Jari-Matti Latvala and Petter Solberg will contest the World Rally Championship for the Ford factory team in 2012. Ford has extended its association with M-Sport in the WRC for a further two years.
Ford has confirmed that its presence in rallying will continue for two more years in association with Malcolm Wilson’s M-Sport. It is almost certain that Abu Dhabi will no longer be a partner of the team, however.
The 2012 world championship will see two Ford Fiesta RS WRCs contest the series in the hands of Finn Jari-Matti Latvala and Norway’s Petter Solberg. The latter got his first drive in the car this morning in France’s Ardèche Mountains.
“The WRC is motorsport’s toughest competition for production-based cars,” says Gerard Quinn, Ford Europe’s Manager Motorsport. “Through WRC, we can convey the attributes of our road vehicles and send a clear message to our customers and fans about Ford’s passion and expertise.
“We feel that the timing for our announcement is right. We had to be confident about the stability of the championship and to ensure it continues to provide great value and increased exposure globally. We discussed it with our stakeholders and after receiving such assurances we look forward to focusing on competition once again.
“We have a great team with M-Sport and its leader, Malcolm Wilson. And in Jari-Matti Latvala we have one of motorsport’s rising stars. We believe he will flourish in his new role as Ford’s team leader. Petter Solberg will bring real added value to the squad thanks to his record which includes a world title and 13 world class wins.”
