M-Sport Ford principal, Richard Millener, is looking for solutions to improve his team's results in the 2022 World Rally Championship (WRC), one of which is by recruiting experienced racers.
M-Sport Ford started this season with promise. They won the Monte Carlo Rally when the Puma Rally1 was driven by nine-time WRC title winner, Sebastien Loeb. However, the veteran French racer was not a full part of the England squad.
Adrien Forumaux, Craig Breen and Gus Green Smith made up the original M-Sport Ford squad, assisted by Pierre-Louis Loubet.
However, they haven't been able to impress, even though Breen has recorded two podiums in the first seven series of the 2022 WRC.
However, Millener has not been satisfied with his team's performance so far this season and feels he needs a more experienced racer to get behind the wheel of the Puma Rally1 for a full season.
"It's always a negative when your lead racer fails to finish a race or has a problem," Millener told WRC.com.
“When that happens, we often find ourselves struggling to challenge for the top three. This frustrates us, but it's understandable.
“I think it would be great to have another established rider to be able to fight for the podium regularly. But unfortunately it's just an ambition that we can't achieve at the moment."
Richard Millener said the financial problems that occurred within his team at this time were one of the factors that forced them to spend the season with the youth squad.
"We will continue to think about how we can change it, because we know we can get a positive result," he said.
“We have to keep trying and hope we can find a way to get more funding to do that.
“Craig is capable enough to do it, but as the only rally driver leading the team, he has a lot of pressure on his shoulders.
“I don't see any way at the moment for us to find the budget to get that extra rallyer. But it's something we should always aim for."
M-Sport Ford has no doubts about the abilities of Adrien Fourmaux, Pierre-Louis Loubet and Gus Greensmith. Richard Millener believes they will be strong rally drivers in the future and consistently deliver great results for the team.
“Adrien, Pierre and Gus, all still learning. Of course, in the long term, we have three very good young drivers."
"I hope that in the next three or four years, they will fill that position. But, we also need to do it now.
"We must not give up, if you do that and just live with what you have you will never make it.
“It was just an ongoing thought in my head that we needed to find a way to try and do it. It's not easy, but I won't give up."
