Gus Greensmith will continue in place of Elfyn Evans on Rally Germany later this month after the Welshman revealed he will miss the event on medical grounds.
News broke earlier this week that M-Sport Ford were considering either Greensmith, Eric Camilli or Hayden Paddon to drive alongside Teemu Suninen on the tenth round of the FIA World Rally Championship, but the team have chosen to continue with the young British driver.
Greensmith, who will make his first tarmac appearance in a top-level WRC car in Germany, said on the news: “Like everyone else, I was hoping Elfyn would be back for this one. I feel really sorry for him, but it’s important that he makes a full recovery. I’m proud that Malcolm (Wilson) and Rich (Millener) trust me to fill the seat again – it’s another huge opportunity and I want to say thank you to them and the team.
“There’s no denying that asphalt is my preferred surface, and I’m really looking forward to seeing what I can do with the Ford Fiesta WRC in Germany. It’s an event where I have a lot of experience and Elfyn has already proven how competitive the car is on this surface. I also won my last rally on Tarmac, and think I’ll be able to get a lot closer to the top guys.”
He commented on his plans ahead of the German event: “I’ll share a three-day test with Teemu next week to get used to the car on Tarmac, and I plan to make the most of every kilometre. Malcolm and Rich were happy with the approach I took into Rally Finland, and I plan to do the same in Germany – building our speed with every stage.”
While M-Sport Ford Team Principal Richard Millener added: “Elfyn is understandably frustrated not to be back in Germany – especially at such a critical point in the season. We all know what he would have been capable of here, but his health is the most important factor and we need to ensure he is fully recovered and 100 percent fit before getting back behind the wheel. He’s doing everything he can to aid the healing process, and we hope to have him back in time for Turkey.”
“Gus made a positive debut with the top-specification Fiesta on gravel, and we were keen to give him the same opportunity on asphalt. We’ve been working with him for a number of years now, and I know that he and Elliott (Edmondson) will make the most of the experience. They impressed everyone at Rallye Monte-Carlo earlier this year, and I think we could see some great progress from them on this surface.”
Rally Germany takes place between August 22-25.
