M-Sport's WRC Path: Ford Partnership or New Car?

0:00On April 29th, M-Sport is mapping out its path to stick around in the World Rally Championship's top class for 2028. They're eyeing two main plays, teaming up with a manufacturer like Ford, or straight up building their own new car under the latest rules. For now, expect them in 2027 running the Ford Fiesta Rally 2 against the fresh WRC cars in a mixed class. The hold-up ties back to the FIA's new Coscap tech setup, which makes building from scratch tough with the short timeline. Plus, the WRC's commercial right sale is dragging on, and that's got everyone from teens to car makers pausing for the big picture. Team Boss Richard Milliner keeps it real, saying all doors are wide open while they do basic groundwork like chassis checks and body designs. No commitments yet, but they're prepped if a deal drops. Chatting with Ford is ongoing since their 97 partnership kicked off, and that's the favorite route over going solo. Ford still tuned in through rally rate events weighing WRC against other series.

1:03Bottom line, M-Sport needs that promoter deal locked for a solid 25-year vision before dropping big cash. For next year, the Fiesta Rally 2 stays as is no extra upgrades since it's already competitive. They'll ride that wave till the future clears up. That's the story for today, F1 News Today, driven by AI.