M-Sport

M-Sport

Infobox Company
company_name = M-Sport
company_
company_type = Privately held company
foundation = 1979
location = Cockermouth, England
key_people = Malcolm Wilson "(founder)"
industry = Motorsport
Automotive engineering
products =
subsid =
homepage = [http://www.m-sport.co.uk m-sport.co.uk]

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. Since 1996, "M-Sport" has prepared and run the official Ford World Rally Team cars in the World Rally Championship.

History

Following the career of Malcolm Wilson as a driver, the company grew steadily through the 1980s, with rapid expansion in the early 1990s reflecting the success that the company was having throughout the world with the Ford Escort RS Cosworth.

In 1994, the team won national titles in Italy, Portugal, the Middle East, and indeed the British Rally Championship with Malcolm Wilson himself behind the wheel of the Escort.

World Rally Championship

At the end of 1996, Ford Motorsport selected the company to spearhead the Ford team's entry for the 1997 World Rally Championship season with the new derivative of the Ford Escort WRC. Victories in Greece and Indonesia saw faith in the small team rewarded, and they went on to finish runner-up in the manufacturers' championship.

By the middle of 1998, Ford chose M-Sport to design and build the new Ford Focus WRC. The new car appeared in 1999 with a new driver—Colin McRae—and immediately sprang to the attention of the world press by recording fastest stage times on its first event, the Monte Carlo Rally; however, the two cars entered were excluded from the event due to a vehicle weight infringement. By the third event—the notoriously gruelling Safari Rally in Kenya—the team had scored their first WRC victory. A month later, an on-form Colin McRae made it two in a row at the Rally of Portugal.

With a move to new premises at Dovenby Hall, "M-Sport" expanded rapidly, becoming a world leader in motorsport and employing over 170 people. Their hard work led to the culmination of their successes in 2006, when the Wilson-led Ford team took the manufacturers' World Rally championship title; [http://www.m-sport.co.uk/company_profile.html M-Sport ] ] it was the first time Ford had achieved this feat in 25 years of competing.

For the 2008 season, the company employs the driving talents of Mikko Hirvonen and Jari-Matti Latvala in their challenge for the World Rally Championship.

Privateer teams

Beside the official Ford cars, the team also runs three cars on behalf of the Stobart VK Ford Rally Team. [http://www.m-sport.co.uk/company_profile.html M-Sport ] ] Matthew Wilson, Henning Solberg and Gigi Galli are the three drivers competing in 2008.

Argentinian team Munchi's Ford World Rally Team also entrusts the preparation and running of its two cars to M-Sport. [http://www.m-sport.co.uk/company_profile.html M-Sport ] ] The two drivers employed for the 2008 WRC season are Luís Pérez Companc and Federico Villagra.

Other series

The company also runs the one-make Fiesta Sporting Trophy rally series, which it launched in 2006, and the Fiesta Sporting Trophy International (FSTi) series. [ [http://www.fiestasportingtrophy.com/ :: Ford Fiesta Sporting Trophy :: ] ] [http://www.m-sport.co.uk/company_profile.html M-Sport ] ] [ [http://www.fiestasportingtrophy.com/aboutFST.asp#downloads :: Ford Fiesta Sporting Trophy :: ] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.m-sport.co.uk Official M-Sport website]
* [http://www.ford.co.uk/ie/wrc/-/motor_intro/-/-/-/- Ford Motorsport website]
* [http://www.stobartmotorsport.com/wrc_index.asp Stobart Motorsport WRC team website]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Sport intellectuel — Sport Pour les articles homonymes, voir Sport (homonymie).  Pour l’article homophone, voir Spore. Le sport est un ensemble d exercices le plus souvent physiques se pratiquant sous forme de jeux individuels ou collectifs pouvant donner lieu à …   Wikipédia en Français

  • SPORT — DANS un monde soumis quotidiennement aux bouleversements politiques, aux fluctuations économiques et qui, de surcroît, ne peut ignorer les sources permanentes de conflits qui séparent les consciences, rares sont les langages universels perçus par …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Sport in the United Kingdom — plays an important role in British culture, and many people make an emotional investment in their favourite spectator sports. The most popular sport is football, except in Northern Ireland where Gaelic games are the most popular sports and Wales …   Wikipedia

  • Sport in Australia — is popular and widespread. Levels of both participation and watching are much higher than in many other countries.Fact|date=February 2007 Testament to this is the level of achievement in the Olympic Games and Commonwealth Games as well as other… …   Wikipedia

  • Sport Boys Association — Sport Boys Nombre completo Club Sport Boys Association Apodo(s) Los Rosados, Los Porteños, La Misilera, Los Olímpicos de Berlín, La Academia Porteña, La Rosada Fundación 28 de julio de 1927 …   Wikipedia Español

  • SPORT - Histoire — Entre la naissance de l’acte sportif, accompli par l’homme primitif et les épreuves que des centaines de millions de spectateurs suivent avec passion aujourd’hui, quand ils n’y participent pas, subsiste un fil conducteur que les aléas de… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Sport climbing — is a style of rock climbing that relies on permanent anchors fixed to the rock, especially bolts, for protection. It contrasts with traditional climbing, in which the rock is typically devoid of fixed anchors and climbers must place removable… …   Wikipedia

  • SPORT - Filmer le sport — Jean Luc Godard, en parlant du cinéma à la télévision, aime à dire qu’on y voit non des films mais des reproductions de films, au même titre qu’il existe des reproductions de tableau. Du phénomène sportif télévisuel, il faudrait aussi pouvoir… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • SPORT - Éthique sportive et économie — Sport: éthique sportive et économie Alors qu’il occupe une place centrale dans l’imaginaire collectif et connaît une profonde métamorphose dont les traits saillants sont la mondialisation des images, la commercialisation des spectacles, la… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Sport in Ireland — Sport on the island of Ireland is popular and widespread. Levels of participation and spectating are high, but as in other western regions participation has been dropping due to the increasing popularity of other activities such as watching… …   Wikipedia

  • Sport Relief — is a biennial charity event from Comic Relief, in association with BBC Sport, which brings together the worlds of sport and entertainment to raise money to help vulnerable people in both the UK and the world s poorest countries. At the heart of… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”