Rhys Yates is setting his sights firmly on top honours in the 2021 British Rally Championship with the first round now just one month away.
Sitting beside the Chesterfield driver on the start line for the Neil Howard Stages at Oulton Park will be James Morgan, calling the notes for the third year in a row with Yates. Yates will be drawing on all his multi-surface experience gained with Morgan on the World Rally Championship to launch a full attack on this year’s BRC title.
The pair got their 2021 season off to a successful start following an overall victory of 14 seconds across eight speed tests on Snetterton Stages, round two of the Motorsport News Circuit Rally Championship. Yates used the event as the perfect opportunity to prepare for the opening round of the BRC which will run to a similar format.
Representing the best of British, the talented Chesterfield lad is continuing his successful partnership with M-Sport to continue the Cumbria-based manufacturer’s winning streak in the prestigious national championship. The M-Sport Ford Fiesta R5 has reigned supreme in BRC ever since Elfyn Evans guided the Fiesta R5 to its first BRC title in 2016. With the support of the 2017 World Rally Champions, Yates is keen to ensure he and his M-Sport Ford Fiesta Rally2 extend M-Sport’s unbeaten championship streak from four years to five.
The British championship is an iconic series with an illustrious history with previous champions including Colin McRae, Jimmy McRae, Ari Vatanen, Malcolm Wilson, Richard Burns, Hannu Mikkola and Roger Clark.
Yates will be equipping his Fiesta Rally2 with Michelin tyres for his 2021 campaign using the French tyre manufacturer’s competitive range of tyres.
Up Next: Neil Howard Stages on 31st May – Round one of the 2021 British Rally Championship.
Rhys Yates: “I am delighted to be competing in the British Championship this year after a difficult year for the BRC last season. I feel better prepared than ever this season and I am feeling really comfortable in the car. I know the competition will be tough with a few BRC veterans and a very competitive field of drivers, but I think we can be up at the front fighting for wins and be in the fight for the championship as well.”
Richard Millener, Team Principal, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team: “We are really pleased to continue supporting Rhys in 2021 and looking forward to what he has in store for the British Rally Championship. We know what Rhys is capable of and have been impressed with the performances and effort he put into his WRC 2 and BRC drives last year. The BRC is a very important championship for M-Sport, it’s a huge part of our history, going back to 1979 when Malcolm Wilson was competing. It’s our home championship so we want to win it with an up-and-coming British driver.”
