M-Sport, developments to unlock performance in Croatia

The team M-Sport is launched on a series, and it does not intend to stop there. With Adrien fourmaux, the British team remains on two podiums during the last two rounds, in Sweden and Kenya, thanks in particular to remarkable reliability (especially for the Ford Puma Rally1, reputed to be very fragile...).

To continue this great dynamic, the English team spares no effort and arrives at Rally from Croatia with a new aerodynamic evolution. M-Sport will introduce a modified rear wing on its two Ford Puma in the Balkans, for the second asphalt rally of the championship. According to the team, this new “should benefit crews on the high-speed sections of Croatia and for the rest of the season”.

If reliability has brought many reasons for satisfaction in the British clan, performance is not yet up to par with rivals such as Toyota et Hyundai. However, the consistency of Adrien Fourmaux allowed M-Sport to fight against the two Asian manufacturers in often difficult conditions. In Croatia, on a more “classic” rally, the difference could be more visible, hence the need for the Ford Puma to evolve.

M-Sport drivers at ease on Croatian asphalt?

Beyond the mount, Richard Millener hopes that the return of WRC on the tarmac can allow its two drivers to fully express their potential. “I am incredibly proud of what the team has accomplished since the start of the season and I think our approach has served us well, confides the director of the private stable. Adrien has done a fantastic job reaching the podium twice already, and I can't wait to see what he can do in Croatia with his knowledge and experience. Grégoire [Munster] showed skill and determination and gave us some good performances, although bad luck impacted the results. But asphalt is his favorite surface and I think we can expect some good times from him here. »

For Adrien Fourmaux, it will be a question of confirming his good form in an event that he particularly appreciates. “Croatia is a really special event for me, it was my first time in a WRC in 2021, where I finished 5th, remembers the Northerner, currently third in the championship. I really like the roads, with very smooth asphalt sections, but it is also one of the most difficult asphalt events of the season. The grip is so changeable that it's not easy to know where the grip is and where it isn't, because the type of tarmac changes so much. So we have to be very precise, because there are also a lot of cuts. »

ALSO READ > The 2024 Croatia Rally program