M-Sport will return to the Probite British Rally Championship in 2025 with a sensational lineup, recruiting FIA Junior WRC champion Romet Jürgenson and BRC front-runner Garry Pearson to drive a pair of M-Sport Ford Fiesta Rally2 examples.
After taking the fight to the final round of the season with William Creighton spearheading their campaign last year, the M-Sport squad narrowly missed out on the BRC Teams Title but will return with a scintillating squad of drivers eager to make their mark on the prestigious series.
At just 25 years old, Estonian ace Jürgenson has a fascinating backstory in the sport, which began in sim racing, before entering the FIA Rally Star programme which he duly won. Impressing the judges, his selection granted him the opportunity to compete in the FIA Junior WRC driving a Ford Fiesta Rally3 and after a thrilling season, he would go on to secure the coveted title.
By clinching the title, Jürgenson became the second Estonian to achieve this honour, following Robert Virves’ 2022 victory. His consistent performance throughout the season, including podium finishes in three of the five rounds underlined his natural ability.
As part of his championship reward, Jürgenson is set to participate in four WRC2 events in 2025, driving an M-Sport Ford Fiesta Rally2 and like his predecessor Creighton, the Estonian and co-driver Siim Oja will tackle the British Rally Championship to gain seat time and understanding of the Fiesta Rally2 on a variety of surfaces to complement their WRC programme.
After dominating the BRC in 2023 with Adrien Fourmaux, who secured a flawless streak of event wins to claim the driver’s championship title, M-Sport is eager to return in 2025 with its new lineup. Known for nurturing rally talent through its World Rally Championship programs, M-Sport now aims to continue this legacy on home soil with Jürgenson and Pearson.
Pearson’s BRC journey began after an outstanding 2021 season, where he made history by securing four championship titles across the Motorsport UK National Championship, as well as the Scottish, Welsh, and BTRDA Series. In 2022, he tackled his first full BRC season, finishing fifth overall. Building on this success, he delivered a strong 2023 campaign, claiming multiple podiums and finishing second in the championship, just seven points behind M-Sport’s Adrien Fourmaux.
Now well-acquainted with both the BRC and the Fiesta Rally2, Pearson embarks on his second full season with M-Sport. He continues his partnership with experienced co-driver Hannah McKillop as they take on the intense competition across the BRC1 field.
The first round of the season takes place in Yorkshire at the East Riding Stages Rally on 23 February.
Richard Millener, Team Principal, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team, said: “I’m really pleased to be back in the British Rally Championship this year, it’s fantastic to be able to compete in our national championship with the Fiesta Rally2.
“It’s fantastic to have Garry Pearson back with the team this year. It was a pleasure working with him in 2024, and we saw some strong results. I think we could have a really positive season together and believe more podium results are within Garry’s reach. I’m looking forward to seeing our progress together throughout the year.
“We will also have Romet Jürgenson and Siim Oja joining us in BRC, to support their WRC2 campaign after their victory in the Junior World Rally Championship last year. It should be a great opportunity for these guys to get some valuable seat time while they get to grips with the Rally2.”
Romet Jürgenson said: “It’s a really good chance for me to spend some more time in the car and gain experience in the British Rally Championship alongside WRC2 with M-Sport. The BRC has a mixed surface calendar as well, which will be perfect for me to develop as an all-around driver. I want to thank Malcolm [Wilson] and Rich [Millener] for this opportunity!”
Garry Pearson said: “The plan is to build on last year’s experience and improve our pace to start contesting as many podium places as we can at as many rallies as possible.
“I’m delighted to welcome Hannah McKillop into the car with me this year too. Hannah’s done a lot of work with me behind the scenes over the years, and we as a group felt it was the right time to bring Hannah into the car now. I just want to say a massive thank you to Dan Barritt, who’s helped me tremendously in the car and with my pace notes over the past two years, Dan and I continue to have a great relationship and plan to do an event or two together again in the future.
“We’re equipped well for the season ahead and have put a phenomenal amount of work in behind the scenes to improve so we just really can’t wait for the season to start. As ever the championship looks great and it’s never easy but we’re up for the challenge. Once again thanks to M-Sport and my sponsors for making this happen. See you on the stages soon!”
