Jari Huttunen’s Rally Finland entry in an M-Sport Ford Puma Rally1 has been made official, confirming Huttunen’s first ever top-line start in the World Rally Championship.
Huttunen twice drove a Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC on Finnish national rallies in 2019 but the highest class he has competed in on the world stage is WRC2.
But as reported by DirtFish last month, that will all change on Huttunen’s home stages next month when he joins Craig Breen, Adrien Fourmaux and Gus Greensmith in M-Sport’s main fold.
Huttunen will get one test day in Estonia before Rally Finland and will also compete on Rally Estonia next week, albeit in WRC2 with a Fiesta Rally2.
““I’m really excited to be doing my home rally in a Puma, it will be a great experience and I’m looking forward to the atmosphere with the fans and everything,” said Huttunen.
“It will definitely be challenging on such a fast rally in a car with so much power, but I have a good feeling in the Rally2 already and so I feel we will carry that feeling over to the Puma. I’ve really enjoyed working with M-Sport on these past events and I’m starting to feel very at home.
“The aim for the weekend will be to learn from the car and try to keep a good rhythm with a steady pace. It can be a tricky event but I know it quite well, so let’s see what happens.
“I’m very glad to be given this opportunity by M-Sport so we want to make the most of it.”
M-Sport team principal Richard Millener added: “I can’t wait to see Jari step up into Rally1 machinery and feel very proud that it will be in an M-Sport Ford Puma Hybrid Rally1.
“We are promoting a new generation of cars this year as we embark upon WRC’s new hybrid era, it is therefore paramount that we provide opportunities to a new generation of drivers as well.
“This is something M-Sport prides itself on and has a long history of doing, and we saw recently with Pierre-Louis what fresh talent is capable of. Jari has followed a similar path to Pierre-Louis when you look at their results and I am sure everybody will be keeping a keen eye on Jari’s progress.
“From the team’s perspective there will be no goals or pressure, we simply want to see what Jari can do when given the tools and machinery. It will be a learning exercise more than anything, for Jari, Mikko [Lukka, co-driver] and the team.
“For Jari he will be starting to learn what it takes to be at the very top of the WRC, for us we will learn what we need to do to support and develop Jari to get him to the top level.”
Huttunen will be the seventh different driver to compete in a Puma Rally1 this season.
While Breen, Fourmaux and Greensmith are contesting the full season, both Loubet and Monte Carlo Rally winner Sébastien Loeb are undertaking part campaigns.
Jourdan Serderidis drove his own example on last month’s Safari Rally Kenya and will return later in the season – at least on his home round, Acropolis Rally Greece – while Lorenzo Bertelli was supposed to drive a Puma on Rally Sweden before that plan was culled due to a clash with Milan Fashion Week.
