M-Sport Ford is based on Puma / WRC aerodynamics

Grégoire Munster/Louis Louka want to use their asphalt experience in fast, technical but very demanding stages.

Mixed road conditions in the Sea Mountains, snow and ice tracks in Sweden, then dust and mud on the “Safari” in the Kenyan savannah and now the more or less quality asphalt roads of Croatia: the start of the year for the The world of 2024. is one open case for real experts of all sides behind the wheel. After two podium results in a row, M-Sport Ford believes it has a good chance of getting a better result in the fourth round of the season.

The factory-backed team is sending two of the 368 kW (500 hp) Ford Puma Hybrid Rally1s to the race. They will be tested by crews Adrien Fourmaux/Alexandre Coria from France and Grégoire Munster/Louis Louka from Belgium. The third car is the Williams Creighton/Liam Regan Fiesta Rally2. The Irishman won the World Junior Championships last year.

Rally Croatia, which has only been part of the World Cup calendar since 2021, has quickly made a name for itself as a spectator magnet: in each of the last two years, more than 300,000 enthusiastic fans turned up on the special stage (WP) and. it created an amazing atmosphere. The tracks have a very special character with the ever-changing grip conditions, sometimes narrow and sometimes wide and many hills that the rally cars climb with impressive jumps. Added to this is the changeable weather, which can make tire selection difficult with sudden downpours, while participants who start later will find the slopes increasingly dirty.

M-Sport brings the modified Puma Hybrid Rally1 to the service yard in Zapresic, not far from the capital of the province Zagreb: The all-wheel drive turbo hybrid cars each receive a new rear wing, which is intended to improve aerodynamics at very fast speeds. measurements.

Adrien Fourmaux travels to Croatia with a big chest and is third in the drivers’ standings. The Frenchman had the best results of his career so far with third places in Sweden and Kenya. He would like to continue this journey on the paved roads of southeastern Europe. In 2021, Fourmaux competed in this World Cup meeting for the first time with a car from the top division and they immediately took fifth place. Since then he has been able to further improve his asphalt qualities, as he underlined with a WRC class 2 victory in the Central European Rally last autumn.

Grégoire Munster feels especially comfortable on asphalt roads. The Belgian with a Luxembourg license showed this, for example, with his WRC 2 victory at Rally Japan. Now he wants to put what he has learned into practice behind the wheel of the Puma Hybrid from the Rally1 category and show that he is also a competitor in the top class.

In addition to the three cars used by M-Sport, a total of 17 Fiesta Rally3s will participate in the Junior World Championship only. These all-wheel drive vehicles are based on a 1.5-liter three-cylinder turbo engine that produces 173 kW (235 hp).

“I am proud of what we have been able to achieve with our team in this early phase of the World Rally Championship – we have clearly chosen the right path,” emphasizes M-Sport team boss Richard Millener. “Adrien Fourmaux did a great job with two podium finishes. Now it will be interesting to see what he can do with his experience and track knowledge in Croatia. Grégoire Munster has already shown his skills and determination. Unfortunately, luck was not always on his side. But it feels good especially on the pitch. I’m definitely looking forward to some great moments from it. I’m looking forward to Croatia. With all the fans on the pitch, it’s a great atmosphere.

“Rally Croatia is a very special event for me: I sat behind the wheel of a ‘World Rally Car’ for the first time and took fifth place in 2021,” confirms the 28-year-old Fourmaux. However, it is one of the most difficult

Tarmac meetings in the World Cup calendar, because the ever-changing grip conditions are difficult to assess. In addition, we can often ‘cut’, ie shorten, in the inner curves. However, this requires high precision and represents a major challenge for all teams.

“I’m happy that it’s back on the tarmac again – I feel better on this road surface,” said the 25-year-old Munster. “Our test before this rally was very promising and I was able to develop a good feeling for the Ford Puma Hybrid Rally1. Croatia is characterized by fast stages, but also a lot of climbs, dips and extended inside bends, which means that a lot of dirt gets on the road, which makes it more difficult, but that’s what I like.”