Sebastian Leb will start the Portugal Rally with a Ford Puma

Following Sebastian Leb’s victory with the M-Sport Ford World Rally Team at the Monte Carlo Rally, which lifted the curtain on this year’s WRC, M-Sport director Malcolm Wilson had left open the possibility of the Frenchman’s further involvement in the year with Ford Puma Rally1.

The nine-time World Rally Champion returns to the Ford Puma racquet to compete in May’s Rally of Portugal with co-driver Isabel Galmis, the first woman to claim a WRC victory since 1997.

Remember that after an intense and exciting start to the year, the Frenchman won the finale of this year’s Race of Champions while set to make his debut in the German Touring Car Championship (DTM), also in Portugal, on May 1st Ferrari 488 GT3 by Red Bull – AF Corse.

It is worth noting that Leb’s return coincides with celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the World Rally Championship. The story of the emblematic French rider at the event began in 2007 when he won his debut in Portugal, setting the fastest time in 11 of the race’s 18 special stages. Leb was crowned winner again in Portugal in 2009 while notching up two more podiums and a total of 32 stage wins at the race.

This year’s Poe Rallymarks a milestone for the M-Sport Ford World Rally Team as it will be the first manufacturer to compete with five Rally1 cars in the same race. This is an exciting opportunity for the team who will have a wide array of talent given this game.

Sebastian Leb explained that he likes to drive on unpaved surfaces, referring to the M sports car: “Driving a Puma is one of my favorite rally memories. Winning in Monte Carlo after such a long time was incredible. The team did a very good job and quickly resolved the issues we faced at shakedown, allowing us to achieve our 80th victory at the rally. During my first test with this car, I immediately had a very good feeling and I like driving with the power of the hybrid system. It’s a great car, a great team and we’ve had an incredible time together“.