The Ford squad has opted to promote its Rally2 drivers Adrien Fourmaux and Gregoire Munster to its Rally1 programme for 2024, following Ott Tanak’s decision to leave the organisation to re-join Hyundai.
Fourmaux and Munster impressed across Monte Carlo’s 17 tricky asphalt stages last weekend as both set a top-three stage time.
Fourmaux produced an impressive drive to bag 11 points, only two shy of his entire season total during his first Rally1 campaign in 2022.
The Frenchman finished fifth overall [+3m36.9s] and was fifth fastest across Sunday's stages, ahead of factory drivers Takamoto Katsuta (Toyota) and Andreas Mikkelsen (Hyundai).
Munster was also on course to finish sixth overall before a small error on Saturday left his Ford Puma beached at the side of the road. He rejoined the rally on Sunday to claim a solitary point after finishing seventh in the ‘Super Sunday’ classification.
“We came here with a clear goal of getting both cars to the finish, to gain experience with the drivers and to show that we can be competitive this year,” said Millener.
“I firmly believe we achieved all of this. Both crews each scored a third-fastest time and drove sensibly over what was still a tricky Monte Carlo Rally.
“I am really pleased for both of them, and also the team who, as ever, worked very hard to get us here and gave us two perfectly reliable cars.
Source: Autosport