Final chance to impress in race for 2026 M-Sport WRC seats

Rally Saudi Arabia marks the final round of the 2025 World Rally Championship, offering one last chance for M-Sport-Ford drivers to showcase their talent to secure a drive for next year.

M-Sport is yet to announces it plans for 2026, with both of its Ford Puma seats yet to be filled for next year. The British squad usually waits until December to show its hand regarding its driver line-up for the new season, with this routine set to continue this year.

Toyota has already locked in its roster for next year, with Oliver Solberg replacing the circuit racing-bound Kalle Rovanpera, joining Elfyn Evans, Sebastien Ogier, Takamoto Katsuta and Sami Pajari. Hyundai is yet to officially reveal its 2026 plans, although it is widely expected that Thierry Neuville and Adrien Fourmaux will continue. The third seat is however up for grabs following the news that 2019 world champion Ott Tanak will leave the team and the WRC at the end of the year.

M-Sport

This year M-Sport opted for a youthful line-up, signing Rally1 rookie Josh McErlean alongside Gregoire Munster in the full-time seats, with the latter the effective team leader having already logged a full season in Rally1 with the team in 2024.

Heading into the final round of the season Munster holds a 10-point lead over McErlean, having scored seven points finishes to McErlean’s six, with the pair sitting 10th and 11th in the standings, respectively. However, in a head-to-head contest throughout the 13 events to date it is McErlean who leads 7-6.

Munster has struggled to make his experience count against his rookie team-mate but has managed to equal his career best WRC results, with a pair of fifth-place finishes in Kenya and Japan. The run to fifth in Japan earlier this month could prove timely as M-Sport and Munster evaluate their options for 2026. The Luxembourger is known to be weighing up drives in Rally1 and Rally2 for 2026, but a strong result this weekend in Saudi Arabia could also boost his cause.

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“The stages are going to be a real challenge. The terrain is a mix of sandy sections and much rougher patches, with plenty of big rocks lining the roads, so managing punctures and keeping the car in good shape will be crucial,” said Munster.

“It’s going to be a demanding rally, but also one that offers opportunities if you stay smart. We’ll approach it with a solid plan and hopefully turn it into a strong result to end the season.”

Likewise, Irishman McErlean revealed in Japan that he is confident a seat will be secured for next year, but exactly where is yet to become clear. M-Sport has however been impressed by McErlean’s performances in what has been a baptism of fire season in Rally1 that has yielded a career-best seventh in Monte Carlo, Finland and Central Europe.

“Heading into Saudi Arabia, I’m fully focussed on ending my debut Rally1 season on a strong note,” said McErlean.

“Japan was a tough weekend, but we’ve reset quickly and put everything into preparing for this new challenge. With the event being completely new for everyone it really levels the playing field with no previous data to rely on.

“From what we have learned so far, the stages will change character quickly, so it’s the kind of rally where you need to be smart, stay committed and strike the right balance between caution and pushing on. I’m excited for the challenge and ready to give everything.”

Watch WRC on DAZN

Follow all the action from the FIA World Rally Championship finale LIVE this weekend from Rally Saudi Arabia - 26th -29th November. The title gets decided right here, right now. The 2025 World Rally Championship is available through DAZN on its own dedicated app channel,  Rally TV. It is available either as a dedicated Rally TV subscription, or as part of your existing DAZN subscription for a small add-on fee.

DAZN is the home of Rally TV worldwide, excluding Estonia, Finland, France, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Sweden, China, Hong Kong and Japan.

Rally TV also broadcasts every rally from the FIA European Rally Championship.

Watch every WRC and ERC rally this year on DAZN's 24-hour dedicated Rally TV channel. For more information on prices, subscriptions and more, click here.