Ford returns to Cumbrian car outfit for World Rally Championship

Ford returns to outfit in World Rally Championship

Ford has announced it will return to its headquarters in Cumbria for the World Rally Championship as a manufacturer in 2028.

Automotive company M-Sport, based at Dovenby Hall near Cockermouth, ran Ford's World Rally Championship programme until 2012, before Ford withdrew its full factory support in 2012.

The FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) is one of motorsport's most spectacular and demanding disciplines, taking drivers and cars to the limit across some of the world's most challenging terrain.

M-Sport founder Malcolm Wilson said when Ford pulled out it was "the darkest moment in my 30 years" but the motor giant's "vote of confidence" in the group "showed you should never give up".

The company ran Ford's World Rally Championship programme from 1997 and won two World Rally Championship manufacturing titles in 2006 and 2007.

When Ford pulled the plug on its multimillion-pound backing in 2012, Wilson described it as "in all honesty was definitely the darkest moment in my 30 years of running the Ford World Rally team".

"At that point in time we did have to make around 70 people redundant," he said.

"We treat this as a family, and it was a very difficult period but we stuck in.

The return of Ford to M-Sport will mean about 50 new jobs will be added to its current workforce of 230.

The target is to win the WRC manufacturers' title in 2029 with a new car.

Richard Millener, M-Sport Ford World Rally team principal, will oversee the expansion plans which will involve developing a new driving team to race a new car for the start of the 2029 season.

"The goal from Ford is very, very clear. In 2029 with the new car, the aim in the world championship is to win," Millener said.

"We have to build a team of mechanics, engineers, and staff around that, but also find the drivers.

"So, we're on a bit of a drive at the minute to find the best talent we can and start to put plans in place."

While Ford's fully-fledged return will not arrive until 2028, the brand will be represented in the WRC next year with M-Sport running an upgraded version of the Ford Fiesta Rally2 car.

The BBC secured a three-year agreement to broadcast the FIA World Rally Championship across the UK, with coverage beginning at the Monte Carlo Rally from 21 January 2027.

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