M-sport tests improved aero for Fiesta WRC

M-Sport is working on a heavily revised aerodynamic set-up for their Fiesta World Rally Car at its pre-Rally Finland test this week. Team leader Sébastien Ogier was on his second day of a two-day test, after team-mate Elfyn Evans drove the car in Finland earlier last week and reported his experiences to the team. 

The main element of the new aero set-up is the new rear-wing, which is aimed at further improving the stability and rear grip from the car. The back of the Fiesta also appeared to more closely resemble that of the Toyota WR Car. Such stability is one of the M-Sport squad's aims for the second half of the season with team boss Malcolm Wilson being confident the test will provide the results needed.

"We've got some parts coming for Finland and obviously we hope they're going to be an improvement,” said Wilson after the test. “It's mainly aero. You'll definitely notice the difference with what we've got on the car. The work on the rear wing was done in the [Ford] wind tunnel in Charlotte [North Carolina, USA] when the car was out there after Rally Mexico. The guys have been working hard on it since then. It's going to be a big change at the rear for us."

A decision on whether to run the new wing on Rally Finland in a fortnight was to be taken late last week. Wilson agreed that the Finnish event would be important for Ogier following his crash in testing for it last year.

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“That was a difficult rally for Seb,” Wilson added. “But he knows what it’s all about, he’s got so much experience. He knows how to deal with these situations.”

After that test shunt the Frenchman also had a heavy accident in the rally proper, with co-driver Julien Ingrassia being concussed and the pair being ruled out on day one. Although the revised Finland route for 2018, which features narrower and more technical stages, means it is likely to be slower than in previous years, it is still likely to feature the season's highest speeds. And that makes it a key test of cars' aerodynamic balance.

Toyota dominated in Finland last season, while Ogier and M-Sport's title rival Hyundai had one of its weakest rounds of the season. Hyundai driver Thierry Neuville currently leads the WRC standings by 27 points over Ogier, with Toyota's lead driver Ott Tänak a further 43 behind.