Ford Bronco R Prototype at the Baja 1000
F ord has been one of the veterans of the World Rally Championship since the 1970s. In 1997 Malcolm Wilson was able to persuade Ford to found the World Rally Team. The team started the first season with Carlos Sainz and the German Armin Schwarz at the wheel of the Ford Escort Cosworth World Rally Car. In its debut year it was enough to win the rallies in Greece and Indonesia. For the 1999 season, Wilson signed another absolute superstar, Colin McRae.
At the same time, the new equipment of the BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team made its debut in 1999 with the Ford Focus WRC. Despite a few rally victories, however, it was not enough for Ford to win the brand world championship. Only in 2006 did Grönholm and Hirvonen secure the manufacturer's title, which the BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team secured again the following year. In 2010 the team goes on a hunt for points with Mikko Hirvonen, Jari-Matti Latvala and Khalid Al Qassimi.
