Ford's rally team is backed by an organisation of 120 people, each of them credited with the glory of victory.
They won the manufacturers' title in the World Rally Championship in 1979 for the last time - years 2006 and 2007 were glorious for them again, as they won the manufacturers' title. The team was also on the verge of winning the first prize of the drivers in 2007, but lost after a tight battle.
The Ford rally team's competence and professional skills that are put to the test in every race boil down to one thing: Will everything work like it should for the entire race. The drivers do their part with professionalism, but the rest depends on the background work and the preparations that have been done. A win is the crowning glory for the work done throughout the year and during the rally.
All team members take their work seriously and are extremely dedicated. They all have their own duties to attend to, but are ready to help out in other areas as needed. A rally team needs a diverse range of know-how, so that's why it helps having people with different backgrounds on the team.
When one round is over, it's time to move on to the next rally location. But what happens in between races? What kind of work does the team do day in and day out to make the wins possible?
Rally Event Manager David Simpson from M-Sport Ltd is responsible for the operations of Ford's rally team 24/7 and from one race to the next. His area of responsibility not only includes the equipment and personnel, but also catering and the look of the team's rally area. It is Simpson's job to make sure that the right people are doing the right things at the right time, and that the team is adequately prepared for problem situations.
The work is very hectic at times, but Simpson says he can't think of a better job.
"This job is perfect for someone who likes doing something different every work day and enjoys giving a one-hundred per cent effort. That's the only way to make sure there is enough motivation all the time, because the work is not only long-term in nature but the situations are constantly changing."
Simpson arrives on site a couple of days before the start of the rally to make sure that everything is according to plan.
"It all depends on good basic planning; scheduling and work checklists are important tools because the work is done all year long", Simpson emphasises.
With so many goods to be transported, and the majority of them heavy, the team puts a lot of muscle into moving and carrying things around. The trailers used to be loaded and unloaded manually and with leased equipment until M-Sport finally bought its first MOFFETT truck-mounted forklift a couple of years ago.
According to Simpson, the truck-mounted forklift makes the team's work easier and faster. The team members can focus more on their own areas of responsibility. This year the team is using the newest M5 25.3LT model.
Setup Technician Team Leader Tom Lindsay says the new MOFFETT is great support because it can unload and load the trailers also from the side, and the extendable fork allows the equipment to be loaded from wall-to-wall.
M-Sport uses an older model on the longer trips and the new model on European tour when more equipment is being transported.
"A truck-mounted forklift is very handy for this work. And since it can be loaded coming and going, it can be used right away when it's needed."
The work of Lindsay's team gets under way about one week before each race with the measuring of the paddock area and the unloading of the goods. The first things to be placed into position are the basic elements, like the tents and servicing trailers. Then the unloading of the actual goods begins. The team is also responsible for ensuring that all the structural components are correctly and securely in place.
John Godber is responsible for spare parts and their meticulous organisation. A separate trailer has been reserved for spare parts, and it has floor-to-ceiling shelves filled with boxes. Godber's work starts as soon as the truck gets to town, and the work goes on until everything is repacked in exactly the same spot every time.
"We have to be able to find every part right away. We can't waste time, especially during a race; that's why we always keep the parts in the same place."
The importance of spare parts is visible also in the fact that at least two of each part, including the bigger ones, are kept in stock. When the first one is used, there is still a back-up available - just in case.
Before the start of the rally and during the rally there are 12 technicians working with the cars. One of them, Alex Mottram, joined the company as a trainee right after graduating from school, and this is his sixth year with the Ford team.
"The best way to become a professional is to start as a trainee. As technology evolves, the ideal way to keep up is by being involved in the hands-on technical work."
Mottram says the biggest challenge is the rapidly evolving technical side. But challenges are meant to be overcome, and he says that he enjoys the daily work with the cars. When the race starts Mottram is at the paddock area just for the cars. The time in between rallies is also spent with the cars; there is always something to repair and tweak.
Keith Adlard, the one responsible for Mikko Hirvonen's car, works closely with the other technicians and drivers. His main responsibility is to take care of Hirvonen's car and the related technical work. So Adlard knows Mikko's car - and all its parts - like the palm of his hand.
"I am responsible for having everything ready when the mechanics arrive. They can jump into their overalls right away and get down to business. In this work, just as in the other work of the rally team, you can't waste time."
The organisational efforts at the rally site are non-stop. John Millington, the rally team's logistics manager, says he makes the following year's hotel reservations and the paddock reservations as soon as the ongoing race has ended.
"Time can't be wasted because everything has to be ready for next year's race. After all, a year is a relatively short time when you consider that the team takes part in 16 World Rally Championship races on five different continents."
Logistically, every country is unique. According to Millington, operating in the Nordic countries is easy compared to some European countries where more communication and verification is necessary.
It is Millington's responsibility to integrate all the minor details into a functional logistics package in collaboration with four other members of the logistics team. The work also includes taking care of the bills and responsibility for the fuel for the cars as well as the communication with local collaboration partners. The team has its own weather watchers to monitor and communicate race-day weather conditions to the drivers and technicians. The work goes on 12 months a year.
"It never stops, but I like that. It keeps me fit for the job."
In 2007 the FIA World Rally Championship comprised 16 rallies across five continents during 12 months. Each three-day rally covered up to 1,200 km, with 350 km of flat-out driving on roads ranging from smooth asphalt to snow and ice and rutted, boulder-strewn tracks.
Through the BP-Ford World Rally Team, Ford entered two Focus RS World Rally Cars on all 16 rounds of the series, driven by double world champions Marcus Grönholm and Timo Rautiainen and fellow Finns Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen. The programme was operated on Ford's behalf by long-term partner M-Sport, the home of the Blue Oval's international rally projects. BP-Ford World Rally Team is based at M-Sport's Dovenby Hall premises in north-west England and has been working for Ford Motor Company since 1997.
www.ford.co.uk/ie/wrc
www.m-sport.co.uk