Hirvonen has been involved in rallying since 1998, but first demonstrated his abilities in 2002 behind the wheel of a mono-drive racing car, taking first place in the Finnish Formula 2. The same year in Italy, Mikko competed for the Subaru Cup and even took the lead in the series, but unfortunately lost the title in the last stage of the race.

After an unremarkable debut in Monte Carlo, Hirvonen spent the rest of the season flat, without much achievement. This precipitated his move to the Subaru team, with which he spent 2004, a year as quiet as the previous one. In 2005, the driver had to return to racing as a privateer, and by moving into his familiar 2003 Ford, Mikko was finally able to make a good impression, topping the standings at the Acropolis Rally. That performance put him back in the Ford factory team, and a third-place finish at the Spanish Rally guaranteed him a co-driver spot for 2006.

Facts

Hirvonen gave a lot of support to Markus Grönholm and together they were able to achieve a Ford victory in the constructors’ cup. At the same time Mikko got his first WRC win in Australia. In 2007 he had even better results, coming first in Norway, Japan and Great Britain, finishing in the top three ten times all season, as well as giving BP Ford its second team title.

At the end of the year, he finished third in the individual ranking, and in 2008, he replaced Markus Grönholm as the team’s main driver. Mikko Hirvonen is the first driver to achieve this status at such an early age. But he has rightfully taken the spot and had his most successful season to date.
Together with Jari-Matti Latvala, the team’s co-driver, Hirvonen scored three wins and was up against Sébastien Loeb himself until the penultimate stage of the competition.

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The Puma WRC Rally1 is the first electrified racing car in Ford’s history. The rally car is powered by a 1.6-liter turbocharged EcoBoost engine and a 100-kilowatt electric motor, which is powered by a 3.9-kilowatt-hour battery. The battery can be recharged using an external power source at dedicated service points between stages, with recharging taking just 25 minutes.

The rally car has an advanced aerodynamic dodger with a large rear antifender, as well as a livery in bright blue and purple. The bodywork features electric discharges, indicating the car’s electrified setup.

The novelty will make its debut on January 22 at the Monte Carlo stage which will open the season of WRC championship. Leading the M-Sport team drivers this season will be Craig Breen, Adrian Furmo and Gus Greensmith. Also joining them is nine-time FIA World Rally Champion Sébastien Loeb.

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