CHRIS INGRAM LANDS DREAM CHANCE WITH WRC PROGRESSION
WRC’s future looks bright with teams’ commitment and pathway for one young British hopeful
The World Rally Championship will count on factory entries from Hyundai, M-Sport Ford and Toyota for the next three years from 2022.
Aligned with the start of the Rally1 hybrid era, the commitment from the category’s existing makes is a huge boost for the WRC and will help safeguard jobs at M-Sport’s Cumbria base, according to boss Malcolm Wilson.
The news will also serve as a great source of inspiration for British talent Chris Ingram.
The 26-year-old European champion has landed backing for a two-year campaign in a Rally2-spec Skoda Fabia and will begin his bid on the Croatia Rally on April 22 alongside co-driver Ross Whittock.
Meanwhile, Rally Northern Ireland bosses have launched an online survey aimed at establishing how many fans are planning to visit the event should it join the WRC in 2022. Access to the majority of stages will be free of charge.
Chris Ingram says confirmation of a two-year World Rally Championship campaign “feels so special”.
Ingram, 26, will contest six rounds of the WRC3 in 2021 in an SXM Competition-run Skoda Fabia ahead of a WRC2 Junior bid in 2022 with the Belgian team. Ross Whittock, 29, who partnered Ingram to the ERC title in 2019, will co-drive.
“There have been some really tough moments to get this far but it feels so special to be able to say I’m a WRC driver,” said Ingram. “I’ve given everything I have to get this opportunity and I have so many people to thank and so much to be grateful for.”
Ingram has landed a major sponsorship deal with CarFinance 247, which is based in Ingram’s home city of Manchester. Kroon-Oil is also making a major contribution to his budget.
“Winning the ERC title in 2019 opened up lots of doors and I was close to landing a really good drive in 2020,” Ingram explained. “The pandemic slammed all those doors shut, but I never gave up and never stopped believing my dream would come true.”
Ingram will begin his campaign on the Croatia Rally from April 22-25. He’s then due to contest the ERC-counting Azores Rallye from May 6-8 before announcing the remainder of his five-event WRC3 schedule.
“It’s a two-year programme and I can’t lose sight of that fact,” said Ingram. “It’s been almost 18 months since I last drove a top-level rally car so I’ve got to build up my confidence, learn the events and adapt to the championship because it’s the biggest thing I’ve ever done.
“The World rally rounds are another level. I’m going to give it everything.”