Duns driver Garry Pearson back in Fiesta for third British Rally Championship campaign

The upcoming British championship is the 31-year-old’s third and he’ll be contesting it in a Ford Fiesta Rally2.

The Borderer is no stranger to that model, having been behind the wheel of a Fiesta Rally2 for the start of his first British season, later switching to a Skoda Fabia R5 and finishing fifth overall in 2022.

Pearson stuck with his Fabia for the beginning of 2023’s championship but swapped it for a Melvyn Evans Motorsport-prepared Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 last May on his way to finishing second, by seven points, to French driver Adrien Fourmaux.

Fellow M-Sport driver Fourmaux, 28, won last year’s British championship in a Fiesta but is competing in this year’s World Rally Championship in a Ford Puma Rally1.

Joining Pearson in signing up with Cockermouth-based M-Sport for their 2024 British championship campaign is ​Perth’s Max McRae and he’ll be driving a Fiesta too.

Lancashire’s Daniel Barritt will carry on as Pearson’s co-driver this year and they’ll start their preparations for the season ahead and familiarise themselves with their new motor by taking part in M-Sport’s Malcolm Wilson Rally this coming Friday and Saturday.

“I am really looking forward to this year’s British Rally Championship,” said Pearson.

“The calendar has some great events and the competition is going to be fierce.

“With ITV coverage being added into the mix, it’s a great opportunity for me to be able to promote my current and new sponsors, who I can’t thank enough for helping me get to where we are today.

“I’m also thankful to M-Sport for providing the opportunity to be involved with a great car with proven ability and continued development.

“Linking up with a works team will definitely benefit me, and I look forward to meeting the team and working with Max as a team mate too.”

This year’s Probite-sponsored championship begins at Garstang in Lancashire on Friday, March 22, continues in Wales in April and takes in the Borders’ Jim Clark Rally in May, followed by two further rounds in August, one near Aberdeen and another Welsh one, and a finale, also in Wales, in October.

M-Sport team principal Richard Millener added: “The British championship is close to the heart of Malcolm, myself and the whole of M-Sport, so being represented in the UK’s premier series is vitally important for us.

“The pairing of Garry and Max, I feel, is a really strong one, and I look forward to seeing how they fare in the latest-spec Fiesta Rally2.

“It won’t be an easy task as the entry for the championship is the strongest in years, partly due to the new event calendar, but also the recently announced TV coverage following each event.

“I am looking forward to seeing the start of the season only a few weeks from now.”