Hopes of new Ford deal increase

Hopes that Ford will continue to fight for World Rally Championship glory in 2012 have improved after Gerard Quinn, the company’s European motorsport boss, confirmed talks are ongoing over a new five-year commitment to the series.

Ford’s participation in the WRC beyond the end of this season is currently unclear with confirmation that it will compete next season still forthcoming. But Quinn said he was “reasonably positive” when quizzed on Rally Australia last week and that a long-term involvement was being discussed.

“We’re obviously going through the process of sorting out what we need to do for next year,” he told Wrc.com. “But the plan is to do what we said we’d always do, to be in a position to make an announcement in October. We’re taking a long time to make sure we’re making the right decision. It’s a big decision and it’s a huge commitment for Ford.”

He continued: “If we’re going to commit to any programme you need to make a long-term commitment and to have appropriate investment to be competitive. What we’ve seen from a short-term commitment is that it generally doesn’t work as well as a long-term commitment. If you’re going to do anything then you need to do it for a longer term.”

Ford revived its slim chances of winning the manufacturers’ title with a dominant one-two finish on Rally Australia last week, a result that put Mikko Hirvonen firmly back in contention for the drivers’ accolade in his Fiesta RS WRC.

Asked how crucial a continued upturn in form was to a deal extension being agreed, Quinn added: “It’s only part of the decision making process. We’ve got to be honest and say we’re in it to win and that’s obviously a big part. The decision won’t be based on that alone but the more you win the more you get out of it.”