M-Sport Ford World Rally Team has announced that they are forced to withdraw the Frenchman Adrien Fourmaux from the 2022 WRC season-finale in Rally Japan.
The 27-year-old was due to drive one of the three Ford Puma Rally1 entered for that weekend but now the team will only be fielding two for the Irishman Craig Breen and the Britain Gus Greensmith.
This is the third time this season the team has withdrawn Fourmaux from the entry list, he also was forced to sit out of Acropolis Rally Greece and Rally New Zealand due to his crash in Ypres Rally Belgium causing a lot of repair work on the Puma but returned for RallyRACC – Costa Daurada last time out where he finished eight and wrapped up a disappointed 2022 season.
A statement released by the team on Wednesday explained the decision was mutual and due to a combination of budgetary constraints coupled with Fourmaux switching his focus to the 2023 season: “Unfortunately we can confirm Adrien Fourmaux will not compete on next week’s Rally Japan. With high costs associated with long-haul events, the team and Adrien feel it is within everyone’s interests to focus on Adrien’s programme for 2023 with M-Sport in the WRC as well as with its development projects.”
