M-Sport announces its 2022 Team Line up

M-Sport has announced that Adrien Fourmaux and Sébastien Loeb will join Craig Breen and Gus Greensmith in Monte Carlo, in a fleet of all-new Ford Puma Hybrid Rally1 cars. Frenchman Fourmaux joins Breen and Greensmith to form M-Sport's trio of drivers for a full 2022 World Rally Championship campaign as the sport enters its new and exciting hybrid era.

Fourmaux began his rally career a mere five years ago, making a meteoric rise through the WRC ranks since his debut in 2019. His first season in WRC2, behind the wheel of an M-Sport Ford Fiesta Rally2, brought him two podium finishes at Rallye Monte Carlo (third) and Rally GB (second).

The 2021 season saw Fourmaux graduate into the Ford Fiesta WRC on Croatia Rally, where he achieved a career best of fifth overall. There was also cause for celebration at Safari Rally Kenya when Fourmaux claimed his first WRC stage win by a comfortable 4.1 seconds. Consistently setting competitive times throughout the season, the young driver has been dubbed a rising star and on track to follow in the footsteps of his fellow successful countrymen.

Having been heavily involved in the testing programme for the all new Puma Hybrid Rally1 from the beginning, Fourmaux is in a perfect position to start his debut full WRC programme in the best possible form. In addition, the team welcomes nine-time FIA World Rally Champion, Sébastien Loeb, who also joins M-Sport Ford to compete on the opening round of the 2022 FIA World Rally Championship. The legendary French driver will be behind the wheel of the new Ford Puma Hybrid Rally1 car for the 2022 Rallye Monte-Carlo, an event he has won seven times previously.

Loeb rewrote the FIA World Rally Championship's record books as a full-time competitor with dominant performances across every surface type. Since his last WRC title, Loeb embarked upon a variety of motorsport programmes across an array of disciplines, succeeding in every single one and his latest WRC adventure sees him join forces with co-driver Isabelle Galmiche, a long time member of Loeb's gravel crew.

Fourmaux, Loeb, Breen and Greensmith, along with the rest of the team at M-Sport will be working tirelessly between now and the start date of next year's Rallye Monte-Carlo, January 20, to prepare for a high-excitement debut of the all new Hybrid Rally1 cars. M-Sport has a rich history of success in the WRC with a total of seven World Rally Championship titles, 61 overall victories, 239 podiums and a record breaking 268 consecutive points finishes. M-Sport is thrilled to be fielding a line up of drivers who can certainly continue and build on this legacy during 2022.

Malcolm Wilson, Managing Director, M-Sport, said: "I am really happy to announce the remaining drivers in our Monte Carlo line up. Starting the new WRC regulations with such a strong lineup is something I am very proud of and goes to show the faith that these guys have in the new Puma Rally1.

"Seeing Adrien given the opportunity to compete in a full season with us is something I am very proud of. M-Sport has a long history of developing young drivers and Adrien is no exception, 2022 gives him the chance to show what he can really do. I am sure he will deliver some impressive performances over the course of the season.

"In relation to Seb, I came close to securing a deal with him back in 2005 but unfortunately at that time we were not able to make it happen. However, with the introduction of the new 2022 Rally1 regulations and following discussions with Red Bull, we both reached out to Seb to see if he might be interested to come and try the new cars - he was, he did and now we find ourselves in a position to say that he will join the team next year! It is fantastic to be able to bring such an accomplished driver to M-Sport and I have no doubt he is still capable of a fantastic result as well as being a mentor to our other drivers. It might have taken over 16 years to get this deal to come to reality, but it is great to see it finally happen!"

21st December, 2021