Wilson backs Hirvonen to find missing fifth gear

Ford team boss Malcolm Wilson is confident that lead driver Mikko Hirvonen can find his ‘missing fifth gear’ ahead of next season’s World Rally Championship.

Hirvonen, who lost out on the WRC crown to Sebastien Loeb by a single point in 2009, struggled for form for chunks of the 2010 season, netting a solitary win in Sweden and languishing in sixth overall in the final drivers’ standings with long-term co-driver Jarmo Lehtinen.

Wilson has played a pivotal role in guiding Hirvonen to his 12 WRC career victories and has vowed to help the 30-year-old from Jyvaskyla return to the top step of the podium, starting on the season-opening Rally Sweden from February 10-13.

“He lost that fifth gear in the car somewhere and had a dreadful season by his standards,” said Wilson. “But, as we’ve always done as a team, we’ve got to give him the support to get back there. We know [his ability] is there and we’ll work with him like we’ve worked with [team-mate] Jari-Matti [Latvala] and like we worked with our cars to get them competitive after Bulgaria.”

Wilson said he’d been buoyed by the enthusiasm Hirvonen has shown towards the all-new Fiesta RS WRC, which will replace the hugely successful Focus from next season, following initial tests.

“He’s really excited and looking forward to the future so that’s a positive,” said Wilson. “When you look at the year he’s had it’s certainly going to be a lot easier going into next year with a car that he’s really excited about and end it the way this season has ended with some good performances.”

The M-Sport-run Ford team will field a brace of Fiesta RS WRCs in the 2011 world championship for Hirvonen and Jari-Matti Latvala. A number of factory-assisted Fiestas will also appear during the season with Norway’s Mads Ostberg and Netherlands’ Dennis Kuipers among those who have confirmed agreements to drive the car next term.