Gus Greensmith’s co-driver for the Monza Rally has been confirmed less than a week before the start of the event, with Jonas Andersson joining him in his M-Sport Ford Fiesta WRC.
Andersson – who last co-drove Ole Christian Veiby in the World Rally Championship this year – will be Greensmith’s fourth co-driver of 2021 having started the year with Elliott Edmondson before replacing him with Chris Patterson and then welcoming Stuart Loudon in for one event as Patterson was unavailable.
Loudon had been thought to be a favorite for the seat alongside Greensmith and DirtFish understands there were discussions between the pair, but Swede Andersson has got the nod to partner the Briton.
“I’m very happy and excited to have Jonas Andersson onboard for Monza, he’s a man with a lot of experience in the WRC,” Greensmith said.
“Me and the team all agreed that he was the best fit in terms of the personality and experience I need to continue with the steps forward we made this year into 2022.”
Andersson has 165 WRC starts to his name having sat with Mads Østberg for several years as well as Veiby, Pontus Tidemand and Per-Gunnar Andersson.
His last WRC event in a World Rally Car was ironically Monza last year and he last competed for M-Sport back in 2013 alongside Østberg.
But before making his WRC return, Andersson will navigate for Veilby on this weekend’s Rally Terre de Vaucluse in France.
It’s great to be coming back to M-Sport, hopefully we can get a good relationship going straight awayJonas Andersson
“I’m really looking forward to joining Gus in Monza and it’s a really good opportunity to get to know him and the team,” Andersson said.
“To be able to do the last WRC rally in this era of cars is going to be really nice. I’m just really looking forward to the rally and working with Gus to see how we get along.
“It’s great to be coming back to M-Sport too, hopefully we can get a good relationship going straight away.
“The aim for Monza is getting some good stage times and to enjoy ourselves during the weekend.”
There is no news on what this means for 2022, but Greensmith at least is expected to remain with M-Sport Ford into the hybrid Rally1 era.
Adrien Fourmaux and Alexandre Coria are also tipped to do the same as Coria’s relationship with Fourmaux looks to be permanent.
Coria’s former driver, Yohan Rossel, hadn’t entered neither Rally Finland nor Rally Spain where Coria joined Fourmaux at M-Sport, but has entered the Monza Rally in WRC3 with Jacques-Julien Renucci as his co-driver
