Ogier joins M-Sport and Fordposted in WRC12 | 12 | 2016
FOUR-TIME WORLD champion Sebastien Ogier has signed to drive for the M-Sport World Rally Team next season. Partnered by co-driver Julien Ingrassia, the pair will drive the all-new Ford Fiesta WRC (pictured). The team will be completed by Estonian Ott Tänak, who rejoins M-Sport for a third stint.
Ogier, who found himself looking for a new drive after Volkswagen quit the WRC at the end of the 2016 season in the financial fallout from the dieselgate emissions scandal, tested the Fiesta in Wales last month, two days after trying Toyota’s Yaris World Rally Car in Spain.
But now, a deal has been finalised with M-Sport boss Malcolm Wilson.
“There will be a lot of new things this season, but I’m definitely looking forward to it,” 32-year-old Ogier said. “We have a new generation of World Rally Cars and a new team; it’s certainly an exciting time.
“There’s not long before we line-up at the start of Rallye Monte-Carlo and we’ve not had a lot of seat time with the Ford Fiesta WRC, but we’ll give it our best to be ready. We’re aware of the challenges, and I can see how hungry Malcolm and his team are for success.
“It’s funny to think that just a few months ago I was sitting at a motorsport forum at Wales Rally GB saying how nice it would be to work with him one day. I had no idea at the time that it would come quite so soon, but here we are.”
Cumbrian legend Wilson, meanwhile, has made no secret of his desire to sign Ogier.
“We go to Rallye Monte-Carlo with the number one on the door of the Ford Fiesta WRC and the strongest driver line-up we’ve had in years,” he said.
“To say we’re excited about next season is an understatement. We believe we have produced an exceptional car, and we’re in the best possible position ahead of this exciting new era.
“We have worked extremely hard to secure Sébastien and Julien and they believe the Ford Fiesta WRC is the car with which they can best defend their championship.”
Tänak, meanwhile — who this year will have Martin Järveoja as co-driver, replacing Raigo Mõlder — has played a major role in developing the new Fiesta. The Estonian believes he is a better driver than the one that was dropped by M-Sport for a second time at the end of 2015.
“I had a great season in 2016,” he said. “We got a lot of experience under our belts and I think I became a much stronger driver. It was good to see the speed increase over the course of the year.
“This is the first time I’ve had a hand in developing a new car completely from scratch and it’s been great to work with the engineers.”
Next year's new regulations are headlined by more aggressive aerodynamics, 380bhp through bigger turbo restrictors and a centre differential.
The team will continue its testing programme with the 2017 Ford Fiesta WRC this week.
Related: John MacCrone wins emotional Mull in Ford Fiesta R5
Keep up-to-date with all the latest news by following us on twitter.com/Scotcars
Jim McGill