M-Sport Ford have revealed the liveries Adrien Fourmaux and ‘Pedro’ will use on the upcoming Rally di Roma Capitale.
The rally, set to host the opening round of the FIA European Rally Championship, signals the first international event since the COIVD-19 pandemic and will see the Cumbrian team enter both a WRC car for home hero ‘Pedro’ and a MK2 R5 Fiesta for Fourmaux.
Malcolm Wilson Rally winner Fourmaux will contest the Italian event at the end of July in a distinctive orange liveried car, designed to celebrate the partnership between M-Sport and the Orange1 Racing team that took Simone Campedelli to the Italian Rally title last year.
Usual WRC3 competitor Pedro meanwhile will make his top-level Fiesta debut in his home country in a colour scheme similar to that of WRC regulars Esapekka Lappi and Teemu Suninen. He’s also set to enter Rally di Alba the weekend after the Rome event.
Fourmaux, who will make his Rally di Roma debut in the event said: “I’m really looking forward to getting back behind the wheel, and this is a great opportunity for me to prove our pace. I don’t know these stages, but I’ve always liked the challenge of experiencing a new rally for the first time.”
“We showed good pace on asphalt at the start of the year and I think we are quite confident on this surface. The podium is our target, and I would be really happy if we were able to fight for the victory too.”
While ‘Pedro’ added ahead of his first appearance in the Fiesta WRC: “This is an amazing opportunity for me that I never expected. When M-Sport decided to compete at Rally di Roma, they asked if I would also like the opportunity to drive their top-specification Fiesta on home soil and I only had to think for a couple of seconds before accepting!”
“Thanks to M-Sport I will be living a dream and for this I will be forever grateful. This is the crowning achievement of my life as a rally enthusiast, and I will be 100 percent committed to giving my best and making the most of this fantastic experience.”
The 2020 rallying season has been on hold since March due to the coronavirus crisis and M-Sport Ford WRC Team Principal Richard Millener admitted he’s excited ahead of the sports return. He commented: “It’s fantastic to be looking forward to a rally again. Adrien was quick when he last drove the Fiesta R5 MkII on asphalt, and the hope is to see him demonstrate that same pace as he tackles Rally di Roma for the first time.”
“It’s also great to see ‘Pedro’ taking to the wheel of the Fiesta WRC. When he joined us last year he instantly became a valued and popular member of the team, and we’re delighted to give him an opportunity to drive our top-specification car on home soil.”
Rally di Rome Capitale, the opening round of the 2020 FIA European Rally Championship, takes place between July 24-26.
