A difficult Rally of Portugal but without major problems for M-Sport

Behind the untouchable Toyota and Hyundai, M-Sport was on the back foot this weekend in Portugal. However, the British team, which did not experience any major problems, still had some fun.

Published 19/05/2025 à 11:25

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A difficult Rally of Portugal but without major problems for M-Sport

This weekend in Portugal, Toyota et Hyundai shared the scratch wins. Except for one, that of the Super-special on Thursday evening, won by Martins Sesks. We could then have thought that the Ford Puma Rally1 of M-Sport could play spoilsport and keep pace with the Japanese and South Koreans.

Unfortunately, it was not to be. Whether it was Sesks, Grégoire Munster, or Josh McErlean, the British team's riders were on the back foot all weekend. The Latvian driver had some bad luck, as on Friday morning he suffered a puncture at the third corner of the first special stage. This cost him more than 3 minutes and any hope of a good place in the overall standings. At the end of the first day, a spin cost him another precious second.

Finally, M-Sport hoped to finish strong on Sunday in Portugal by scoring points for Super Sunday. Unfortunately, Sesks, once again, suffered a rear-left puncture on the first stage. For their part, while his teammates didn't experience any problems or punctures, their race pace didn't allow them to get close to the leaders.

M-Sport in Portugal: “So nice to finish without a mistake and with a good pace”

At the finish, the highest-ranked rider overall was Irishman Josh McErlean, in only 8th place. "What rally "It was difficult! It was very demanding, not only for the drivers, but also for the team. There were many logistical challenges and long hours of work. Without all the dedication and determination of the team, it would have been impossible to have all six cars at the finish.", said Richard Millener in a press release.

"All the Rally1 and Rally2 crews showed good pace throughout the event. With each rally that passes, the consistency of this pace improves more and more. We are therefore going in the right direction as the year progresses.", assures the director of M-Sport. “A big congratulations to Josh (McErlean) and Eoin who drove superbly this weekend. Things are looking promising as we head towards Sardinia."he concludes.

Indeed, the latter admits to having spent a very pleasant weekend in Portugal. "We enjoyed every moment. As always, this rally was crazy, it's so nice to finish clean and with good times. A big thank you to the whole team. Running four cars without any problems is a great achievement for them.", the Irishman advances.