Reigning FIA World Rally champion BP-Ford will strengthen its challenge for the 2007 manufacturers' and drivers' titles when the latest specification Focus RS World Rally Car makes its debut in Finland next month.

The Focus RS WRC 07 features improvements in several key areas and will be piloted by Marcus Gr?¶nholm and Timo Rautiainen and team-mates Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen on all eight remaining rounds of the 2007 championship.

Four victories on the opening eight rounds of the series have enabled BP-Ford World Rally Team to build a 28-point lead in the manufacturers' series in the quest to retain its 2006 title. Gr?¶nholm is nine points clear in the drivers' standings.

The new car is an evolution of the hugely successful 2006 version with development principally concentrating on the engine, bodyshell and weight saving. The work has been led by Christian Loriaux, the team's innovative technical director based at M-Sport - the British-based company which handles the day-to-day operations of the team in partnership with Ford.

The car has been tested by both drivers in Italy, Spain and Finland in advance of its debut on Rally Finland, round nine of the WRC.

"The opening half of the season has been successful for us," said Jost Capito, Director of Ford TeamRS and responsible for the Blue Oval's European motorsport programmes.

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