over the last two years, the Ford Fiesta WRC, developed by M-Sport with the support of Ford Performance, however suffered from a lack of developments compared to its rivals Hyundai i20, Toyota Yaris and Citroën C3 during previous financial years.

A differential that the Frenchman had regularly highlighted during the last season, only one main evolution having appeared last summer on the car built at the Dovenby Hall premises before the Rally from Finland.

For 2019, Malcolm Wilson's teams have apparently increased the tempo in conjunction with Ford's technical department. The rear part has thus been modified, with reworked openings, in order to improve aerodynamic performance and reliability.

New shock absorbers, from the association established with ZF, and a clear improvement in the electronic part are also mentioned by M-Sport.

But Elfyn Evans, Teemu Suninen and Pontus Tidemand should particularly count on an engine upgrade, which should add a significant increase in performance, even if the Monte-Carlo Rally is not necessarily the terrain where these gains will really be visible.

“There is no reason why we cannot be competitive this year, indicates Team Principal Richard Millener, who will mainly lead the team on rallies this year, Malcolm Wilson having taken a step back.

Of course, we have to be realistic and recognize that competition will be strong, but we have proven ourselves and we have no intention of letting up. The team has a strong focus on development and we are bringing a number of developments to Monte Carlo with more to come over the next six months. »

M-Sport Ford unveiled the livery of its Fiesta WRC at the recent Birmingham Motor Show in England.