Ford changes colors, line-up, and name!

The Ford team has unveiled its new colors for the 2008 WRC season. The team indeed sees this new season as a whole new chapter in its history.

Newly arrived in the management team, Mark Deans, also director of Ford Motorsport Europe, along with Malcolm Wilson, the team manager, unveiled the new metaphors of the world champion team of 2006 and 2007 at the show organized by the English magazine Autosport.

The team will indeed have new colors, with a new lineup and a new main sponsor with Abu Dhabi.

« The Focus RS WRC has new modern colors that blend perfectly with the perspective of the Abu Dhabi BP Ford World Rally Team, » explained Deans.

« This is our first full season in partnership with BP and Abu Dhabi and their importance to our WRC program is reflected in the new team name and their position on the car. »

« Of course, there are much more important things than the color of the car. But since I joined the team, I have seen enough to convince me that 2008 can be as good as 2007. We have a very young, dynamic, and motivated lineup as well as a very professional team. No doubt that in a year, we will have a new championship in the bag. » He added.

Since Marcus Gronholm’s retirement, Jari-Matti Latvala and Mikko Hirvonen will be the two hopes of the team in 2008. Two drivers who will be under a lot of pressure to perform as well as last season.

Khalid Al Qassimi, driver from the Emirates, funded by the Abu Dhabi sponsor, will participate in 10 WRC rallies in 2008 in a third Ford Focus WRC. Malcolm Wilson sees him as a new champion: « With our main drivers, Latvala and Hirvonen, who are already experienced and performing well, Al Qassimi will be able to develop in very good conditions. He will be much more performant and will have gained experience but, above all, confidence. »

The Focus WRC is still green and white but now features much more red. Another change; the sponsors’ names are much more prominent.

See the photos of the new Ford Focus WRC 2008