Wolf Lubricants has extended its partnership with the thrilling FIA Junior WRC Championship (Junior WRC), being entrusted to continue its role as Official Technical Partner for the 2022, 2023 and 2024 seasons! The renewed commitment comes at an exciting new phase in Junior WRC, with the introduction of the new M-Sport Poland Ford Fiesta Rally3 with four-wheel-drive.
As a world-leading engine oil and fluid developer, Wolf has been working with M-Sport Poland and Junior WRC to develop leading-edge lubricants to optimise engine and car performance. The company provided considerable technical support during the switch from Rally4 to Rally3 and has conducted extensive testing. In fact, this change also means a switch from 2 to 4 wheel drive, an increase of 15bhp to 230 bhp and an increase of 85Nm to 400 Nm in total. Fiesta Rally3 also comes to the forefront with advanced features like 1.5-litre EcoBoost engine!
The test programme was run by Wolf as a solid preparation for the new season where the Fiesta Rally3 car was introduced to boost performance in the Junior WRC category. It was supported by Molly Taylor, former Australian and European ladies champion and winner of the 2021 Extreme E Championship. Molly put the Fiesta Rally3 – and its pioneering lubricants – through their paces across three difficult gravel rounds in 2021.
The lubricant technology advances that Wolf delivers in the harsh conditions of Junior WRC testing and rallying help it to develop more advanced products for the road. Innovative frontier applications like Junior WRC are a perfect technological platform to develop the lubricants of tomorrow while also supporting exhilarating and ambitious young talent – the future champions of the WRC.
For Junior WRC it’s crucial to be able to rely on innovative technical partners that share our ambition in continuously improving the performances of the cars in the championship.
Managing Director at M-Sport Poland
The inaugural season of the new Rally3 era of Junior WRC kicked off at the end of February in Sweden, with six young drivers testing themselves to the limit. Jon Armstrong currently leads after Rally Sweden with 30 points. Throughout the rest of the year, Junior WRC will visit Croatia, Portugal, Estonia and Greece.
Yves Decat, Global Brand Manager at Wolf, commented: “One of the core underlying principles of our team is to always have our eyes on the future, in terms of both technical evolution and product development. The steps we’ve taken, together with the M-Sport Poland engineers, show our dedication to making every detail count and leaving nothing for granted. We integrate exceptional engineering and precision in everything we do. This inspires us from within and enables us to keep moving forward.”
Joseph Charlot, Head of Product Marketing at Wolf, commented: “No conditions are harsher than the brutal environment and punishing requirements of rallying. It is through partnerships like this, with Junior WRC, that we are able to explore and develop innovative lubricants that unlock new technologies. Our motorsport partnerships are ideal platforms to develop the next generation fluids and keep moving forward.”
Maciek Woda, Managing Director at M-Sport Poland, commented: “For Junior WRC it’s crucial to be able to rely on innovative technical partners that share our ambition in continuously improving the performances of the cars in the championship. We’ve been working closely with Wolf since 2019 and throughout the partnership we’ve taken important steps forward in our joint objectives. For example, the recent upgrade from the Fiesta Rally4 to the Rally3 car was a key milestone in our shared roadmap. The technical improvements of the new car are the result of the close collaboration between the engineers of both our companies.”
