With just two weeks left until the start of the first gravel rally of the 2022 FIA World Rally Championship calendar at Rally de Portugal on 19-22 May, the teams have started to carry out their pre-event testing to prepare the all-new Rally1 hybrid machinery for the upcoming challenge.
The two teams of Hyundai Motorsport and M-Sport Ford World Rally Team started their first tests last week with most of them being carried out over the weekend. The teams are keen to find new adjustments to be able to beat the dominating Toyota Gazoo Racing outfit, which has won two rallies already with the championship leader Kalle Rovanperä. For Toyota’s part it’s not yet known when and where they are doing their pre-event tests.
On YouTube some local videographers have captured the tests carried out by M-Sport over the weekend, the team have used the legendary Fafe special stage for their tests with the Ford Puma Rally1 where the Irishman Craig Breen and Frenchman Adrien Fourmaux have been behind the wheel.
Breen is the highest placed Ford driver currently in the standings, which is expected from the team’s number one driver. The Irishman has one podium finish this season and two-four place finishes, Breen drove the rally last time in 2018 where he ended up in seventh for Citroën. The rally will be a new challenge for Fourmaux who hasn’t competed there before and he hopes to get his bad season turned around after two retirements in three rounds.
