It was only last June when M-Sport and Ford announced the introduction of the all-new EcoBoost-powered Ford Fiesta R5, also known as Mk2.
Based on the Ford Fiesta ST-Line which is manufactured at Ford’s facility in Cologne, the new car has been developed in collaboration with Ford Performance.
The project leader responsibility was assigned to the young and talented engineer Bernardo Fernandes (only 28-years-old), who had previously been Ott Tänak and Sébastien Ogier’s engineer, with Richard Christensen as the design team leader.
E.Camilli/B.Veillas, Ford Fiesta R5 Mk2, Ypres Rally 2019.
The new car includes a 1.6 turbocharged engine (labeled as B515) delivering 290 BHP and 475 Nm of torque at 4,000 RPM.
There’s brand-new suspension components, including front and rear McPherson struts with redesigned three-way adjustable dampers from Reiger, new aluminum damper bodies and remodeled geometry.
A newly designed Sadev five-speed sequential gearbox is fitted, hydraulic servo-assisted rack and pinion steering and new Brembo forged four-piston front and rear calipers.
But the most visible modifications are on the outside of the car, with a redesigned aero package derived from the excellent work developed with the WRC car since 2016.
Also, the bodyshell is based on the WRC, sharing more than 95% of its parts, while a new roll cage design was introduced, due to the update of regulations.
E.Camilli/B.Veillas, Ford Fiesta R5 MK2, Ypres Rally 2019. Photo: Teemu Lampinen
The front of the car has been completely redesigned, with a new front splitter design and a new central air vent on the bonnet.
G.Greensmith/E.Edmondson, Ford Fiesta R5, Rallye Monte Carlo 2019. Photo: llluis555 for WRCWings
Note the difference in the design of the front bumper with respect to the original car (picture above). The side air intakes for brake cooling have been redesigned.
Also, the side vents on the bonnet have been replaced by a central vent, completely changing the airflow over the bonnet. Now, the hot air leaving the engine bay does not interact with the external main flow on the A-pillars.
Instead, it is sent towards the center of the windscreen, which could make some of the hot air enter into the cockpit through the roof scoop ...which is not necessarily good.
E.Camilli/B.Veillas, Ford Fiesta R5 MK2. Photo: Teemu Lampinen
The front fenders have also been completely redesigned to reproduce the design of the fenders of the WRC, with the only exception the dive planes ahead and rear air vents (blocked in the case of the R5).
E.Camilli, Ford Fiesta R5 MK2, vs B.Bouffier/A.Leyh, Ford Fiesta WRC. Photo: Teemu Lampinen
No big differences can be observed on the side of the new car, while at the rear a new bumper and a new rear diffuser have been included.
S.Campedelli/T.Canton, Ford Fiesta R5 MK2.
Both the new diffuser and the rear bumper are more complex than the previous design (pictured below). The exit area generated by the new diffuser is smaller than that generated by the old one, following the same trend Škoda has implemented in the new Fabia R5.
But, what it is surprising is that the exhaust pipe has not been relocated to the center of the bumper.
G.Greensmith/E.Edmondson, Ford Fiesta R5. Photo: llluis555 for WRCWings
The rear wing seems to be similar in dimensions and design to the old one. The wing is attached to the car on two rails, which might indicate the possibility of moving it forward/backward, depending on the driver requirements.
However, more pictures are required to confirm such a possibility.
E.Camilli/B.Veillas, Ford Fiesta R5 MK2, Ypres Rally 2019. Photo: Teemu Lampinen
Note that the rear wing was originally supported from under the roof prolongation, while the new wing is supported over the roof. The new wing is located closer to the roof, allowing less air to flow under it, or forcing it to flow at a higher speed, which means lower pressure under the wing, making it more effective.
T.Katsuta/M.Salminen, Ford Fiesta R5, Rally Catalunya 2018. Photo: llluis555 for WRCWings
The initial design and development of the car started in January 2018, while testing started later in December. Test development has been developed by up to eight different test drivers, with Eric Camilli sharing the wheel with Gus Greensmith, Lukasz Pieniazek or even Valtteri Bottas.
E.Camilli, Ford Fiesta R5 Mk2, Test in France, May 20th, 2019. Photo: Hervé Tusoli for Planetemarcus
First official appearance of the car was as course car in recent the Renties Ypres Rally 2019. Only two weeks later, the official car debut took place in the Rally Estonia, with Teemu Suninen and Markko Salminen as driver and co-driver. The Finn duo finished in fifth position among the R5 cars.
More recently, the first customer car appearance has taken place in the ERC Rally di Roma Capitale 2019, where Simone Campedelli and Tania Canton drove it to an excellent second place, after setting the first fastest time for the car ever, in SS7 (Affile – Bellegra).
The car debut in the World Rally Championship is planned for Rally Finland, with one car competing in the WRC2 Pro category, driven by Camilli/Veillas.
A third car for Toyota Gazoo Racing Rally Challenge Program driver Takamoto Katsuta and Daniel Barritt will also compete.
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