M-Sport and Red Bull join forces again: WRC
Lapland (Finland), 23 Feb 2021: M-Sport and Red Bull will again join forces, championing young talent in the FIA World Rally Championship with French protégé Adrien Fourmaux.
Fourmaux takes the next step in his career this year with a split program between the WRC and WRC 2 Championships. And the chance to compete with support from Red Bull offers the young Frenchman an opportunity to deliver on his promising talent behind the wheel – following in the footsteps of fellow countrymen Sébastiens Loeb and Ogier.
Starting his rally career just four years ago, Fourmaux’s natural skill saw him progress at speed and he soon caught the attention of renowned talent-spotter, and M‑Sport Managing Director, Malcolm Wilson OBE. Drafted into M-Sport Ford’s prestigious driver development programme, Fourmaux is now on the fast-track to rallying’s highest level.
Beginning at this week’s Arctic Rally Finland, Fourmaux will sport a new Red Bull livery as he takes to the wheel of both the EcoBoost-powered Ford Fiesta Rally2 and Ford Fiesta WRC in this year’s FIA World Rally Championship.
The Frenchman will be behind the wheel of the Red Bull branded Fiesta Rally2 this week, before making his world-stage debut with the top-specification Fiesta WRC at Rally Croatia in two months’ time.
M-Sport Managing Director, Malcolm Wilson OBE, said: “Red Bull sees the same potential in Adrien as we do, and it’s fantastic to welcome them back to the M-Sport family. We have achieved some truly incredible performances with Red Bull, and my hope is to see the team replicate those performances as we target a return to the top of the podium.
“This is the first step in a concerted effort towards coming out fighting with the new regulations. A lot of our resources are going into ensuring we have the best possible package going into 2022, and to have Red Bull onboard this year is a huge positive for the team. Not only do they believe we have a future star amongst our ranks, but they also have faith in our world-class designers and engineers to deliver another rally-winning car.”
M-Sport Ford Team Principal, Richard Millener, said: “Work to reignite this partnership with Red Bull has been ongoing for quite a while behind the scenes, and it is fantastic to see it now come to fruition.
“Adrien and Renaud [co-driver] are two of the most dedicated guys I’ve worked with, and it’s great to see that talent and hard work now rewarded with endorsement from Red Bull – a truly iconic brand in motorsport, and as shrewd as Malcolm when it comes to spotting driver potential!
“Clearly, they have seen the same Ogier-esque performances in Adrien as we have. He’s an extremely intelligent driver with a lot of potential, and we’re looking forward to witnessing his progress and aiding his development in what will be a very important year.”
Adrien Fourmaux said: “I’m really excited to be making the step up to WRC this year, and follow in the path of my rally heroes. This season is an extremely important one for me and it is both humbling and motivating that it’s not just M-Sport who continues to put their faith in me – as now Red Bull are also supporting my journey.
“My 2021 season started well with second place in WRC 2 at Rallye Monte-Carlo. And now the aim is to be in the mix for another good result at this weekend’s Arctic Rally Finland, where I continue my WRC 2 campaign with the support of Red Bull and M-Sport. My eyes are also firmly fixed on preparing for my WRC debut at a brand-new event at Rally Croatia – and I intend for this to be the first step in a long career at the top level of world rally.”
