Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Rally Team
Encyclopedia
The M-Sport Stobart Ford World Rally Team, formerly Stobart M-Sport Ford Rally Team or also Stobart Motorsport World Rally Team is a rally
team competing in the World Rally Championship
sponsored by the Stobart Group
. The team's principal is Malcolm Wilson
, whose M-Sport
operation runs Stobart as well as the Ford factory team and Munchi's Ford World Rally Team
.
Stobart debuted at the 2006 season opener Monte Carlo Rally
with drivers Matthew Wilson
and Pieter Tsjoen. Wilson went on to compete all the 16 rounds for the team. Other Stobart entrants during the season were Luís Pérez Companc
in eight rallies, Kosti Katajamäki
in five, Jari-Matti Latvala
in four, Juan Pablo Raies
at the Cyprus Rally
and Andreas Mikkelsen
at the Wales Rally GB.
The team's best results were Latvala's fourth place at the Wales Rally GB and Katajamäki's fifth at the Rally of Turkey
and sixth at the Swedish Rally
. With 44 points the team placed fifth overall in the manufacturers' world championship, behind OMV Peugeot Norway and ahead of Red Bull Škoda.
In the 2007 season
, Latvala and Wilson were joined by Henning Solberg
and the three competed in all 16 rounds. Latvala and Solberg were nominated to collect manufacturers' championship points. Mikkelsen and Gareth Jones also drove for Stobart, in three and five events, respectively.
The team achieved its best points total at the Rally Norway
, when Solberg took Stobart's first podium place by finishing third and Latvala finished fifth. Solberg later placed third at the Rally Japan
and Latvala in the next rally in Ireland
. Stobart fought with the Subaru World Rally Team
for third place in the manufacturers' championship all year long, but Latvala's technical problems at the season-ending 2007 Wales Rally GB meant that the team had to settle with fourth place and 81 points. The team scored points in every event, and Latvala also led three rallies during the season; Rally d'Italia Sardegna
, Rally Finland
and Rally Japan.
, Latvala was promoted to the BP Ford World Rally Team
and replaced in the Stobart team by Gigi Galli
. Wilson and Solberg continued with the team and along with Galli are signed to compete in all 15 events with the Ford Focus RS WRC 07. For some events, Solberg's car was entered by the sister Munchi's Ford World Rally Team
. At the season opener, the 2008 Monte Carlo Rally
, the team's fastest driver was François Duval
, driving a fourth Stobart car, who finished in fourth place. Galli finished third at the Swedish Rally
. Duval returned to the team for Rallye Deutschland
, and finished third, as the leading Ford driver. On this rally, Galli suffered an injury in a crash that kept him out of action for the rest of the season. Duval replaced him in the team on the next rally in New Zealand
. The factory Ford team decided to swap their driver Latvala with Duval for the two tarmac rallies of Catalunya
and Corsica
, in order to help them to secure the manufacturers' crown. The two drivers returned to their teams for the final two rounds, while Stobart also ran Valentino Rossi
on Wales Rally GB.
. However, he left the team after two rounds. Solberg scored third-placed finishes in Argentina
and Poland
. The team were joined in Poland by Krzysztof Hołowczyc, who finished the rally in sixth place. British privateer and founder of team sponsor Vodka Kick Steve Perez
was entered by the team on Rally GB
. The team finished third in the manufacturers' standings behind the Ford and Citroën factory teams. Solberg and Wilson finished sixth and seventh in the drivers' standings respectively.
, Finnish entrepreneur Mattias Therman
paid for Stobart to run an additional two cars on the rally for himself and retired former world champion Marcus Grönholm
. Gronholm endured many issues during the rally and could only finish in 21st place.
Rallying
Rallying, also known as rally racing, is a form of auto racing that takes place on public or private roads with modified production or specially built road-legal cars...
team competing in the World Rally Championship
World Rally Championship
The World Rally Championship is a rallying series organised by the FIA, culminating with a champion driver and manufacturer. The driver's world championship and manufacturer's world championship are separate championships, but based on the same point system. The series currently consists of 13...
sponsored by the Stobart Group
Stobart Group
Stobart Group Ltd is a large British multimodal logistics company, with interests in Transport and Distribution, Estates, Infrastructure and Civils, Air and Biomass, through operations in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Belgium...
. The team's principal is Malcolm Wilson
Malcolm Wilson (rally)
Malcolm Irving Wilson, OBE is a British former rally driver. He is the father of current World Rally Championship driver Matthew Wilson....
, whose M-Sport
M-Sport
M-Sport is a large and successful motorsport team based in Cockermouth, Cumbria in England. Formed in 1979 by former WRC driver Malcolm Wilson, and originally known as Malcolm Wilson Motorsport, the team has had varying success running cars in several rally championships...
operation runs Stobart as well as the Ford factory team and Munchi's Ford World Rally Team
Munchi's Ford World Rally Team
The Munchi's Ford World Rally Team is a private team currently competing in the World Rally Championship. The team made its debut in the 2007 Swedish Rally...
.
2006 season
Monte Carlo Rally
The Monte Carlo Rally or Rally Monte Carlo is a rallying event organised each year by the Automobile Club de Monaco which also organises the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix and the Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique. The rally takes place along the French Riviera in the Principality of Monaco and...
with drivers Matthew Wilson
Matthew Wilson
Matthew Wilson is an English rally driver from Cockermouth in Cumbria. He is the son of M-Sport boss and former WRC driver Malcolm Wilson. Wilson currently competes in the World Rally Championship for the Stobart M-Sport Ford team...
and Pieter Tsjoen. Wilson went on to compete all the 16 rounds for the team. Other Stobart entrants during the season were Luís Pérez Companc
Luís Pérez Companc
Luís Pérez Companc is a rally driver. Alongside co-driver José María Volta, he is a regular competitor in the World Rally Championship...
in eight rallies, Kosti Katajamäki
Kosti Katajamäki
Kosti Katajamäki is a rally driver from Finland. He made his rallying debut in 1997 in a Ford Escort RS2000. He won the Group N class of the Finnish Rally Championship in 2001 and the Group A class in 2005. His first World Rally Championship event was the 2001 Rally Finland, driving a Volkswagen...
in five, Jari-Matti Latvala
Jari-Matti Latvala
Jari-Matti Latvala is a Finnish rally driver competing in the World Rally Championship. His co-driver has been Miikka Anttila since the 2003 Rallye Deutschland...
in four, Juan Pablo Raies
Juan Pablo Raies
Juan Pablo Raies is a rally race car driver.Raies made his World Rally Championship debut on his home event in 1992, aboard a Renault 18 GTX...
at the Cyprus Rally
Cyprus Rally
The Cyprus Rally is a rallying competition held yearly in Cyprus since 1970. The event is run by the Cyprus Automobile Association and is based in the city of Limassol . It is run on the winding roads of the nearby mountains of Troödos. It was part of the FIA's World Rally Championship from 2000...
and Andreas Mikkelsen
Andreas Mikkelsen
Andreas Mikkelsen is a Norwegian rally driver. His co-driver is Ola Fløene.-Career:Mikkelsen has a broad background in sports. He has competed in slalom and giant slalom, and was a member of the national juniors' alpine skiing team...
at the Wales Rally GB.
The team's best results were Latvala's fourth place at the Wales Rally GB and Katajamäki's fifth at the Rally of Turkey
Rally of Turkey
The Rally of Turkey is a rally competition on the FIA World Rally Championship schedule.-History:First international rally in Turkey was held in 1972, starting and finishing in İstanbul. In 1999, the idea of creating an all-new event as a WRC candidate was conceived. The next year in 2000, the...
and sixth at the Swedish Rally
Swedish Rally
The Uddeholm Swedish Rally , formerly the Swedish Rally, is an automobile rally competition held in Värmland, Sweden in early February. First held in 1950, when it was called the Rally to the Midnight Sun with start and finish at separate locations, seventeen years later both start and finish...
. With 44 points the team placed fifth overall in the manufacturers' world championship, behind OMV Peugeot Norway and ahead of Red Bull Škoda.
2007 season
2007 World Rally Championship season
The 2007 World Rally Championship season was the 35th season in the FIA World Rally Championship. The season began on January 19 with the 75ème Rallye Automobile de Monte-Carlo and ended on December 2 with the 63rd Wales Rally of Great Britain. Citroën's Sébastien Loeb won the drivers' world...
, Latvala and Wilson were joined by Henning Solberg
Henning Solberg
Henning Solberg is a Norwegian rally driver. Together with co-driver Ilka Minor, he currently competes in the World Rally Championship with Stobart M-Sport Ford. Solberg is the older brother of the 2003 world champion Petter Solberg....
and the three competed in all 16 rounds. Latvala and Solberg were nominated to collect manufacturers' championship points. Mikkelsen and Gareth Jones also drove for Stobart, in three and five events, respectively.
The team achieved its best points total at the Rally Norway
2007 Rally Norway
Rally Norway 2007, the third round of the 2007 World Rally Championship season, was held on February 16 – 18 2007. Race headquarters were located in the town of Hamar.- Results :...
, when Solberg took Stobart's first podium place by finishing third and Latvala finished fifth. Solberg later placed third at the Rally Japan
2007 Rally Japan
Results of Rally Japan , 14th round of 2007 World Rally Championship, run on October 26 - 28:- Results :-Retirements: Marcus Grönholm - went off the road ; Chris Atkinson - crashed his car ; Fumio Nutahara - mechanical ; Sébastien Loeb - mechanical ; Armindo Araujo - excluded after post-rally...
and Latvala in the next rally in Ireland
2007 Rally Ireland
The 2007 Rally Ireland , 15th round of 2007 World Rally Championship, was run on November 15 - November 18. It took place over eight counties on both sides of the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland...
. Stobart fought with the Subaru World Rally Team
Subaru World Rally Team
The Subaru World Rally Team was Subaru's World Rally Championship team. It used a distinctive blue with yellow color scheme that is a throwback to the sponsorship deal with State Express 555, a BAT cigarette brand popular in Asia. 555 logos were found on Subaru cars from 1993 to 2003...
for third place in the manufacturers' championship all year long, but Latvala's technical problems at the season-ending 2007 Wales Rally GB meant that the team had to settle with fourth place and 81 points. The team scored points in every event, and Latvala also led three rallies during the season; Rally d'Italia Sardegna
2007 Rally d'Italia Sardegna
Results of Rally d'Italia Sardegna , 7th round of 2007 World Rally Championship, was run on May 18 - 20:- Results :...
, Rally Finland
2007 Rally Finland
Results of Rally Finland , 9th round of 2007 World Rally Championship, run on August 2 - 5:- Results :- Retirements : Kristian Sohlberg - rolled ; Jari-Matti Latvala - went off the road - damaged rollcage ; Manfred Stohl - rolled Gareth Jones - went off the road Juho Hänninen - mehanical...
and Rally Japan.
2008 season
For the 2008 season2008 World Rally Championship season
The 2008 World Rally Championship season was the 36th season of the FIA World Rally Championship. The season consisted of 15 rallies and began on January 24, with the 2008 Monte Carlo Rally....
, Latvala was promoted to the BP Ford World Rally Team
BP Ford World Rally Team
The Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team, also known as the Ford Motor Co. Team prior to 2005, is Ford Motor Company's full factory World Rally Championship team. In its current form, it has been a competitor since the 1997 season, when Ford Motor Company's motorsport arm selected the Malcolm Wilson...
and replaced in the Stobart team by Gigi Galli
Gigi Galli
Gianluigi Galli , better known as Gigi Galli, is an Italian rally driver, best known for his spectacular driving style. He comes from, and lives in Livigno, Italy.-Career:...
. Wilson and Solberg continued with the team and along with Galli are signed to compete in all 15 events with the Ford Focus RS WRC 07. For some events, Solberg's car was entered by the sister Munchi's Ford World Rally Team
Munchi's Ford World Rally Team
The Munchi's Ford World Rally Team is a private team currently competing in the World Rally Championship. The team made its debut in the 2007 Swedish Rally...
. At the season opener, the 2008 Monte Carlo Rally
2008 Monte Carlo Rally
The 2008 Monte Carlo Rally, officially 76ème Rallye Automobile de Monte-Carlo, was the 76th Monte Carlo Rally and the first round of the 2008 World Rally Championship season...
, the team's fastest driver was François Duval
François Duval
François Duval is a Belgian rally driver.-1999–2004:With victories in four events Duval won the Belgian Citroën Saxo Challenge title in 1999...
, driving a fourth Stobart car, who finished in fourth place. Galli finished third at the Swedish Rally
2008 Swedish Rally
The 2008 Swedish Rally, officially 57th Uddeholm Swedish Rally, was the second round of 2008 World Rally Championship season. It was the season's first and only event held on snow- and ice-covered gravel roads. The rally took place during February 7–10, beginning with Super Special Stage...
. Duval returned to the team for Rallye Deutschland
2008 Rallye Deutschland
The 2008 Rallye Deutschland was the tenth round of the 2008 World Rally Championship season. The event ran from August 15 to August 17 and was won by Sébastien Loeb for the seventh consecutive year....
, and finished third, as the leading Ford driver. On this rally, Galli suffered an injury in a crash that kept him out of action for the rest of the season. Duval replaced him in the team on the next rally in New Zealand
2008 Rally New Zealand
The 2008 Rally New Zealand was the eleventh round of the 2008 World Rally Championship season. The event was based on the northern island of the country near the city of Hamilton. The stages were run on gravel roads characterised by their pronounced camber, which gives them a fast flowing nature....
. The factory Ford team decided to swap their driver Latvala with Duval for the two tarmac rallies of Catalunya
2008 Rally Catalunya
The 2008 Rally Spain, officially 44º Rally RACC Catalunya - Costa Daurada, was the 44th Rally Catalunya and the 12th round of the 2008 World Rally Championship season. The rally took place during October 2-5 2008 and consisted of 18 special stages....
and Corsica
2008 Tour de Corse
The 2008 Tour de Corse was the thirteenth round of the 2008 World Rally Championship season. The event was won by Citroën driver Sébastien Loeb for the fourth year in succession. It was his tenth victory of the season and gave him a fourteen point lead in the drivers table with just two rallies...
, in order to help them to secure the manufacturers' crown. The two drivers returned to their teams for the final two rounds, while Stobart also ran Valentino Rossi
Valentino Rossi
Valentino Rossi, , is an Italian professional motorcycle racer and multiple MotoGP World Champion. He is one of the most successful motorcycle racers of all time, with nine Grand Prix World Championships to his name – seven of which are in the premier class.Following his father, Graziano Rossi,...
on Wales Rally GB.
2009 season
Solberg and Wilson were joined at the team for the start of the 2009 season by Urmo AavaUrmo Aava
Urmo Aava is an Estonian rally driver competing in the World Rally Championship. His regular co-driver was Kuldar Sikk, who is currently Ott Tänak's co-driver.-Career:...
. However, he left the team after two rounds. Solberg scored third-placed finishes in Argentina
2009 Rally Argentina
The 2009 Rally Argentina was the 29th running of the Rally Argentina and the fifth round of the 2009 World Rally Championship season. The rally consisted of 23 special stages and was run on 23–26 April. It was won by Citroën's Sébastien Loeb for the fifth consecutive year...
and Poland
2009 Rally Poland
The 2009 ORLEN Platinum Rally Poland was the 66th running of the Rally Poland and the eighth round of the 2009 World Rally Championship season. Rally Poland had previously been part of the WRC schedule during the inaugural 1973 season. The rally consisted of 18 special stages and was won by Ford's...
. The team were joined in Poland by Krzysztof Hołowczyc, who finished the rally in sixth place. British privateer and founder of team sponsor Vodka Kick Steve Perez
Steve Perez
Steven J. Garcia Perez is an entrepreneur and rally driver from Chesterfield, Derbyshire. He is the founder of Global Brands and driver for the Kick Energy Rally Team....
was entered by the team on Rally GB
2009 Rally GB
The 2009 Rally GB was the 12th and last round of the 2009 World Rally Championship season and the 65th running of the Rally of Great Britain. The rally consisted of 16 special stages....
. The team finished third in the manufacturers' standings behind the Ford and Citroën factory teams. Solberg and Wilson finished sixth and seventh in the drivers' standings respectively.
2010 season
Wilson and Solberg remained with the team again for 2010. For the opening Rally Sweden2010 Rally Sweden
The 2010 Rally Sweden was the opening round of the 2010 World Rally Championship season. It was the season's first and only event held on snow- and ice-covered gravel roads. The rally was held over February 11–14, beginning with a Super Special Stage in the event's base town of Karlstad...
, Finnish entrepreneur Mattias Therman
Mattias Therman
Mattias Kristoffer Therman is a Finnish businessman and rally driver. He was an owner of Hartwall beverage company and in 2008 he earned more capital gains than anyone else in Finland.-Rally career:...
paid for Stobart to run an additional two cars on the rally for himself and retired former world champion Marcus Grönholm
Marcus Grönholm
Marcus "Bosse" Grönholm is a Finnish former rally driver. Driving for Peugeot, he won the World Rally Championship in 2000 and 2002. After Peugeot withdrew from the World Rally Championship, Grönholm moved to Ford for the 2006 season and placed second in the drivers' world championship, losing the...
. Gronholm endured many issues during the rally and could only finish in 21st place.