Laffey signs with M-sport for BRC campaign

British Rally Championship competitor Alex Laffey is returning to the championship for 2017 as one of M-sport’s works-backed entries.

The 27-year-old Scot finished 14th in the points last year, but is targeting a top 10 this season.

“Last year we had a couple of top 10s on the Tarmac rounds and I think every other round we were 11th, which was a pain,” said Laffey. “I think we’re looking to be more consistently in the top 10, and then try and get an overall top 10 at the end of the year would be perfect for me, building on last year.”

Laffey moves from CA1 Sport to M-sport. He says the time was right to make a switch.

“Martin [Wilkinson, CA1 boss] has been great, it’s been awesome working with them and I’ve learned a lot from him and Alan [Causey, workshop manager] as well as everyone who works there,” said Laffey.

“When I first started out I was with M-sport in a Ford Fiesta ST so I’ve always had good connections with them. My management team put the deal together when we heard M-sport were doing something a bit more substantial so we thought it was good timing.”

The new-for-2016 BRC was one of the reasons Laffey wants to return, having been impressed with the new championship.

“It had its issues on some of the rounds, but overall the experience was good,” he added. “It felt high- profile, it felt like it was back and proper again. I did it in 2013 and back then it was dreadful, it was like going to any other rally except you’re paying a fortune for it.”

Laffey will compete in the same car as he did last year, his Ford Fiesta R5, and will be partnered by new co-driver Dai Roberts. He’ll run on Pirelli tyres.

MN understands that Keith Cronin, who is in talks with the M-sport outfit over a works-backed entry in the BRC to create a two-car M-sport team, is still in negotiations with the Cumbrian firm.