Duval wants more WRC action

Francois Duval, the man Ford team boss Malcolm Wilson reckoned was good enough to be a multiple world champion, wants to return to the World Rally Championship in the future but says he is being held back by a lack of financial backing.

Duval, whose only appearance in the WRC this season on Rallye Deutschland ended in a sizable crash that left co-driver Denis Giraudet with broken ribs, said a return to the Ford-blessed M-Sport squad would be his preference but added that it was dependent on him raising a budget.

“I would like to drive again for Ford but it’s so difficult,” said Duval. “Many drivers are staying at home because they don’t have money and it’s quite bad. I [want to] drive again in WRC but it’s difficult for the moment. This year is a very bad year for the money and the opportunities but if more manufacturers are coming to the WRC next year and in 2012 it helps. I hear the new World Rally Cars are very good so I would like to stay in the WRC.”

Duval, from Belgium, turned 30 earlier this month. He claimed his solitary WRC victory driving a works Citroen Xsara WRC on Rally Australia in 2005. He also enjoyed a two-year stint as a factory Ford driver and had been offered a multi-year deal to remain with the Blue Oval but elected to join Citroen on a 12-month deal instead.

Since leaving Citroen he has struggled to secure a regular drive but has remained competitive on sporadic appearances in the series, netting podium finishes in a Kronos Racing Citroen Xsara on Rallye Deutschland in 2007 and again with Ford in Germany and France in 2008.

He has also dabbled with rallycross and circuit racing with some success.