M-Sport not concerned by power steering issues at WRC opener
M-Sport team principal Richard Millener isn’t worried by power steering issues that have hampered the team’s two full-time entries at the World Rally Championship opener in Monte Carlo.
The Ford squad has seen power steering issues affect both Ott Tanak and Pierre-Louis Loubet during the asphalt rally, which has dented the team's hopes of repeating last year's Monte Carlo double podium.
Loubet lost his power steering following an off track excursion in Stage 5 on Friday and was forced to complete the day’s remaining stages on Monte Carlo’s infamous twisty roads without steering assistance.
The Frenchman would however ultimately retire from Saturday’s action after crash broke the Puma’s right rear suspension at the final corner on Stage 9. He is expected to return on Sunday under restart rules.
Tanak suffered an intermittent power steering failure on Stage 10 which continued throughout the afternoon. Luckily the 2019 world champion was able to manage the problem, but dropped from fourth to fifth overall in the standings, 1m37.3s behind leader Sebastien Ogier.
The team suffered power steering issues last year and while Millener confirmed the power steering problems from this weekend are unrelated to each other, there is no cause for concern over the components.
“I think the stuff that we have seen here wasn’t anything to do with last year’s issues,’ Millener told Autosport.
“Pierre-Louis was down to the accident. There was a big hole in the bottom of the car and Ott’s looks to be pump related and it is the same pump we have used for years. It [the power steering] was not gone and it was still pretty competitive. But they were two separate things so it is not something we are particularly worried about. It is just frustrating.”
Pierre-Louis Loubet, Nicolas Gilsoul, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team Ford Puma Rally1
Photo by: M-Sport
M-Sport is yet to score a stage win in Monte Carlo this year having set seven fastest times last year. Sebastien Loeb, who went on to win the rally, took six, while Gus Greensmith netted his maiden WRC stage victory in 2022.
This year Toyota has dominated the event so far winning 12 of the 14 stages, with Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville earning two fastest times for the South Korean marque.
Millener isn’t surprised by Toyota’s pace and believes last year’s success for M-Sport was the result of the WRC being a more level playing field given the introduction of new Rally1 regulations.
“I think Hyundai will say the same thing Toyota look very strong,” he added.
“They have the strongest line-up and you know our situation. Hyundai has had a lot changes in terms of management and directions, whereas Toyota has had the same group of people pushing forward for the last few years.
“It is not a surprise where they are but the good thing is I don’t think it is unachievable to get closer again. We shouldn’t make assumptions on two days of rallying in 2023. There is no denying it is not going to be easy but that is the challenge we take on.
“I think last year there was the added challenge of people not having driven these cars much before so that levelled the playing field. Even though we won, we only won because Ogier got a puncture on the penultimate stage. I just think there were a few more factors last year, it was more tricky.”
WRC Monte Carlo: Rovanpera slashes Ogier's lead, Hyundai ends stage win drought
Abiteboul: Toyota’s WRC Monte Carlo pace nothing to worry about
Aitken ends Williams F1 role to focus on sportscars
Jack Aitken has announced he and the Williams Formula 1 team have parted ways ahead of the 2023 season as he pursues a career in sportscar racing.
Why Vasseur relishes 'feeling the pressure' as Ferrari's F1 boss
OPINION: Fred Vasseur has spent only a few weeks as team principal for the Ferrari Formula 1 team, but is already intent on taking the Scuderia back to the very top. And despite it being arguably the most demanding job in motorsport, the Frenchman is relishing the challenge
Lawson to drive Red Bull F1 car at Bathurst
Liam Lawson will be behind the wheel of the Red Bull RB7 Formula 1 car during its demonstration laps at the Bathurst 12 Hour next week.
Maserati MSG not yet "consistently fast" with Gen3 FE car – Mortara
Edoardo Mortara says the Maserati MSG outfit still has to understand how to be "consistently fast" with the Gen3 Formula E car, following a difficult Mexico City E-Prix.
How fired-up Ogier became the WRC's ultimate Monte master
He may only be contesting a part-time campaign in the World Rally Championship these days, but Sebastien Ogier underlined that he's lost none of his speed in the 2023 season opener. Storming to yet another victory on the Monte Carlo Rally, the eight-time world champion rewrote the history books again as Toyota served notice of its intentions with a crushing 1-2
How Lancia pulled off its famous Monte Carlo giantkilling
Audi should have been invincible in the snowy conditions that typically greeted the World Rally Championship paddock in Monte Carlo. But unexpectedly warm weather for the 1983 season opener, combined with some left-field thinking from the Lancia crew turned the tables. Forty years on, team boss Cesare Fiorio reflects on a smash and grab
Why M-Sport has pinned all its efforts on a WRC reunion
M-Sport had a disastrous 2022 with its Rally1 Ford Pumas following Sebastien Loeb’s first-time-out win on the Monte. But now things are looking up with 2019 world champion Ott Tanak leading its attack, and the Cumbrian operation has optimism that it can challenge for a first title since Sebastien Ogier's departure at the end of 2018
The contenders seeking to take Rovanpera's WRC crown
As Kalle Rovanpera begins his World Rally Championship title defence in Monte Carlo, the Finn knows he has a target on his back. But who is best placed to knock the Toyota ace off his perch?
Why Rovanpera is anticipating a fight to defend his WRC title
Question: what could be harder than becoming the youngest-ever World Rally champion? Answer: becoming the youngest-ever two-time World Rally champion. That's quite the challenge facing Toyota's Kalle Rovanpera in 2022, particularly against rejuvenated opposition in the second year of the WRC's hybrid regulations
From F1 to WRC: Why Hyundai's new boss could be an inspired signing
OPINION: New Hyundai WRC team boss Cyril Abiteboul admits he’s got a lot to learn as he leads the marque's efforts to dethrone Toyota. But could his Formula 1 experience and evident strengths mean he turns out to be an inspired choice?
The ultimate rally car project the WRC is glad COVID killed
Toyota was unstoppable in the 2021 World Rally Championship, with an excellent 75% strike rate from 12 rallies. But in a scary proposition for its rivals, the Japanese marque had built a car for the final year of the previous regulations set which it believes was much faster and could feasibly have crushed the opposition completely. Here the story of its mothballed world-beater
Autosport writers' most memorable moments of 2022
The season just gone was a memorable one for many of our staff writers, who are fortunate enough to cover motorsport around the world. Here are our picks of the best (and in some cases, most eventful) from 2022
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.