M-SPORT FORD WORLD RALLY TEAM

Founded by former factory team driver Malcolm Wilson, M-Sport took charge of Ford’s World Rally Championship programme in 1997 and quickly became a powerhouse in the sport.

With stars like Colin McRae, Carlos Sainz, and Marcus Grönholm behind the wheel, the team racked up numerous rally victories. Grönholm’s back-to-back manufacturers’ titles in 2006 and 2007 with the Focus RS WRC cemented M-Sport’s reputation as a front-running squad.

Ford Focus WRC 2002, Colin McRae / Nicky Grist
© WRC

As the Fiesta replaced the Focus in 2011, Jari-Matti Latvala and Mikko Hirvonen added more wins to the team’s tally. However, Ford’s withdrawal from WRC at the end of 2012 dealt a financial blow, forcing M-Sport to operate independently.

After years without a title, the arrival of Sébastien Ogier in 2017 transformed the team’s fortunes. The Frenchman spearheaded a dominant campaign, securing both the drivers’ and manufacturers’ championships in the new-generation Fiesta. A year later, Ogier repeated the feat before departing for Citroën.

M-Sport Ford Champions 2017
© Jaanus Ree / Red Bull Contentpool

M-Sport remained competitive but struggled to maintain its winning form in the seasons that followed. However, in 2022, the squad made history as nine-time world champion Sébastien Loeb piloted the Puma Rally1 to victory at Rallye Monte-Carlo – the first event of the WRC’s hybrid era.

M-Sport Ford WRT, Sébastien Loeb / Isabelle Galmiche (2022)
© WRC

A bold new line-up in 2023 saw Ott Tänak return to the team, bringing renewed optimism. While the Estonian couldn’t dethrone Kalle Rovanperä, he still delivered victories in Chile and Sweden. Meanwhile, teammates Pierre-Louis Loubet and Grégoire Munster endured mixed fortunes. Loubet struggled to replicate his 2022 highs, while Munster adapted quickly after joining mid-season, showing flashes of promise in Chile and Central Europe.

WRC Delfi Rally Estonia 2023 M-Sport Ford Tänak
© WRC

The team doubled down on youth development for 2024 and 2025, a strategy that yielded both flashes of brilliance and critical learning. Adrien Fourmaux delivered a standout 2024 campaign with five podiums before moving to Hyundai, leaving a vacancy filled by rising Irish talent Josh McErlean for 2025.

The 2025 season was a year of consolidation and grit; while the team faced a steep learning curve, Grégoire Munster delivered career-best fifth-place finishes in Kenya and Japan, while McErlean recorded a trio of impressive seventh-place finishes on his debut year in Rally1. A late-season highlight saw Mārtiņš Sesks lead the inaugural Rally Saudi Arabia before a cruel mechanical heartbreak on the final day, proving the inherent pace of the Ford Puma Rally1.

For 2026, M-Sport has ushered in a new era with a historic all-Irish factory line-up supported by the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy. Josh McErlean returns for his second full season, stepping into a leadership role following a composed rookie campaign. He is joined by Jon Armstrong, the 2025 European Rally Championship runner-up whose late-season dominance made his graduation to the top flight undeniable.