Adrien Fourmaux’s second stage Rally di Roma crash has ruled M-Sport out of the race for European Rally Championship honors.
The Frenchman went off the road on Saturday morning’s second test, wrecking the Ford Fiesta R5 MkII. A puncture on the opening test means the British squad will depart Italy without setting a meaningful time in its factory car.
M-Sport team principal Richard Millener told DirtFish: “Adrien rolled in the second stage. This is a massive disappointment for us. We came here to show what the car was capable of and we’re not going to get the chance to set a single time.
“Firstly, I am relieved they are both OK, it has been a huge impact and although I understand it’s a very fine line between bringing the car to the finish and pushing to be competitive, we needed Adrien to find that balance. He hasn’t and now we have a car which is destroyed. We had high hopes for Adrien. Like I said, very disappointing.”
M-Sport’s other entry – Italian driver ‘Pedro’ in a Ford Fiesta WRC – is still running in Rally Stars Rome Capitale. Providing he remains on the straight and narrow, he’s a nailed-on podium finisher, with only Hyundai men Dani Sordo and Pierre-Louis Loubet for competition in the three-car field.
