2023-08-07 16:55:20
Vienna (ots) – Adrien Fourmaux and co-driver Alex Coria finished second in the WRC2 category following a difficult Rally Finland with a sense of achievement for M-Sport Ford. At the wheel of their all-wheel drive Ford Fiesta Rally2, the French unwound all 22 special stages (SS) without any problems worth mentioning. Finland debutant Grégoire Munster and his co-driver Louis Louka also made a positive impression: They drove their Rally Fiesta to ninth place in the WRC2 classification. Both Ford Puma Hybrid Rally1 crews were unlucky: Ott Tänak/Martin Järveoja as well as Pierre-Louis Loubet/Nicolas Gilsoul had to shut down their 368 kW (500 hp) turbo hybrid all-wheel drive vehicles early on the third special stage. While the rally was over for the three-time Finland winner Tänak, Loubet was able to get back into the action on Saturday and collect brand championship points.
- Adrien Fourmaux achieved second place in the WRC2 under difficult conditions with his Ford Fiesta Rally2 and an excellent eighth place overall
- After an accident on Friday, Pierre-Louis Loubet can start once more with the Puma Hybrid Rally1 on Saturday and continue the record series of manufacturer championship points for Ford
- After a strong start, three-time Finland winner Ott Tänak damaged his Puma Hybrid Rally1 on the first stage and had to retire early
Fourmaux/Coria quickly found the right rhythm on the ultra-fast stages of the Rally Finland, also known as the “Gravel Grand Prix”. Thanks to consistently competitive times, they were able to assert themselves once morest the Finnish local heroes with their Ford Fiesta Rally2 right from the start and establish themselves in the WRC2 top group. Thanks in particular to the best time in class on the final special stage (SP) on Friday, they finished the first stage as WRC2 fourth.
On Saturday’s opening stage, Fourmaux and Coria improved their second-best time to third place in their class. Shortly before the stage finish, the French duo took second place, which they underpinned with consecutive top 3 results and another special stage best time, and extended the lead over third-placed to 48.6 seconds. On Sunday, only four stages separated Fourmaux from his first podium finish since the 2021 Monte Carlo Rally. The 28-year-old steered his Fiesta Rally2 to the finish in a controlled manner, but without exaggerated risk. With the third-best WRC2 time on the final Power Stage, he also secured an additional World Championship point. The successful weekend in Finland also rewarded the intensive work of the M-Sport team, which has consistently further developed the Fiesta Rally2 since the beginning of the season.
For Pierre-Louis Loubet and co-driver Nicolas Gilsoul, Rally Finland was all regarding damage limitation following colliding with a tree on the third stage. However, the mechanics were able to repair the damage to the Ford Puma Hybrid Rally1 before the restart on Saturday. Although far behind, the Corsican and his Belgian co-driver finished fifth in the manufacturers’ classification. In doing so, they secured ten important World Championship points for M-Sport Ford and, above all, maintained a record series: No other team has been able to achieve so many points in a row.
Ott Tänak started the Rally Finland furiously with the second Puma Hybrid Rally1. He marked the best time on the very first special stage. Like team-mate Loubet, however, the Estonians were also unlucky on the third stage: In a fast right-hand bend, Tänak hit a stone hidden in the grass, which pierced through the protection of the oil sump and caused engine damage. The three-time Rally Finland winner initially continued his journey with purely electric drive, but had to give up a little later.
In the WRC2 category, Grégoire Munster made an encouraging debut in Rally Finland. The young Belgian built on his gravel experience with a flawless performance. With several top 10 class results, he finished his first outing in the Finnish forests with a respectable ninth place in the WRC2 classification.
“It was a difficult weekend for the team,” said M-Sport team boss Richard Millener. “It’s a shame that we mightn’t get better results despite our hard work – we might have achieved more. In the shakedown and on the first stage we might see promising signs of our good pace once more. That Pierre-Louis Loubet following the bad luck at the beginning of the “I’m delighted that the rally still reached the finish line. Add to that the fantastic result for Adrien Fourmaux in WRC2. Gregoire Munster finished another rally without a scratch on the car and was able to gain more experience. We now have a three to four week break ahead of us , where we can recharge our batteries. We want to travel to the remaining four rallies this year with fresh energy.”
Adrien Fourmaux / Alexandre Coria (Ford Fiesta Rally2, car number 26); WRC2 place: 2; Overall rank: 8th
“The team worked really hard so we deserved this great result,” said Fourmaux. “Our car ran absolutely fine and the weekend was just perfect for us. We had all the information we needed on the special stages. I’m very happy because we mightn’t really expect to finish this rally in second place. That I Being able to compete with all these Finnish talents here was something special for me.”
Grégoire Munster / Louis Louka (Ford Fiesta Rally2, starting number 40); WRC2 place: 9; Overall rank: 15
“That was a good rally for us, from which we learned a lot,” emphasizes Munster. “We were able to increase our pace from stage to stage, even if the weather conditions were difficult at times. When it came to setting up the car, we had to try different things, which enriched our wealth of experience.”
Pierre-Louis Loubet / Nicolas Gilsoul (Ford Puma Hybrid Rally1, starting number 7); Place: 45
“I’m disappointed with this weekend,” admits Loubet. “We wanted to be up front, but unfortunately I hit a tree and was only able to continue under restart conditions. Things went quite well for us on Saturday. But on Sunday we weren’t quite able to keep up the pace because we had a small engine problem Performance cost. Nevertheless, we gave our all once more and tried to collect a few championship points on the Power Stage. Next on the agenda is the Greece Rally. We had a strong performance there last year. I hope that there everything is going smoothly. Even if the results are not always right, we see a development in the right direction. We just have to keep at it now.”
Ott Tänak / Martin Järveoja (Ford Puma Hybrid Rally1, Start number 8); Ausfall.
“Of course we’re disappointed,” admits Tänak. “After the result of the Rally Estonia we had wished for something else for Finland. It’s a pity that we mightn’t continue, but the damage was simply too great. After the past hectic months, we’re now taking a short break before we fully open up focus on the Greece Rally in September.”
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Questions & contact:
Ing. Christian Wotypka
Ford Motor Company (Austria) GmbH
+43 (0)5 06581-300
cwotypka@ford.com
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