STOBART VK M-SPORT FORD RALLY TEAM
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2006 was the first season of a full campaign in the WRC with a two-car Manufacturer 2 squad under the Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Rally Team moniker. Matthew Wilson, who was the only British driver contesting a full season of the WRC, led the charge with Pieter Tsjoen, Kosti Katajamaki, Luis Perez Companc and Jari-Matti Latvala joining him at various times through the season.
2007 saw the Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Rally Team contest the full 16-round season, with Matthew Wilson and Michael Orr joined by the Norwegian crew of Henning Solberg and Cato Menkerud, and the Finnish crew of Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila. The Stobart team enjoyed a year-long tussle with Subaru for third place in the Manufacturers' championship, and were only just beaten to the podium spot on the final event in Wales.
The team scored points on every single event as it continually wrote new records for the Stobart history books. Solberg kicked off proceedings on his home event in Norway by being the first ever Stobart driver to step onto a WRC podium; he re-lived the feat once more in Japan on his first outing to the east Asian Isle. Rally Norway was also the highest single-event points haul for the team when Latvala came in fifth to make it ten manufacturer points for the event. Latvala stunned crowds to give the Stobart team another first; its first ever rally lead, as he came into Service A of Rally Sardinia in top spot. The Finnish sensation then managed the feat twice more in Japan, where he led after leg 1, and on his home event of Rally Finland. He bagged his first ever podium at Rally Ireland, which also saw the first Stobart liveried car over the podium ramp in WRC history.
In 2008 the Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Rally Team contested a full 15-round campaign, with Cumbrian crew Matthew Wilson and Scott Martin joined again by Norwegians Henning Solberg and Cato Menkerud, and Italian duo Gigi Galli and co-driver Giovanni Bernacchini providing fresh faces in the squad.
Galli ensured the season kicked off in positive fashion when he scored the team's first podium in Sweden, while Solberg and Wilson also secured strong points finishes in the first half of the season. However, the team received a major setback when Galli was seriously injured in a crash at Rally Deutschland - breaking his pelvis when his Focus WRC hit a tree after he struck a rock on the stage and left the road.
François Duval, who scored a podium for Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Rally Team in Germany, was drafted in to the squad full-time to replace Galli for the remainder of the 2008 season. The Belgian went on to make a strong contribution to the team by scoring a fourth place finish in Catalunya and claiming third overall in Corsica. The Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Rally Team finished the season fourth in the Manufacturer Championship, and with four of its star drivers inside the top-ten in the Drivers' championship standings.
The team finished the season on a high at Wales Rally GB when it was joined by MotoGP superstar Valentino Rossi to celebrate its 50th outing in the World Rally Championship. The team's iconic livery was also on display at the Race of Champions when two of its Stobart Ford Focus RS world rally cars were driven by the best-of-the-best at Wembley Stadium in England.
The success of the Stobart Motorsport was recognised at the prestigious 2008 Motorsport Industry Association Awards. It received the accolade of Rally Business of the Year in recognition of successfully maximising its investment in the FIA World Rally Championship. The MIA highlighted the fact that despite only having a budget that was comparatively a fraction of the manufacturer-backed teams, Stobart Motorsport had successfully established itself as an outstanding performer both on and off the stages and had become a huge fan favourite across the world.
Stobart Motorsport will contest all 12 rounds of the 2009 FIA World Rally Championship with three Ford Focus RS WRC cars under manufacturer team status. The team's return underlines the commitment of Stobart Motorsport to the FIA World Rally Championship and their determination to excel at the very pinnacle of international motorsport. Once again, all three cars will be built and run by Malcolm Wilson's M-Sport team, whose exceptional ability was demonstrated when it took the BP-Ford World Rally Team to victory in the WRC Manufacturers' championship in 2006 and 2007.
Matthew Wilson - Britain's only full-time driver in the WRC and the youngest-ever driver to win a WRC stage and score a drivers' point - will contest his fourth full season in the WRC. Fellow Cumbrian Scott Martin will return as his co-driver as the pair look to build on the experience they gained in 2008 and score more manufacturer points in 2009.
Norwegian Henning Solberg will once again compete with Stobart Motorsport in 2009. Solberg showed excellent pace in 2008, regularly chasing podiums and scoring points finishes. He will again be partnered by fellow countryman Cato Menkerud.
Stobart Motorsport welcome a new face in 2009 with the addition of Estonian pilot Urmo Aava, who is contesting eight rounds as part of the squad. Aava enjoyed an impressive 2008 season in the WRC, taking a number of stage wins and achieving a career-best fourth place on the Acropolis Rally. Aava's rising popularity was demonstrated when he was voted Driver of the Year by visitors to www.wrc.com. He will be joined by compatriot Kuldar Sikk as co-driver.
