M -Sport Ford World Rally Team, Safari Kenya Rally – Automobile Magazine

The M-Sport Ford World Rally Team faced an intense and relentless struggle in Safari Rally Kenya for four challenging days. M-Sport’s three Ford Puma Rally1 vehicles reached the end line of the challenging event, and they all entered the first place in the overall classification.

Rally forced each team to its absolute limits; In the third round of the 2025 FIA World Rally Championship, the brutal conditions, mechanical problems and the brutal Kenya land tested their skills, durability and determination in the third round of the World Rally Championship.

Grégoire Munster and Louis Louka, who started positively for M-Sport teams, identified the third fastest time in SS2 and completed the day third in the general classification; This meant that they first end a rally day in the podium position and allow them to adapt to challenging conditions.

However, Friday’s stages, Safari Rally will be how challenging, rugged Kenya roads, excessive dust and relentless heat has immediately demonstrated that all teams affected. Munster experienced a damaged suspension in SS4, fell for more than 3 minutes and fell to the 14th place in the overall classification. Despite these setbacks, Munster showed a tremendous endurance by struggling to take his vehicle to the end of the loop, make repairs and refuse to give up.

Munster fought a lot to recover time in the afternoon cycle, and at the end of Friday, he finished 11th place and showed his unshakable devotion.

Meanwhile, Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy team Josh Mcerlean and Eoin Treacy showed impressive courage, while other contestants became the victim of brutal stages, while on Thursday and Friday. Mcerlean ranked fifth in the midfield of Friday in the overall classification, but brought new difficulties in the afternoon. Irish driver, panel damage to the exhaust on the back of the vehicle after leaving a hole in the intense dust and declining view fought. The team, who took the smell of burns and fear of fire, stopped by taking a difficult but logical decision that made them valuable time. Despite these setbacks, Mcerlean continued and finished the day in the seventh place in the general classification, which was a real proof of his determination.

On Saturday, he faced a series of challenges, turned the rain of the previous days into a mud full of mud. Unfortunately, in the middle of Mcerlean SS11, he found himself faced with mechanical difficulties. A damaged steering wheel was forced to stop the team and repair the car on the roadside, which cost them more than 28 minutes. The team’s effort to keep the car working despite the difficulties was extraordinary. They completed the SS13 at the seventh fastest time of the day.

On the other hand, Munster made a small moment in SS11 and a bumpy start with a wheel change in SS12. But he never gave up, he first returned to him, and in the SS13, he set the fourth fastest time and proved how resistant he was under excessive conditions.

The real courage test in the rally took place during the SS15, when both M-Sport drivers came out despite dangerous conditions. While the stage was covered with mud and rain, many teams experienced rubber blasting and mechanical failures. Nevertheless, both Munster and Mcerlean showed incredible courage, Munster won a stage, and Mcerlean was only second behind him – a surprising result considering the relentless difficulties. This result, which pointed out Munster’s highest level of WRC ETAP victory and Mcerlean’s best stage in a rally1 vehicle, represented a real moment of victory in the middle of a weekend full of difficulties.

At the end of Saturday, Munster was in the seventh in the general classification, while Mcerlean managed to return to the 13th place and aimed to close the deficit in front of them on Sunday morning.

However, the troubles would not end for the team, the last day he offered a last move of durability and courage. At the end of the SS19, Munster encountered a gearbox problem that threatened the challenging rally completely. When the mechanics were put into service by helicopter after delayed due to excessive traffic, the team completed the gearbox replacement in less than 15 minutes and allowed Munster to continue his struggle to the finish line.

Both teams stood strong in the Hell’s Gate Power Stage and finished the rally with clean runs in one of the most challenging events that the sport could offer. In addition to the fifth ten points in the overall classification, Munster received the fourth fastest time and two more power stage points. Mcerlean was the tenth in the general classification and received a single point to add it to the championship ranking.

Jourdan Serderidis and Fred Michlotte faced with skill and cold -bloodedness. While most of his competitors were caught by the brutal nature of Safari, Serrderidis wisely avoided the misfortune that happened to the others. He was eighth in the overall classification, constantly identified impressive times and showed the world the mastery of the rally world in the most extreme test. His energy and enthusiasm for the event was a feature that came to the forefront by capturing the true spirit of Safari Rally.

In April, the next stop in Rally Islas Canarias, the M-Sport Ford World Rally team is now looking forward to overcoming the next challenge with the same determination that keeps them alive at this really cruel event.

M-Sport Ford World Rally Team Team Director Richard Millenner said:
“Despite the dramas we encountered in Kenya, I think that we had a very positive weekend in general. This weekend did not come out without a single crew, and it is an incredible success that our Rally1 crew has a 100 %finishing rate, and all of them are in the top 10.

“Greg and Josh show tremendous endurance, skills and mechanical abilities to deliver their vehicles to the finish line this weekend, and they deserve a great praise for this.

“Jourdan also had a really positive weekend and I am happy to help him add another one to his success in Safari Rally.”

The fifth general Grégoire Munster said:
“I wanted to do a good job for my grandfather this weekend. It didn’t start very well on Friday, we have encountered many problems with the brakes, the engine overheating, steering arm, rubber bursts and of course Sunday.

“However, we never gave up, and all I wanted to do was to finish the rally and apparently we will be at the top five when Taka (Katsuta) retired, so this weekend we have come a long way this weekend. We wanted to start the season as we finished last year and I am really happy to be in the top five in Kenya.” Jourdan serderidis

Eighth, in the general ranking, said:
“It was very good because we got the best result here, it was great to be the ninth in the general ranking against these best men, especially when the conditions were taken into consideration. It was very difficult, rainy primary and second days were completely different, but it was really challenging.

“We had a great weekend with M-Sport, it was nice to reach the end of three crews. With the help of Romet (Jürgenson), we had a great team.”

The tenth general Josh Mcerlean said:
“It was quite crazy, quite surreal. To be honest, it is really nice to reach the end. Okay, we had problems, but we have achieved and succeeded.

“You should come to the Safari Rally and wait for these conditions, this is a part of his purpose. Not only that, from the organizers to the teams and everyone, come here to come here and make a great effort to make a demonstration as a non -European activity, a very big show, so I congratulate everyone who succeeded.”