Team Profile
How a British engineering team represents Ford
M-Sport is a motorsport engineering company based in Cumbria, England, and has long been responsible for Ford’s WRC programme. Both M-Sport and Ford appear in the team’s name: the former is the organisation that runs the team and develops the cars, while the latter is the make of car entered. This structure differs from that of a manufacturer team operated directly by the brand, but it competes at the same highest level of the WRC.
Ford and M-Sport won the manufacturers’ world titles together in 2006, 2007 and 2017; Ogier won the drivers’ titles in 2017 and 2018 at the wheel of a Fiesta WRC. M-Sport also supplies cars and technical support to rally customers across different categories, so its role encompasses both competing at the top level and helping drivers progress through the rallying ranks.
The 2026 line-up centres on developing crews
Josh McErlean and Eoin Treacy began a full-season Rally1 programme in 2025 and continue in the Ford Puma Rally1 in 2026. Jon Armstrong and Shane Byrne step up to the top class after finishing runners-up in the 2025 European Rally Championship, joining the full-season line-up. Both crews receive support from the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy, but their levels of experience in the top class differ.
Martins Sesks and Renars Francis are contesting selected rounds, adding another crew to the team’s effort. The full-season crews and the partial-season crew should be viewed separately: having three drivers on the list does not mean that the same three cars will compete at every round. Their actual entries and eligibility to score manufacturers’ points are determined on a round-by-round basis.
The difference between the Puma Rally1 and customer cars
The Ford Puma Rally1 is this team’s top-class car and is not the same model as the Fiesta cars used in other rally categories. Rally1 and Rally2 differ in their regulations, performance and development objectives. After stepping up to the Puma, drivers need to rebuild their confidence in braking distances, aerodynamic performance and high-speed sections. Rally2 class placings cannot be used to predict their Rally1 results directly.
Why the team’s results cannot be judged solely by its title count
M-Sport must pursue manufacturers’ points while also developing its crews, validating the car in competition and completing a full season of participation. The manufacturers’ standings on this site are presented by official points-scoring entity, rather than combining points from customer cars, other categories or all Ford drivers. Historical titles belong to their respective seasons, while the team’s 2026 performance should be assessed through this season’s individual round results and latest points totals.
What to watch
Editorial analysis: This line-up offers a chance to watch how young crews turn speed into results over a complete rally. McErlean’s progress in his second full season, Armstrong’s adaptation during his first full season and Sesks’ performances on his selected rounds provide useful points of comparison. A fastest stage time is worth noting, but maintaining consistently close time gaps across several stages and reaching the finish without trouble can also show that a crew is developing.
Driver Line-up
Last checked: 1 October 2026 · Historical statistics and current points are maintained separately