M-Sport salvage vital points from Rally Finland

The Cockermouth-based team were unable to challenge for the podium positions, but did achieve their primary objective, reducing the gap to their main rivals at the head of the FIA World Rally Championship.

“We’ve not had the speed we wanted this weekend,” admitted team principal Malcolm Wilson. "But we have reduced the gap in all three championships.

"It was frustrating not to have been in the fight at the front, but we have to keep the bigger picture in mind and it’s been positive in that respect.”

Teemu Suninen had been the highest-placed Ford in fifth place before playing the team game and taking a 20-second penalty to give his team-mate Sébastien Ogier an additional two points for his championship defence.

In the early stages, it looked as though the young Finn would be in with a shot of the podium and he won the hearts of the masses with a McRae-style save from the ditches of the Finnish countryside! But as the event wore on, Suninen – like his team-mates – slipped from the fight at the front.

Ogier has been sporting some new aerodynamic developments aboard his Fiesta WRC, but was also unable to challenge the top-three.

“We had hoped to perform better,” said Ogier, “especially because last year the Fiesta was really competitive in Finland.

"But, this year, we were all struggling and none of us were able to join the fight for the leading places.

“The event turned into a bit of a test session to be honest and, although I did get a better feeling in the later stages, we were still lacking some pace and need to keep working.

“That said, we did make a positive step in the championship. Our objective for the second half of the season is to finish ahead of Thierry [Neuville] on each round, and that’s what we did in Finland.

“Also we must not forget that Finland is an unconventional event and that the next one will be very different.

"Looking forward to Germany, our goal will be to get back to the leading positions and be in the hunt again for the big points.”

Wilson agrees with his lead driver and is looking forward to the next event in Germany where the action heads back to asphalt.

“The Fiesta won in Germany last year and Sébastien won last time out on asphalt,” said Wilson. “So, let’s see what we can do.

"Our goal is to see the gaps in the championship further reduced, and we want to be back in the fight for the top positions.”

Also having to endure a less than ideal Rally Finland was Carlisle co-driver Scott Martin who was calling the notes for Ireland’s Craig Breen.

With their team-mates securing a fine second-place overall, the pairing’s Citroen C3 WRC had the performance to challenge for the top results but their event was cut short before it had event begun – the pairing picking up a puncture on the very first stage of Friday morning.

Elsewhere on the race track, Frank Bird was in action at the legendary Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium – less than a week after the previous round in Austria.

Looking to add points to those scored at the Red Bull Ring, Bird got the weekend off to a good start in free practice before setting the eighth fastest time in his group during the first qualifying session and sixth in the second.

The 18-year-old finished the first race in 14th place before a storming drive in the second saw him fall just short of the points in 11th place overall.

“It’s not been a bad weekend overall,” said the Penrith-born lad after the races.

“I had decent pace during free practice, even though I didn’t really put a good lap together.

"The first qualifying didn’t really go to plan and I ended up in P8 in my group with my fastest lap deleted because of a track limits infringement which wasn’t ideal. The second session was a lot better and I ended up P6 in my group, just half a second off the pole time.

“In race one, I made a good start passing three people into turn one, but the rest of the race was quite hard because I didn’t really have the pace and had some issues with the car but finished 14th from 17th on the grid.

“I started race two from 11th and made a good start but the safety car came out straight away for a few laps.

"Once the race resumed, I moved up to P10 and was in the battle for P9 for much of the race but made a small mistake and dropped back a place.

"The whole race was really close and had some good battles, my pace was much stronger and so was the car and I ended up finishing in 11th.

“Thanks to the team for a great weekend and a great car, also thanks to my dad and our sponsors – we didn’t quite get the results we wanted but now we are looking to the next round at the Hungaroring in a month’s time.”