The Motorsport UK Academy Co-Driver programme members will benefit from the expertise of leading World Rally Championship (WRC) team, M-Sport, to further enhance their skillsets. 

Led by Malcolm Wilson OBE, M-Sport is an industry-leading motorsport business and one of the most accomplished WRC teams with multiple victories and podium finishes. 

The partnership between M-Sport and the Motorsport UK Academy will support and develop the next generation of world-class Co-Drivers, giving opportunities to provide relevant industry opportunities and insight, leading to dual-career pathways. 

The newly announced 2023 Co-Driver cohort will be the first to benefit from this collaboration, by visiting M-Sport’s HQ in Cumbria in March. During the two-day visit, the Co-Drivers will hear from guest speakers and pitch for work experience opportunities, where the Motorsport UK Academy will be supporting up to three members of the group to be a part of the M-Sport support team for three WRC rounds in 2023.  

“By exposing our Co-Drivers to the high performing environment of WRC, we’re aiming to provide them with the relevant skills and tools to operate at a high level,” commented Katie Baldwin, Motorsport UK Competitors Pathway Manager. “This is a fantastic opportunity for the Motorsport UK Academy to become a supply chain of talented Co-Drivers, who have the capability of representing M-Sport in the future, whether that be within a co-driving capacity or through other roles.” 

Rich Millener, M-Sport Team Principal said, “I am very excited that we can now announce M-Sport will link up with the Motorsport UK Academy Co-Drivers programme this season, giving them some once in a lifetime opportunities, whilst giving some of them the additional opportunity to actually experience the WRC from inside our team, on event. 

“Last year we hosted one of the Motorsport UK Academy training days at Dovenby Hall and this got me thinking about how we could offer new and different concepts to the already successful programme. I am really looking forward to having some of them working with us at WRC events, giving them a real chance to see how the top-level teams operate on events along with allowing them the opportunity to make new contacts and meet new people within the sport. 

“These young and upcoming co-drivers are key to the success of the sport in the future and I hope this partnership will see us helping to develop the next set of World Championship winning co-drivers from the UK.” 

M-Sport recently took victory in the last round of the World Rally Championship in Sweden with Estonian driver Ott Tanak. The next round is the Guanajuato Rally Mexico on 19th March.

Photo: Redbull Content Pool / M-Sport