Ford’s Fiesta WRC set for six-day French test

News
28th July 2010
By Richard Rodgers

Ford will press ahead with testing its Ford Fiesta RS World Rally Car when it undertakes a six-day test in France next week.

The test, which will take place on asphalt and gravel roads, will be conducted by semi-works Stobart M-Sport drivers Matthew Wilson and Henning Solberg.

Ford team boss Malcolm Wilson said: “It’s part of our [planned] testing but it’s a big one for us. We’re going to concentrate on getting the kilometres on certain components, different types of shock loadings you need to put through the car in the build up to getting the engine in September.”

Wilson confirmed that factory Ford pilots Mikko Hirvonen and Jari-Matti Latvala will assume a greater role in the testing programme in the coming months, with the Fiesta due to run with the 1.6-litre turbo engine from September.

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It is midway through day-6 of the 9 day event and the winner Bjorn Waldegard sits stoically in his battered Porsche 911. This car has just had a large section of the roll cage replaced because of extensive damage sustained after Bjorn lost control in a slippery mud-hole and hit a stranded truck. The repair was expertly effected by the Tuthill Porsche team, who cannibalised a retired 911 to repair Waldegard's version in real African 'back-street-garage' style. Incredibly only 41 minutes in road penalties were lost.
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