Rally Sweden: Already facing an emergency for M-Sport

It had been 24 years sinceM-Sport had not left a sleeve of WRC without scoring a single point. The streak came to an abrupt end on Sunday, January 25th, during the final stage of the Rally Monte Carlo saw Grégoire Munster, Josh McErlean, and Jon Armstrong all retire in turn—Munster due to mechanical issues, while the two Irishmen were forced to retire due to overconfidence. The British team tried to put a positive spin on this by posting a video on social media earlier this week highlighting its 24 years of points scored across the globe. However, this is a case of missing the forest for the trees, as the team's points tally stands at a stinging zero heading into the second round of the season. This is unprecedented, and certainly not good news twelve months before what Malcolm Wilson himself called the biggest revolution in WRC history.

Reasons for hope with Jon Armstrong

Not everything was bad for M-Sport at Monte Carlo. Jon Armstrong, a newcomer to the team, was in contention for a podium finish for a time, and even if it was brief, he at least had the merit of highlighting the valiant Ford Puma Rally1, which was sorely lacking in development compared to its rivals. Hyundai et ToyotaSweden could already mark a turning point in the internal battle between Armstrong and Josh McErlean, the reigning European runner-up who knows this event well, having participated in the Junior World Rally Championship at the beginning of the decade. And what if he were to pull off a surprise victory like... Ott Tanak In 2023, who won in Sweden with the Ford in hybrid version? Josh McErlean, more at ease on gravel than on asphalt, could also take advantage of the opportunity to get back in the saddle.

Mārtiņš Sesks, a disruptive element or M-Sport's best chance?

But M-Sport's biggest promise for Sweden doesn't lie with these two drivers. Mārtiņš Sesks will begin his season there, with the rally being the first of his seven scheduled outings for the 2026 season. In Saudi Arabia, Sesks was in contention for the win and is therefore the last driver from the team to have had any real hope of success at the wheel of the Puma. Last year, the Latvian posted some impressive times in Sweden, including several top-three finishes, and now knows his car perfectly, even though his last rally in it dates back to last November. In the meantime, Sesks had the opportunity to drive on snow at the Alūksne Rally in Latvia: an event that unfortunately ended in retirement. He will still benefit from an advantageous starting position on the first day this week, as he will start in the second group of Rally1 cars and may therefore benefit from a road already laid out for him.

M-Sport needs to react quickly

At Monte Carlo, Malcolm Wilson, in his capacity as a federation representative, clarified that no agreement had yet been finalized between his team and Ford beyond the 2026 season. 2027 will see a top category comprised of Rally2 and WRC 2027 cars built by both manufacturers and tuners like M-Sport, and it's difficult to imagine which manufacturer would partner with M-Sport if Ford were to withdraw. It would therefore be surprising not to see M-Sport partnered with Ford in the WRC next year, given that this new regulatory era is partly driven by Malcolm Wilson himself, and he is its primary advocate. To achieve this, M-Sport absolutely must be compelling during the 2026 season and prove that it belongs in a new generation of WRC. This work begins now and requires another series of strong performances.

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