M-Sport team principal Rich Millener says Saudi Arabia’s arrival in the World Rally Championship not only brings opportunity across the whole of rallying, but also demonstrates the value within the WRC.
The announcement of WRC’s return to the Middle East for the first time since 2011 brought criticism from some fans, with much of the debate centered around the Gulf state’s unprecedented 10-year contract.
For Millener though, another new country’s willingness to invest so heavily in the championship is good news. He told DirtFish: “I think it could only be positive. We’ve got another new country that wants the WRC to come to them, and that’s the position we need to be in.
“These places want the WRC,” he continued. “It’s not WRC trying to go there, and that goes again to show that actually we have a product that we shouldn’t undervalue.”
WRC's last visit to Middle East came in 2011 - when M-Sport's Matthew Wilson finished fifth at Rally Jordan
Millener also recognizes the importance of the region to manufacturers as Ford expands its motorsport activities.
“It’s great for M-Sport,” he said. “We now share two big events with Saudi: Dakar and now WRC. And for Ford with their involvement with Formula 1 and Red Bull, that’s another series they’re in, so it’s like a great big family coming together.”
Hyundai and Toyota have their own commercial interests in the region. Hyundai is working on a manufacturing facility in Saudi Arabia, while Toyota has long dominated the sales charts across the Gulf.
Millener acknowledges calls from some quarters to bring classic rallies back into the fold, but also points towards the commercial realities of the WRC.
“Ultimately, this sport is also a business, and there has to be a balance between business and sporting,” he explained. “We still have iconic events, and we hope that we can get some of those back into the calendar.
“But, if you want the WRC, we need to find the funding to bring it to these countries. The funding from the events that come in and sign up helps us to build the championship. It helps the teams to do more events, which gets more global presence, and helps us to move forward.”
Investment provided by Saudi Arabia could be used to help develop junior drivers, he adds.
The M-Sport boss believes going to Saudi Arabia is the right move and will bring overall benefits to the WRC. He said: “I don’t think there is any intention from the deal to have a huge overhaul of the series. It’s nothing like this. It’s an additional event that’s been added by a country that feels that there is a genuine benefit to have it in their country for such a long time.
“And, you know, rallying in the Middle East has always had a huge history, and it’s great to go back to somewhere where we haven’t been for a while. I’m looking forward to it.”
