The British team have opted to promote their WRC2 driver to a Rally1 drive for their home race (4-7 August) to mark their first start in the WRC’s top class.
The 28-year-old climbed steadily up the WRC ranks after winning the 2020 WRC3 title before finishing third in the WRC2 standings last year after a season which saw the Finn start the campaign with Hyundai and with M-Sport ended with a win at the Monza Rally.
This season Huttunen sits sixth in the WRC2 standings after taking two third places in Sweden and Sardinia ahead of next week’s WRC2 appearance at Rally Estonia.
“I’m really looking forward to driving my home rally in a Puma, it’s going to be a great experience and I’m looking forward to the atmosphere with the fans and everything,” said Huttunen, who will receive a full day of Rally1 testing in Estonia ahead of Rally Finland .
“It will definitely be a challenge in such a fast rally in a car with so much power, but I already have a good feeling about Rally2 and I think we will transfer that feeling to the Puma.
“I’ve really enjoyed working with M-Sport on these past events and I’m starting to feel very comfortable. The aim for the weekend will be to learn from the car and try to keep a good rhythm with a constant pace.
“It can be a tricky event but I know it pretty well so let’s see what happens. I’m really excited about this opportunity from M-Sport, so let’s make the most of it.”
Jari Huttunen, Mikko Lukka, M-Sport Ford WRT Ford Fiesta Rally2
Photo by: M-Sport
Richard Millener, M-Sport Team Principal, says the opportunity gives the team a chance to evaluate Huttunes on Rally1 machines.
“I can’t wait to see Jari get into the Rally1 machinery and I’m very proud that he will be in an M-Sport Ford Puma Hybrid Rally1,” said Millener.
“We are promoting a new generation of cars this year as we enter the new hybrid era of WRC. It is therefore of the utmost importance that we also offer opportunities to a new generation of drivers.
“It’s something M-Sport is proud of and has a long history of and we’ve seen it recently [team-mate] Pierre-Louis, what fresh talent is capable of. Jari has followed a similar path as Pierre-Louis if you look at her results and I’m sure everyone will be keeping a close eye on Jari’s progress.
“There will be no goals or pressure from the team’s point of view, we just want to see what Jari can do once he gets the tools and machines. It will be primarily a learning exercise.
“For Jari he will start learning what it takes to be at the top of the WRC, for us we will learn what we need to do to support and develop Jari to take him to the top.”
In addition to M-Sport’s driver announcement, WRC rivals Hyundai announced today that it has extended its title sponsorship and technical partner agreement with Shell for a further three years.
Shell has been Hyundai’s partner since the South Korean marque’s re-entry into the WRC in 2014.