M-SPORT DOWN TO TWO AS FOURMAUX DROPPED FROM NZ LINE-UP
M-Sport will have only two full-time drivers to call upon when New Zealand hosts round 11 of the World Rally Championship from today (Thursday).
The British squad pulled its entry for Adrien Fourmaux last week, leaving Craig Breen and
Gus Greensmith as its only Manufacturer championship representatives in the Southern Hemisphere. Italian Lorenzo Bertelli will compete in a third M-Sportrun Ford Puma Rally1, albeit on a privateer basis.
A statement from the Cumbria-based outfit read: “After reassessing Adrien Fourmaux’s targets for 2022, M-Sport has withdrawn Adrien’s entry for Rally New Zealand. M-Sport remains fully committed to Adrien and this decision has been made in conjunction with him and our partners. M-Sport can confirm Adrien will return to action with the team on Rally Spain in a Puma Rally1.”
Frenchman Fourmaux’s absence from the New Zealand start list marks his second consecutive non-start after M-Sport pulled his Acropolis Rally entry due to car availability issues following Fourmaux’s car-wrecking crash on the penultimate stage. Although Fourmaux travelled to Greece to complete the recce, he wasn’t given the same opportunity for New Zealand.