Just shortly after the news that Mini was pulling out of the World Rally Championships, Ford has said that it will be doing the same. Racer.com has cited a statement from Ford Europe that a factory-backed WRC presence will cease after the 2012 season. Ford says the move has been made thanks to the declining economic climate in Europe.
Ford has been a force in the WRC for decades and it is truly sad to see them pulling from a sport they have become so closely associated. That doesn’t mean that the Blue Oval will be forever absent from the grid, as privateer racing teams are still able to field cars from the automaker.
With the loss of two major factory backed team from the WRC grid, we hope that other teams will step up to fill the gap. Rally racing is a unique and exciting sport, and everyone here at AutoTalk wants to see it survive.
