Ford's commitment to the World Rally Championship should be taken as an indication of the series' solid future, according to team principal Malcolm Wilson.
With the WRC's commercial arm North One Sport fighting for its survival, after parent company Convers Sports Initiatives went into bankruptcy, Ford's decision to commit to the championship confirms the future of the WRC.
"Ford is a very, very big company," said Wilson. "And the decision to commit to programs as big as this one are certainly not taken lightly or without plenty of consideration. Ford's decision to commit to the sport until the end of 2013 means they are happy and confident in the future of the sport, which is great news for the future of the WRC."
North One Sport is still working on finding a new investor to take over from CSI. The FIA is believed to have imposed a timetable for this to happen, but the most important date looming is the opening round of the 2012 season – the Monte Carlo Rally, which is just over four weeks away.