The Frenchman highlighted that current simulator classes at the Ford Efficiency Technical Centre’s simulator in America Charlotte, North Carolina, had performed a task in serving to enhance the M-Sport Ford Puma Rally1’s efficiency on Croatia’s asphalt phases final weekend.
Whereas Ford shouldn’t be at present working as a fully-fledged manufacturing unit workforce within the WRC, the blue oval provides help to M-Sport’s WRC programme, which Fourmaux says has helped remodel the Puma’s tempo on asphalt since January’s Monte Carlo opener the place he completed fifth.
In Croatia, the place Fourmaux scored two stage wins, M-Sport debuted a brand new rear wing which was the primary seen efficiency improve on the automotive this yr.
Though he solely completed the rally seventeenth, Fourmaux’s spectacular Energy Stage victory helped him safe 13 championship factors which retains him third within the standings forward of Hyundai’s Ott Tanak.
“I’m actually joyful as a result of we’ve come actually far with the automotive since Monte Carlo,” Fourmaux instructed Autosport.
“The automotive wasn’t good in any respect on tarmac, we had been struggling a lot, however we’ve finished numerous growth within the simulator and on the check.
“We had been looking out a bit bit in the beginning of the rally, however after Friday afternoon the place I did the second quickest time, I discovered a extremely good set-up.
“We’ve got made a giant step, however there are issues we nonetheless want to enhance and we’re engaged on it to achieve a while.
“It’s actually Positive and we’re a lot nearer. We had been combating with Ott all of the weekend.
“[The simulator] is working and I’m actually happy we’ve finished a superb job with the automotive, and it has been engaged on this rally.
“We’re utilizing it as a instrument to make the automotive quicker and it’s working.”
Adrien Fourmaux, Alexandre Coria, M-Sport Ford World Rally Staff Ford Puma Rally1
Picture by: McKlein / Motorsport Images
M-Sport workforce principal Richard Millener says the simulator entry is a worthwhile useful resource to the British workforce in its battle with full manufacturer-backed operations Toyota and Hyundai.
“Clearly there may be solely a certain quantity of issues you are able to do with it however it permits us to be a bit bit extra environment friendly earlier than we go testing as testing laws are fairly restricted,” Millener instructed Autosport.
“It additionally permits the drivers to have a bit extra suggestions with the engineers and the design workforce and maintain them pondering on a regular basis about what we are able to do.
“It provides you a bit bit extra freedom to provide you with some out of the field concepts that we might by no means strive in actuality and see what occurs.
“It’s nice that they help us with these issues however there are limitations as rallying could be very totally different to circuit racing which is what the simulators are designed for in the mean time.
“It’s a part of the assistance that Ford give us that not all people is aware of about and appreciates the worth that’s to us as an organization.”