M-Sport Ford has finally revealed its new Rally1 car, which will compete in the World Rally Championship next year under the new hybrid regulations.
M-Sport Ford will, as expected, move away from the Fiesta and instead run an electrified version of the Puma compact SUV.
The prototype, which runs a turbocharged 1.6-litre EcoBoost petrol engine with a sophisticated 100 kW electric motor and 3.9 kWh battery, will make its public debut at this weekend’s Goodwood Festival of Speed.
WRC driver Adrien Fourmaux alongside M-Sport test driver Matthew Wilson will tackle Goodwood’s famous hill climb in the car, which will then be used as a development platform ahead its competitive debut in 2022.
“Ford is 100 per cent committed to an electrified future, and the white heat of competition has been responsible for many of the innovations that appear in our road cars today,” explained Mark Rushbrook, global director, Ford Performance.
“The M-Sport Ford Puma Rally1 will put hybrid power to the ultimate test, and prove that the technology is capable of delivering thrilling performance.”
M-Sport Ford, along with Toyota and Hyundai, announced their commitment to a new three-year agreement introducing hybrid technology to the top tier of global rally sport.
This also includes a move to using blended synthetic and bio-degradable elements to produce a fuel that is 100 per cent sustainable.
“The new era of WRC cars is one of the biggest technological advancements in WRC to date. The introduction of the hybrid means that the cars will be more powerful than ever whilst also directly reflecting the powertrains within their road going counterparts,” added Malcolm Wilson OBE, managing director, M-Sport.
“The switch to the Puma is very exciting with the name already having rally heritage, the car looks fantastic and I cannot wait to see it at the start line of the famous Monte Carlo Rally in early 2022.
“Launching this new car at Goodwood is also very special, being one of the most iconic events in the Motorsport calendar. I and the whole of M-Sport look forward to continuing the very successful partnership with Ford to deliver results and keep Ford at the forefront during this new and very exciting era.”
