M-Sport is stepping up the development of its 2027 World Rally Championship challenger at this weekend's European Rally Championship finale in Portugal, as Autosport reports. The British squad is fielding an example of its newly developed Ford Fiesta Rally2 kit car at the ERC Rally Six Cities North of Portugal gravel event.
This updated machine, equipped with the FIA's new update kit, first broke cover last week during a week-long asphalt test in Spain where driving duties were shared between Matthew Wilson and M-Sport's WRC2 driver Romet Jurgenson. Testing now shifts to Portuguese gravel stages with Josh McErlean taking over the wheel to run as the ERC course car. The Irishman has been a regular in M-Sport-Ford's WRC Rally1 programme driving a Ford Puma Rally1 car in the championship since 2025, though his future with the team beyond this year remains undecided.
M-Sport stands as the first squad to commit to developing a kit that upgrades its Ford Fiesta Rally2 car to Rally1 status, aiming for a three-car line-up for the 2027 campaign. Earlier this year, the FIA announced plans for a concept allowing Rally2 manufacturers to homologate a €7,500 upgrade kit to provide greater aerodynamic parity between Rally2 cars and the all-new WRC27 vehicles forming the top Rally1 class next year. These WRC27 and Rally2 kit cars operate under two separate technical regulations while being expected to produce similar performance levels.
The update kit brings new homologated front fenders, a front bumper, a rear aerodynamic device, and sheds 10kg from the current minimum weight. Furthermore, ratification at this week's FIA World Motor Sport Council meeting confirmed the car will run a 33mm turbo restrictor.
Meanwhile, Hyundai has also been active this development week, putting its revised i20 N Rally2 car through its paces on gravel roads in Finland. WRC rally winners Kris Meeke and Hayden Paddon teamed up with Adrien Fourmaux for the test, though images of the car revealed no obvious exterior changes. Hyundai has yet to announce any plans for 2027 and, while focused on its Rally2 machine, has steered clear of committing to the FIA's update kit for next year.
