M-Sport will favour Ogier over manufacturers' title
M-Sport is willing to sacrifice the chance to lift back-to-back World Rally Championship manufacturers' championship titles in favour of aiding Sebastien Ogier's chase of a sixth drivers' crown.
Ogier leads the WRC heading into this weekend's Rally Australia by three points over Hyundai's Thierry Neuville, with Toyota driver Ott Tanak a further 20 points back.
M-Sport is chasing Toyota for the manufacturers crown and is currently 25 points behind its Japanese rival with 43 points on offer in Australia.
Wilson concedes that the manufacturers title is unlikely, and that Ogier's title hunt is the priority.
“As far as we’re concerned, the manufacturers’ is gone," Wilson told Motorsport.com. "We’re putting every resource and everything we have into keeping the drivers’ championship. That’s where all of our efforts are focused now.”
Ogier's success will bring mixed feelings for M-Sport as the Frenchman departs for Citroen in 2019.
His move is a blow to M-Sport, but Wilson says he is in awe of Ogier's time with his team.
“I’ve never seen such mental strength or an approach that’s so incredibly complete in every single possible direction," said Wilson.
"He and Julien [Ingrassia, co-driver] do everything – and I mean absolutely every single thing – to get every bit of performance they can.
"Genuinely, I’ve never seen anything like them before and don’t forget, we’ve had Carlos Sainz through our doors!
"When I look back now at Spain and Wales [this year], I just have to look back and marvel about what those boys did to get back into the lead of the championship.
“One thing is for sure, we will really miss the pair of them when they go.”
Malcolm Wilson, M-Sport Ford
Photo by: M-Sport
Rally Australia's title showdown will have three drivers in pursuit of the crown for the first time since Petter Solberg, Sebastien Loeb and Carlos Sainz went head-to-head in 2003 after fourth contender Richard Burns withdrew from the event ahead of the rally's start.
Wilson argues this year's title fight proves the WRC is in rude health.
“This year is the most exciting yet,” Wilson said. “That 2001 fight was tense, but this one’s even more so.
"It’s incredible – what a way for us to end our time with Sebastien and Julien Ingrassia.
“What I’m really impressed with as well, is the shape the sport’s in right now; it’s better now than it’s ever been.
"Look how close the competition is, that’s thanks to the great regulations we’ve got – for the second season every one of the manufacturers has won at the highest level.
"I’ve never known the competition to be so close.”
Previous article
2019 FIA World Rally Championship launching at Autosport International
Next article
Loeb tutors Solberg's son in two-day test
About this article
| Series | WRC |
| Event | Rally Australia |
| Drivers | Sébastien Ogier |
| Teams | M-Sport |
| Author | David Evans |
Arctic Rally Finland: Wolf Power Stage highlights
Arctic Rally Finland: Highlights Stage 9
Arctic Rally Finland: Highlights Stages 6-8
Arctic Rally Finland: Highlights Stages 3-5
How Tanak froze out the competition at the Arctic Rally
Ott Tanak made up for a disastrous Monte Carlo Rally by leading all the way on the snow-kissed stages of the Arctic Rally Finland and in the process hit back at an event Toyota had been expected to dominate…
What to look out for in the 2021 WRC
As the 2021 World Rally Championship prepares to launch amid tight COVID-19 restrictions in Monte Carlo, here are the eight things unrelated to the pandemic that you should keep an eye on this year
Evans on the talking points of WRC 2021
He came close to the title last year, and now Toyota's Elfyn Evans gives his verdict on what to expect from 2021 as the World Rally Championship prepares to reconvene for the Monte Carlo season opener.
Why Britain's continued WRC absence is a wake-up call
With Rally GB dropping off the World Rally Championship calendar for the second year in a row, one of Britain's best-attended sporting events faces an uncertain future. It's an unfortunate situation that points to troubling times ahead
The Top 10 WRC drivers of 2020
A drastically-shortened 2020 season gave the World Rally Championship protagonists precious little stage mileage to strut their stuff, but as ever the cream rose to the top across the seven events. We rank the year's best performers
The twists and turns of a turbulent 2020 WRC season
The 2020 World Rally Championship bestrode all 12 months of the Gregorian calendar, and in terms of the competition it was a cracker. Moreover, it was an inspiration in dark days for the world and our industry.
The early setbacks that shaped the WRC's greatest driver Loeb
A series of close calls in his formative years threatened to leave rallying's top echelon tantalisingly out of reach for the man who would go on to claim nine WRC titles. In an exclusive interview, Sebastien Loeb recalls the key steps on his road to dominance.
Why the WRC's unorthodox Monza ending was a necessary one
The Monza Rally was an unusual way to end an unusual WRC season, and while far from ideal, without it the series could have faced serious ramifications. To persuade stakeholders to commit to an uncertain future, Monza was an important showcase…
