Photo Credit: M-Sport Malcolm Wilson and his M-Sport team have long been known for bringing young drivers into the World Rally Championship. Mikko Hirvonen, Markko Martin, Francois Duval, Jari-Matti Latvala, Ott Tanak, Elfyn Evans and Eric Camilli are just a few names to have been picked up by the blue oval, and now the British based team have signed another young driver in the shape of Teemu Suninen.
The young Finn was ultra impressive in 2016 as he contested WRC2 in a privately entered Skoda Fabia R5. The 22 year old finished level on points with the 2016 British Rally Champion Elfyn Evans, and will now take over the seat vacated by the Welshman in a works Fiesta R5 Evo. Suninen's aims are to better his 2016 season which ultimately means winning the WRC2 championship in 2017, but that isn't the news he and his fans are getting excited about. As well as the campaing in an R5 Fiesta, Teemu has been handed 3 drives in a 2017 specification Fiesta RS WRC in Poland, Finland and at least one other round. Sponsors of the Finnish spectacular, Neste, will back the Finn as he quite literally leaps into the sports' top league. This was an important strategic move from Malcolm Wilson as Teemu Suninen is one of the hottest prospects in world rallying and was on pretty much everybody's radar. The young Finn has even tested a Yaris WRC, but will make his WRC debut in a Fiesta. It was a similar situation for French driver Eric Camilli last year when he was lured away from Toyota with the offer of a full time factory drive in 2016. However, due to the great performances of Ott Tanak and the sudden availability of Sebastien Ogier Camilli finds himself pushed out of the factory squad, much like Elfyn Evans was the year before him. And like Evans, Camilli will partake in a WRC2 campaign for M-Sport starting in Monte-Carlo, sharing responsibilities with Suninen. Eric is expected to be behind the wheel of a 2017 Fiesta RS WRC at some point throughout the year. Elfyn Evans has signed for DMACK and will run as M-Sport's third manufacturer entry in 2017, so can Camilli do the same and break back into the WRC in 2018? It'll be more difficult for him as he only had one season to prove himself not two, but winning WRC2 would be a timely reminder of his talents. But might he now be regretting leaving the Toyota team at the end of 2015 with the benefit of hindsight? For me I think Camilli was plunged into the WRC one season too early and that has hurt him. But one thing is for sure, M-Sport have one hell of a group of drivers at their disposal, not least the World Rally Champion. The trick now is keeping hold of them all.
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WRCArticles covering the World Rally Championship Archives
January 2018
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