Team boss Malcolm Wilson has revealed that he wants Jari Ketomaa to contest more world championship rallies with his M-Sport operation next season, with a six-round programme already under discussion.
Ketomaa made an instant impact on last week’s Neste Oil Rally Finland when he won the opening special stage to lead the high-speed gravel event. He could have led at the completion of day one had he not opted to slow in order to gain a more advantageous road position for day two.
Wilson - whose association with Ketomaa goes back to 2010 when the Finn tackled the Super 2000 World Rally Championship in an M-Sport-built Ford Fiesta S2000 - liked what he saw and wants Ketomaa back in one of his cars next season.
“I thought he drove extremely well through the first couple of stages,” said Wilson. “He was unfortunate where he went off, but he certainly showed some good pace. We’re talking about some rallies next year and, of course, we’d be happy to work with him - he’s a talented driver.”
Ketomaa’s challenge ended when he crashed out on the eighth stage of the event when running in fifth overall.
The 32-year-old said: “I worked very hard to get the drive in Finland, so I am very disappointed with what happened. Some people were asking me if I regret slowing down at the end of the second stage to take a better position on the road for Friday, but I don’t at all. I made a good time on the first stage - Lankamaa is my favourite stage - and then I thought it would be better to slow for day two. Maybe I could have led overnight, but I couldn’t think to that.
“My sponsors were happy with what I did, I think very happy. We made some good publicity for them on the television in Finland and this is going to help them. Hopefully, I am trying to do Rallye de France later this year as well, but my main focus is to get a six-rally programme for next season. I’m working really hard to make that happen in a Fiesta RS WRC. There is some more work to do, but the early results in Finland will help.”