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• M-Sport Ford World Rally Team unveils new, hybrid 2022 Puma Rally1 car.
• The new WRC challenger makes its global debut at Goodwood Festival of Speed in prototype form.
• The Puma Rally1 will use a 100% sustainable fossil-free fuel next year.
• For more motoring stories, go to Wheels24
The M-Sport Ford World Rally Team (WRT) used the 2021 Goodwood Festival of Speed to showcase its 2022 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) contender, albeit in prototype form. It's a case of "out with the old and in with the new" as the Fiesta is replaced by Ford's latest compact vehicle, the Puma. Dubbed the M-Sport Ford Puma Rally1, the prototype is one of the first WRC machines to help usher in a new era for the sport as it makes use of a hybrid powertrain.
The Puma Rally1 implements Ford's championship-winning 1.6-litre turbocharged EcoBoost petrol engine, but the mill is mated to a 100kW electric motor and 3.9kWh battery. As is with the case with many sports cars adopting a next-generation power source, the Puma Rally1 showcases Ford's commitment to an all-electric future. Ford Global announced at an earlier date that 100% of its passenger vehicle range in Europe would be zero-emissions capable, all-electric, or plug-in hybrid by mid-2026. By 2030, its European passenger vehicle range will be all-electric.
The Puma Rally1 prototype will be demonstrated on the famous Goodwood hill climb, driven by M-Sport Ford WRT driver Adrien Fourmaux and M-Sport Ford test driver Matthew Wilson, before being used as a development car ahead of the 2022 season.
Team comments
Mark Rushbrook, global director, Ford Performance, said: "Ford is 100% committed to an electrified future, and the white heat of competition has been responsible for many of the innovations that appear in our road cars today. The M-Sport Ford Puma Rally1 will put hybrid power to the ultimate test and prove that the technology is capable of delivering thrilling performance."
Malcolm Wilson OBE, managing director, M-Sport, said: "The new era of WRC cars is one of the most significant technological advancements in WRC to date. The introduction of the hybrid means that the cars will be more powerful than ever whilst also directly reflecting the powertrains within their road-going counterparts. The switch to the Puma is very exciting with the name already having rally heritage, the car looks fantastic. I cannot wait to see it at the start line of the famous Monte Carlo Rally in early 2022.
"Launching this new car at Goodwood is also very special, being one of the most iconic events in the Motorsport calendar. I and the whole of M-Sport look forward to continuing the very successful partnership with Ford to deliver results and keep Ford at the forefront during this new and very exciting era."
