M-Sport’s Fiesta S2000 Runs

Less than six months after the project was announced, Matthew Wilson has started testing the M-Sport Fiesta S2000. These images show the car undergoing initial system tests in Cumbria, under the control of M-Sport Technical Director Christian Loriaux. There is a tight development period, with the car due to be homologated in January 2010 and examples ready for customers immediately. Currently the number two car is under construction. The car is aimed at customers who wish to compete in the WRC World Cup, IRC or national championships in 2010, while the official Ford competition programme is centred on World Rally Car activities through the year. No detailed work for converting this car into the 2011 version World Rally Car have begun. No decisions have yet been made as to when the car will first appear in competition.


Al Attiyah loses Acropolis points, Araujo PCWRC Champion

The judgment of the FIA’s International Court of Appeal on hearing the appeal by Nasser Al Attiyah’s entrant against exclusion from the Acropolis Rally confirms that Armindo Araujo’s claim to the 2009 world Production Car championship is valid. Although the ICA quashed the stewards’ original exclusion notice, the court confirmed the engine in Nasser’s car had been illegally modified and imposed on Nasser a demotion of the finishing position to the last place of the classification. This ground breaking form of penalty means that Nasser finished 12th of the PCWRC competitors on that event, out of the points, thereby saying that Araujo cannot now be beaten in this year’s series, even before the Rally GB is run. Championship positions remain to be officially confirmed by the FIA at the end of the season.

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