M-Sport increases commitment to Red Bull Global Rallycross

Ken Block in a Ford Fiesta ST RX at Charlotte in 2014

World-renowned racing team M-Sport, best known as Ford’s longtime partner in the World Rally Championship, have announced that they will be providing a number of cars to Red Bull Global Rallycross competitors for the 2015 season. These new Ford Fiesta ST RX vehicles will join the initial M-Sport prepared Red Bull GRC car, which has been campaigned by Ken Block and Hoonigan Racing Division for the past two years.

“Ken (Block) showcased the power and performance of the Ford Fiesta ST RX with his numerous achievements last year and it is great to see that the car is proving to be an attractive option for a number of new competitors," M-Sport managing director Malcolm Wilson, OBE said in a release. “Rallycross is a sport on the up and we hope to continue our progress and development as the sport continues to grow."

M-Sport’s history dates back to 1979, when former WRC driver Wilson founded the operation as Malcolm Wilson Motorsport. After nearly two decades of success in national rally championships across the globe, Ford selected the team to pioneer its WRC entry beginning in 1997, with its cars soon falling into the hands of legends like Colin McRae, Carlos Sainz, Marcus Gronholm, and Petter Solberg. Mikko Hirvonen piloted an M-Sport Fiesta to fourth place in last year’s WRC standings.

Over the past two years, Block has driven his M-Sport prepared Ford Fiesta ST to three wins and nine podiums in 19 starts, all but one of which have culminated in main event appearances. In addition, Block’s five poles and 27 heat wins lead the series in those categories over the past two years. Those results have led him to third and second place in the past two Supercar championships.

Red Bull Global Rallycross