M-Sport Poland is working on building the 2022 Ford Fiesta Rally3 race car. This vehicle is the first J-WRC model to be offered with four-wheel drive, which will give rally drivers a significant performance boost.
Initially, the engine was set to provide 215 horsepower and 400 Nm (ca. 295 lb.-ft.) of torque, but the FIA World Motor Sport Council has decided to run the one-make series with a 31-mm (ca. 1.22-inch) turbo restrictor instead of the 30-millimeter (ca. 1.18-inch) unit that was initially homologated with these cars.
Due to the changes, the Rally3 Fiesta by M-Sport will provide around 235 horsepower and 425 Nm (ca. 313 lb.-ft.) of torque. Since the Junior WRC class is a one-make series, all competitors will run with the same ECU, as the goal is to showcase driver skill instead of finding the best way to extract more power in the given situation.
Maciej Woda, the championship manager, has applauded the FIA's decision on the matter, as WRC notes. Woda thinks it will make the Rally3 Fiesta bridge the gap between the Rally4 vehicles, which come with 210 horsepower, and the Rally2 cars, which have 290 horsepower on tap.
The new Rally3 class will replace the Rally4 Fiesta models of the Junior WRC championship, which have been used since 2019. Other manufacturers who offer race cars based on their production vehicles might develop their answer to the Fiesta Rally3, but they will not be able to race in the J-WRC, as it is still a one-make series. They will be allowed to race in the same class, though.
With the boost in torque and peak horsepower, as well as the presence of four-wheel drive, the competitors in the 2022 FIA Junior WRC Championship will have an extra shot at getting a good time in the overall standings. The championship is open to drivers aged 30 and below, and it will race in Sweden, Greece, Croatia, Poland, and Estonia.
With that in mind, check out how the new Fiesta Rallly4 is built at M-Sport's facility in Poland. As you can observe, each unit is hand-assembled from a bare shell. The rollcage is welded in, but not before some seams of the body are also patched together for extra stiffness.
From there, the vehicle goes to the body shop, is painted gloss white, and the assembly continues with the engine, suspension, and electronics being the biggest chapters. Once completed, each car is taken for a shakedown to ensure that it is ready to race.
Sebastian's love for cars began at a young age. Little did he know that a career would emerge from this passion (and that it would not, sadly, involve being a professional racecar driver). In over fourteen years, he got behind the wheel of several hundred vehicles and in the offices of the most important car publications in his homeland. Full profile
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