Ford technical director Christian Loriaux has admitted he is putting all his efforts into developing the team’s next generation of car, and has ended work on the 2005 version of the Focus World Rally Car - an update of the 2004 challenger.
Ford has unveiled a renewed four-year commitment to the World Rally Championship which includes the introduction of a dramatic evolution of the Focus – based on the recently introduced and heavily-revamped road-going version – for the 2006 season.
Loriaux has denied that the switch of attention from the 2005 car to the 2006 car will hurt the team’s title campaign, however. The 2004 car won three rallies at the hands of former driver Markko Martin, and was a regular podium contender. “I wouldn’t say that next year’s car is a stop-gap, but obviously the focus has to be on the new car,” he added
