Although holding a 5-point advantage over the Frenchman with 2 rounds to go, Hirvonen eventually lost the title by a single point. But Wilson is confident that his driver's performance can only improve in the championship and looks forward to another thrilling battle for the title in 2010.
“Look at the way Mikko has developed through his early career and this year. If he carries on where he left off - and I'm confident he will – then he's going to keep getting quicker. And I know he'll be even more determined for next season. Mikko will have a few world titles under his belt by the time he's Seb's age,” said Wilson, according to Autosport.
Ford lost both titles during the 2009 season of the WRC. Rivals Citroen managed to secure both drivers' and constructors' titles for the second year in a row, leaving Ford frustrated and more eager to return to winning a title in the series.
As far as the constructors' race goes, both teams will have to rely on their second drivers to bring points in the overall classification, a chapter where the French marque seems to hold a slight advantage over Ford. Despite his crash-full season in 2009, Jari-Matti Latvala was confirmed by Ford for another season, as he'll probably have to fight Citroen's Dani Sordo for 3rd place.
However, neither will have the power to challenge Hirvonen and Loeb in the title hunt, argued Wilson, at least not in 2010.
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