Ford Focus MK2 WRC – The Return of a Legend

How much do you miss the true WRC icons?
Those road cars that some fearless genius would transform in a workshop into pure rally monsters. Angrier, louder, and infinitely more alive. One of the best examples of that golden era is without a doubt the Ford Focus MK2 WRC (2007), a car that perfectly blended aggression, elegance, and raw mechanical soul… and this one, driven By Valentino Rossi is for sale.

There was another Valentino Rossi car on sale some time ago: On sale Valentino Rossi Bmw M4 GT3

This particular Ford Focus M-Sport WRC competed in 17 rounds of the World Rally Championship between 2008 and 2010. It was driven by Matthew Wilson, Gianluigi Galli, Henning Solberg, and even Valentino Rossi.

WRC car occasionally driven by Valentino Rossi

It made its debut with Henning Solberg and Cato Menkerud at the 2008 Rally Argentina, though it was forced to retire. Their luck changed a month later at the Jordan Rally, where they finished an impressive fourth overall.
The car was then entrusted to Gianluigi Galli and Giovanni Bernacchini for the Acropolis Rally of Greece and the Rally of Turkey.

In August, Solberg was back behind the wheel, bringing the Focus to a solid seventh place at Rallye Deutschland.
The following rounds, Rally RACC Catalunya and Tour de Corse–Rallye de France, both saw the car finish within the top 15.

The MK2 Ford Focus achieved respectable results in the 2009 WRC season

The season finale at Wales Rally GB drew massive media attention, as Valentino Rossi, the nine-time MotoGP World Champion, teamed up with Carlo Cassina and drove the Focus to an impressive 12th place finish. Naturally, the car proudly wore the number #46.

In 2009, the MK2 Focus achieved an excellent seventh place in the WRC Championship, bringing great satisfaction to M-Sport’s owner Malcolm Wilson. Especially since his son Matthew Wilson also drove the car during the season.
Two remarkable fifth-place finishes at the Rally of Argentina and Rally Poland boosted morale across the entire Ford team.

The start of WRC retirement and restoration

At the end of that season, the car was set for sale to an Italian team, competing in various national championships. Drivers were Aldo Pressiani and Claudio Sora.

It remained in Italy until 2019, when it was brought back to Ireland for a complete restoration.
The rebuild was carried out by an M-Sport engineer, who meticulously restored every original component and specification, bringing the car back to the exact condition it had when it first left the factory.

After the restoration, the Focus returned to M-Sport Works for the application of the original graphics and a full technical inspection. During that visit, both Matthew and Malcolm Wilson personally reunited with the car and, as a tribute to the quality and authenticity of the rebuild, signed the inside of the roof.

The car is now complete with its Gold Book, a set of wheels, light pod and bumper pods, and has been fitted with a new clutch. A spare parts package is also available through separate negotiation.

Expected price and auction prospects for this Ford Focus WRC

The auction house expects the car to fetch between £290,000 and £320,000, though given its history and condition, the final price could easily climb higher.
One thing’s for sure: this is a collector’s dream, a machine every motorsport enthusiast would love to have in their garage.

Find all the details here to join the auction for this one-of-a-kind car: Iconic Auctioneers