2024 Season Review - Fiestas

Strong First Season in Rallying for the Wera Alliance Racing Academy

2024 saw the Wera Alliance Racing Academy take the first steps into the world of rallying.

Wera’s new partnership with the M-Sport Ford World Rally Team opened the door to the British Rally Championship as the Academy joined forces with Asset Alliance Group to back Garry Pearson and Max McRae in a pair of Ford Fiesta Rally 2s. Competing in his third full season in the British Rally championship, Garry was joined by the vastly experienced former WRC Co-driver Daniel Barrett as he looked to build on a podium-filled 2023 season that saw him claim second overall in the championship. It was a debut BRC season for Max McRae who hails from the famed rallying dynasty that saw his father Alistair claim the BRC title in 1995 while his grandfather Jimmy is a five-time BRC champion and uncle Colin also twice tasting BRC success before going on to win the world championship in 1995. Max was joined by the experienced Cameron Fair in the co-driver’s seat. It was a high-profile start to the newly re-vamped Probite British Rally championship as the crews gathered in Garstang for the North West Stages Rally. Joining the Academy pair on the start line were former champions Osian Pryce and Keith Cronin as well as former European Champion Chris Ingram. They were also joined in the M-sport service area by former Junior British Champion William Creighton. The opening loop of stages were marred by crashes with the field given nominal times, but it was the tricky conditions that caught out both crews. Garry and Dan eventually brining the car home 9th in the BRC field while Max and Cam’s rally finished in a Lancashire ditch.

The championship cross the border into Wales for round 2 and the Severn Valley Stages. Back on his favoured gravel surface, Garry set some strong stage times to come home in 5^th place. The event was the first clash of the year for Max and Cameron who were competing in a dual-programme that also included the Junior European Rally Championship. Competing in a Peugeot 208 Rally4 car, the pair claimed Junior victory in Rally Hungary. That was followed up in May by a trip to Rally Islas Canarias where tth crew claimed a stage win en-route to 4^th overall in the Junior class.

May also saw the BRC return to asphalt for the Jim Clark Rally. It was a home round for both Scottish drivers with the stages going past Garry’s home roads around Duns. He used that home advantage to great success as he and Dan brought the Fiesta home in third place, one position ahead of Max and Cam in fourth.

June saw Max and Cameron travel to Sweden for the first event of a J-ERC double. Second in the opening stage was followed by heart break in stage 2 as a fast left-hander saw the Peugeot slide into a ditch and hit a rock. Max and Cameron were thankfully ok, but any chance of a good result was over. They did resume and go on to claim a fastest time on stage 12 which was some small constellation. The second event of the double header was Rally Estonia where early pace was ruined by a stalled engine on stage 5 which cased them to go off the road.

The British Rally Championship stayed in Scotland for round 4 in August as the teams tacked the gravel roads of the Grampian Forest. The Aberdeenshire event again proved tricky with Garry and Dan coming home in 7^th with Max and Cam taking 8^th place.

The BRC and ERC collided in Wales later in August as the tarmac roads of Rali Ceredigion counted as a round for both championships. Max opted to compete in his J-ERC Rally4 Peugeot which proved to be an inspired choice as he and Cameron claimed a stunning victory in the class. The three-day event was split into two separate rounds of the British Championship and Garry showed his speed early on before a muddy right-hander caught him out losing 10 minutes as the spectators tried to get the car back on the road. He re-grouped for the Sunday round showed great pace to finish 6th in the BRC field.

Poland hosted the final round of the European Championship and Max and Cameron claimed three stage wins on their way to second overall, a result that left the pair in 3^rd place overall in the Junior European Championship.

The final round of the BRC season took place in North Wales as the teams tackled the famous stags of the Cambrian Rally that once formed part of the World Championship. The fast, flowing stages suited the Fiesta with the M-Sport built cars locking out four of the top five positions in the event. Max and Cam showed their promise taking fastest time on the final stage to finish 4^th overall, one place ahead of Garry and Dan.

Speaking about the season, the drivers commented:

Garry Pearson:

‘We are Delighted to bring home 5th overall in the British Rally Championship, we’ve worked incredibly hard to compete this year with a high competition level; setting some very competitive times. We are very thankful for the support of all our sponsors for making it possible and are looking forward towards 2025 already’

Max McRae:

“We had had an awesome first season in the Wera Alliance Racing Academy. Managing to podium on 3 out of 6 rounds of the Junior European Rally Championship and perform at a high level in the rally2 car with M-Sport. I Can’t wait to build on this and make 2025 an even better year! Massive thanks to the Wera Tools and everyone involved!”