The BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team has drafted in ex factory team driver Markko Märtin to help get the most out of the Focus RS WRC on this week’s Rally d’Italia - Sardegna.
Märtin, from Estonia, won five World Championship rallies with Ford when he drove for the team between 2002 and 2004.
After retiring from full time competition in 2005 following an accident on Wales Rally GB that claimed the life of his co-driver Michael Park, Martin’s most recent WRC role was as a test driver with the Subaru team in 2008.
Last week, however, he was back in a Ford, as he joined his old team at its pre-event test in Sardinia, driving a Focus RS WRC on Thursday and Friday before handing over to Jari-Matti Latvala and Mikko Hirvonen who drove until Sunday.

"To ensure the team is extracting every possible gramme of efficiency from the Focus RS WRC, we invited Markko to work with Mikko and Jari-Matti on this test," said team director Malcolm Wilson. "We benefited from Markko's testing expertise when he drove for Ford and adding his skills to that of Mikko and Jari-Matti can only benefit our preparations for this event."

For the team’s lead driver Mikko Hirvonen Sardinia is a crucial event. Trailing Championship leader Sebastien Loeb by 20 points, the Finn, who has finished runner-up for the past three seasons, needs a good result to keep his title dreams alive.
According to Hirvonen, some good weather would be a good start. “If it’s dry then start order will be important,” he explained. “The surface will be covered with slippery loose gravel and the early starters will clean that away to the benefit of those behind. I will be third to start on Friday which I think will be a very good position. I wouldn't like to be first in the order on Saturday. This could be a rally where it is best to attack from behind as the weekend goes on," he added.

Hirvonen’s team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala was third in Sardinia last year and led a world rally for the first time there in 2007. This will be the Finn’s fifth start in Sardinia and the 24-year-old is feeling confident after a solid performance on the most recent round in Argentina. "As in Argentina, I will start with the aim of finishing third or fourth. I was happy with my driving there and hope to repeat that performance in Italy,” he explained.
"Along with Rally Finland and Rally GB, this is one of my favourite rallies. It's similar to the last European rally we tackled in Portugal, with narrow and fast roads, but without the crests we experienced there. The roads are hard and compact, with a sandy surface on top. Sandy roads normally cut up during the second pass but because the base is compact, they don't become so rough here. Every year the roads become better, so it's clear the organisers repair them well after each rally," he added.

Abu Dhabi's Khalid Al Qassimi makes his second Sardinia start in another Focus RS WRC, partnered by Michael Orr. The pair finished 16th last year.