Rally Sweden proved to be an eventful and challenging rally for the NGK-sponsored M-Sport Ford WRC team, following the highs of Monte Carlo last month.

Fast and tricky conditions in the new northern event location of Umeå would see the new generation of cars put to the ultimate test on the high speed snow and ice stages for the very first time.

After a weekend filled with ups and downs and tough stage conditions, Gus Greensmith and Swedish co-driver Jonas Andersson would see their confident and solid drive rewarded with a second consecutive fifth overall finish. They now lie fourth in the official drivers’ championship rankings and are the leading M-Sport crew after the first two events of the season.

Craig Breen and Paul Nagle had to retire from Friday’s action after getting stuck in a snowbank. However, the second day of competition would see Breen claim his first stage win as an M-Sport driver and simultaneously a first stage win for the Puma Rally1 Hybrid on snow and ice. However, further bad luck would see the car suffer an electrical issue and although they were able to find and fix the fault, they would be over their allotted time limit and forced to retire for the day.

The final day would see Breen drive through the stages preserving his tyres for the all-important power stage where he would take a vital point to go towards his championship tally. Meanwhile, Adrien Fourmaux and Alex Coria had to retire from the event following misfiring issues, an unfortunate result which didn’t reflect the maturity and sensible drive completed up until that time.

Ignition and sensor specialist NGK is a long-time supporter of the M-Sport Ford World Rally Team. Mark Hallam, Marketing Manager, NGK Spark Plugs said, “It proved to be a very difficult rally for M-Sport but the team battled hard and showed great attitude in harsh conditions.”