After a short summer hiatus, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team will return to action this week on the ninth round of the FIA World Rally Championship to take on the tough gravel stages of Acropolis Rally Greece. Adrien Fourmaux and Alex Coria, and Grégoire Munster and Louis Louka return to their pair of Ford Puma Rally1s, with Jourdan Serderidis also returning to the team for his home event with Frédéric Miclotte.
Famously rough, tricky and demanding for both crews and cars, the historic Acropolis Rally Greece is set to be as unforgiving as ever for its 2024 edition.
Sitting fifth in the championship standings, Adrien Fourmaux has his sights set on another strong result after his fourth podium of the season on Rally Finland last month, to hopefully close the gap to the top spots.
With two visits to Greece already under his belt, Fourmaux is familiar with the iconic stages. Leading in the WRC2 category last year until punctures on consecutive stages dropped him down the standings, Fourmaux has shown his skill on gravel and his ability to battle on through tough conditions.
Grégoire Munster will also make his third trip to Greece, and his first in Rally1 machinery. Claiming the WRC2 Challenger win here last year, as well as fifth in WRC2, Munster’s clean run sets him in good stead for a strong performance this week.
Local fan favourite, Jourdan Serderidis, returns to the seat of a Puma Rally1 for the first time since Safari Rally Kenya earlier this year. A seasoned competitor on his home event, Serderidis looks forward to another enjoyable event with M-Sport.
Richard Millener, M-Sport Team Principal, said:
“It’s great to be getting back to rallying after a few weeks off, and Greece is a fantastic event to kick-off the action for these remaining four rounds. It’s always an exciting rally to watch, with a lot of variables, and I think we’re in a good position to do well here.
“Adrien is having a great season, his consistency is testament to his growth as a driver and this has seen him rewarded with four podium finishes already this year. There’s no reason he can’t do this again if he stays out of trouble in Greece.
“Grégoire also has some good experience here in the WRC2 category, giving him a valuable insight in how best to survive this tricky event! I’m looking forward to seeing how everyone gets on.”
Adrien Fourmaux said:
“I’m pleased to be back after the summer break, we know that Greece is a rough and tough event; it’s always really hot with an abrasive surface. Greece is quite slow compared to the rallies we’ve just done in Finland and Latvia, but we’ve had a good day’s testing and now we want to deliver the best result possible. We know the car has been competitive here previously, and we just need to score some good points to remain contenders in the championship.”
Grégoire Munster said:
“I’m looking forward to Greece because it’s an event I’ve done twice already. We had a good result last year with the Fiesta Rally1, finishing 5th in WRC2 and winning the Challenger category.
“It’s a demanding event for the crew and the car, and it’s about finding the right balance between pushing and managing the car through the rough sections, so it’s an event that suits us. There’s not due to be any rain this weekend but let’s see, Greece can always be a bit unpredictable!”
Jourdan Serderidis said:
“Home rally for me – despite the fact that I appear to be the oldest driver amongst the 72 starters, I still intend to show progress and fight for first in the Greek cup. I can’t wait for Friday morning so we can get started!”