The NGK-sponsored M-Sport Ford World Rally Team’s EcoBoost-powered Ford Fiesta WRC showed winning pace at the recent Rally Sweden, claiming five stage wins and challenging for victory on the second round of the FIA World Rally Championship.

Teemu Suninen delivered a great performance through the opening stages. Leading the field for the first time in his career, the young Finn was consistently quick and at one stage held a slender lead over M-Sport’s former protégé and eventual winner Ott Tänak before he became a victim of the snowbanks. A second dice with the snowbanks then ended with a high-speed impact which brought M-Sport’s world-class technicians to the fore, replacing part of the roll cage in less than three hours.

Team-mate Elfyn Evans was left ruing an early spin on Friday morning which cost him close to half a minute. Regrouping with three fastest stage times, the Welshman pushed hard but had to settle for fifth place, albeit just 10 seconds shy of the podium.

Ignition specialist NGK Spark Plugs is a partner of the team, whose EcoBoost-powered WRC Ford Fiestas are fitted with NGK spark plugs and NTK Lambda sensors. Mark Hallam, Marketing Manager, NGK said, “It was a very exciting rally and a promising performance from the M-Sport drivers. I’m sure the team will be fighting hard to make the podium over the upcoming rounds of the championship.”