M-Sport Ford World Rally Team faced an intense and unrelenting battle across four demanding days on Safari Rally Kenya. All three of M-Sport’s Ford Puma Rally1 cars made it to the finish of the gruelling event, all taking positions in the top ten overall.
The rally pushed each and every crew to their absolute limits, with brutal conditions, mechanical issues, and the unforgiving Kenyan terrain testing their skill, endurance, and determination on the third round of the 2025 FIA World Rally Championship.
Starting positive for the M-Sport crews, Grégoire Munster and Louis Louka set the third-fastest time on SS2 and ended the day in third overall, their first time ending a rally day in a podium position and allowing them to adjust to the tricky conditions.
However, Friday's stages quickly showed how demanding the Safari Rally would be, with rough Kenyan roads, extreme dust, and relentless heat taking a toll on all crews. Munster suffered damaged suspension in SS4, dropping over 3 minutes and falling to 14th overall. Despite the setback, Munster demonstrated immense resilience, fighting to get his car to the end of the loop, making repairs, and refusing to give up.
Munster fought hard to recover time in the afternoon loop, finishing 11th at the end of Friday, showing his unwavering commitment.
Meanwhile, Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy crew Josh McErlean and Eoin Treacy displayed impressive grit, moving up the standings throughout Thursday and Friday as other competitors fell victim to the unforgiving stages. McErlean sat in fifth overall by Friday’s mid-point, but the afternoon brought new challenges. The Irish driver would find himself battling against the heavy dust and reduced visibility after panel damage left a hole above the exhaust at the rear of the car. Smelling burning and fearing fire, the crew made the difficult but sensible decision to stop, which cost them valuable time. Despite this setback, McErlean pushed on, finishing the day in seventh overall, a true testament to his perseverance.
Saturday presented a new set of challenges, with previous days’ rain turning the stages into a mud-filled battlefield. Unfortunately, McErlean found himself facing mechanical difficulties halfway through SS11. A damaged steering arm forced the crew to stop and repair the car roadside, costing them over 28 minutes. The crew's effort to keep the car going, despite the odds, was nothing short of remarkable. They persevered, completing SS13 with the seventh-fastest time of the day.
Munster, on the other hand, had a rocky start to the day, with a small moment in SS11 and a wheel change in SS12. But he never let up, clawing his way back into the top ten, and setting the fourth-fastest time in SS13, proving his toughness under the extreme conditions.
The rally’s true test of mettle came during SS15, where both M-Sport drivers emerged unscathed despite the hazardous conditions. With the stage covered in mud and rain, many crews suffered punctures and mechanical failures. Yet, both Munster and McErlean showcased incredible grit, with Munster securing a stage win and McErlean finishing just 12.3 seconds behind him in second – an astonishing result given the relentless challenges. Marking Munster’s second-ever WRC stage win at the top level, and McErlean’s best-ever stage result in a Rally1 car, it represented a true moment of triumph amidst a weekend of adversity.
At the end of Saturday, Munster was in seventh overall, while McErlean had successfully clawed his way back to 13th and would aim to chip away at the time deficits ahead of them on Sunday morning.
But the troubles would not be over for the team, with the final day presenting a final push of endurance and grit. Munster encountered a gearbox issue at the end of SS19, threatening to derail his hard-fought rally altogether. With mechanics flown into service by helicopter after being delayed by extreme traffic, the team completed the gearbox change in under 15 minutes, ensuring Munster could continue his fight to the finish.
Both crews held strong during the Hell’s Gate Power Stage, delivering clean runs to finish the rally in one of the toughest events the sport has to offer, with Munster claiming the fourth fastest time and an additional two powerstage points on top of his ten points awarded for finishing fifth overall. McErlean finished tenth overall and would pick up a single point to add to his championship standings.
Jourdan Serderidis and Fred Miclotte also faced the grueling conditions with skill and composure. While many of his competitors were caught out by the Safari’s unforgiving nature, Serderidis cleverly avoided the misfortune that befell others. He finished eighth overall, consistently setting impressive times and showing the world his mastery of rallying’s most extreme test. His energy and enthusiasm for the event were a highlight, capturing the true spirit of the Safari Rally.
With the next stop at Rally Islas Canarias in April, the M-Sport Ford World Rally Team now looks ahead, ready to tackle the next challenge with the same determination that saw them through this truly brutal event.
Richard Millener, Team Principal, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team, said:
“I think despite the dramas we’ve faced here in Kenya, we’ve had a very positive weekend overall. Not a single crew went unscathed this weekend, and to have a 100% finish rate for our Rally1 crews, all of them finishing within the top ten, is an incredible achievement.
“Greg and Josh have both shown immense resilience, skill and mechanical ability this weekend to get their cars to the finish and they deserve huge kudos for that. They have both individually shown some really strong pace in some of the toughest conditions rallying has to offer. Our 1-2 stage result on SS15 will remain one of the top moments of the year and shows that these guys have what it takes to fight for the top spots.
“Jourdan has also had a really positive weekend, and I’m happy that we’ve helped him add another top ten Safari Rally finish to his accolades.”
Grégoire Munster, Fifth Overall, said:
“I wanted to do well for my grandfather this weekend. It didn’t start too well on Friday, we encountered so many issues between brakes, engine overheating, the steering arm, punctures and of course the gearbox on Sunday too.
“But we never gave up and that was the only thing I wanted to do, to finish the rally, and apparently with Taka [Katsuta] retiring we will be in the top five so we’ve come a really long way this weekend. We wanted to start the season how we ended last year, and I’m really happy we managed to secure that top five finish here in Kenya.”
Jourdan Serderidis, Eighth Overall, said:
“It was very good because we have a top result here, ninth overall against those top guys is great, especially considering the conditions. It has been very difficult, the first and the second days with the rain were completely different but really challenging. We survived well, showed some pace as well, but we didn’t push too much when there were no reasons to anyway - we already had a good result.
“It’s been a great weekend with M-Sport, the three crews getting to the end has been nice. With the help of Romet [Jürgenson] as well, we have had a fantastic team.”
Josh McErlean, Tenth Overall, said:
“It’s been quite crazy, quite surreal. Honestly, it’s really nice to get to the finish. Okay, we had our problems but we persevered and made it through.
“You have to come to Safari Rally and expect these conditions, it’s part of what it’s about. Not only that but the people and everyone involved, from the organisers to the teams, it’s a huge effort to come out here and put on a show as a non-European event, it’s such a huge spectacle so congratulations to everyone for making it happen.”
