Ford's WRC wing has confirmed its plans for the 2012 WRC competition and beyond

There has been an announcement from Ford of Europe that it will be extending its participation in the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) for 2012 and 2013. M-Sport the British-based preparation company has been associated with Ford’s WRC activities since 1997 will continue to operate the programme. 

At present the Ford’s Fiesta RS World Rally Car is based on the Fiesta road car from Europe will continue as Ford WRC’s flagship model in 2012 and 2013. This year Jari-Matti Latvala from Finland and co-driver Miikka Anttila drove the Fiesta RS World Rally Car topped the world rankings for special stage victories in 2011 are confirmed as team leaders for 2012. 

Alongside them will be former world champion Peter Solberg and Chris Patterson who will drive the second Fiesta RS WRC in all 13 rounds of the 2012 WRC. Both have signed a one year agreement for the same. This will be Solberg’s second stint with Ford in WRC having launched his career having with the team in 1999. 

The squad will be named Ford World Rally Team and will retain support from long-term partner Castrol for both 2012 and 2013. 

Ford of Europe Chairman and CEO Stephen Odell highlighted the strong will of all parties to continue in the WRC by saying, “Ford has a rich history in world rallying and we’re excited to continue fighting for titles on the world stage with our great partners at M-Sport. WRC is a great fit with the Ford brand DNA of precise handling, fun-to-drive cars with leading technology and we’ll continue to leverage rallying to inspire innovation in future vehicles and reach new audiences.”

Ford of Europe’s Senior Manager for Motorsport, Gerard Quinn explained what the WRC competition means to the company by saying, “The WRC is motorsport’s toughest competition for production-based cars. Through WRC, we can convey the attributes of our road vehicles and send a clear message to our customers and fans about Ford’s passion and expertise. We had to be confident about the stability of the championship and to ensure it continues to provide great value and increased exposure globally. We discussed it with our stakeholders and after receiving such assurances we look forward to focusing on competition once again.”