Rally Car of the Year: Ford Focus
Ford's Focus WRC car has been named the International Rally Car of the Year at the Autosport Awards
Autosport Awards
The Autosport Awards are a series of awards presented by motor racing magazine Autosport to drivers that have achieved significant milestones each season. Some of the presentations are selected by the general public via a reader's poll.
With Ford winning the world manufacturers' championship for the second-year running, the Award brought some consolation after Marcus Gronholm was pipped to the drivers' title by Sebastien Loeb.
After being presented with the Award by Michele Mouton, team director Malcolm Wilson praised the efforts of his team after a tough battle with Sebastien Loeb all year.
"Behind the scenes it wasn't easy, it was a team effort and without that we would not have achieved it," he said. "Last year was special but this year with the likes of Sebastien it makes it more special."
Wilson also praised the input of Gronholm, who has decided to hang up his helmet.
"We have seen the strength of our team, but unfortunately he has now decided to retire," he explained. "Marcus has been the inspiration for us, and he has done a fantastic job. But I think we are going to be very strong for next year."
Be part of the Autosport community
Join the conversationShare Or Save This Story
Why Audi and Verstappen have complicated Formula 1’s driver market decisions
‘Metronomic’ Verstappen may rule F1, but it won’t last forever - Horner
Why F1 2026 worst case fears could be key to new rules success
Brake issues hindered Rosenqvist’s chances of IndyCar victory in Long Beach
Ayrton Senna's famous Honda NSX up for sale
Yamaha to test completely new MotoGP bike at Jerez
Krack: Aston Martin frustrated by inconsistent F1 penalty decisions
How motorsport is embracing the opportunities of AI
The unlikely series providing an open door to innovation
Autosport writers' most memorable moments of 2023
How a lost Lotus that could have revolutionised Can-Am finally came to life
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
Top Comments