M-Sport

M-Sport

In a punishing rally, milliseconds are the edge. Every detail matters. Nothing can be overlooked — and no one knows that better than M-Sport. 

M-Sport is responsible for running the Ford World Rally Team in the World Rally Championship. In this 12 event series, cars speed across all sorts of terrain — icy tracks, desert sands, twisting forests. 

The competition at the top is tough. Breaking records can sometimes require taking risks and a safe and reliable car allows drivers to do just that. Here’s how M-Sport stays at the edge of speed with SafetyCulture. 

 

Making sure safety and quality is 100% 

Motorsport is the ultimate test of humans working together to push machines to previously unachievable limits. Each rally is different, so M-Sport has to cover every eventuality. Events can take place in minus 35 degrees in the Arctic or amid the searing heat of Greece.

The team at M-Sport is responsible for the design, development, production, and manufacturing of its high-performance vehicles. Engineering pushes these vehicles further and further with each iteration. The logistics involved in maintaining and enhancing these machines are complex and there is next to no margin for error. 

Quality assurance is a huge component of M-Sport’s daily remit. Before anything is released to their customers, extensive testing and development exercises are conducted. This is where SafetyCulture comes into play.

M-Sport uses SafetyCulture (formerly iAuditor) at an operational level to carry out equipment checks and service checks. This allows them to inspect all parts and ensure things are up to scratch but it also heightens visibility across the entire team of where they’re up to in the build. Checks completed on the floor can be easily accessed back in the headquarters — vital when you have a 118-acre facility in the United Kingdom and another one in Poland! Centralizing data becomes essential when teams are so dispersed. 

 

Winning is a team sport

Rally drivers describe the adrenaline and the buzz as they steer a car right on the edge of grip. Everything comes together in those moments — from the mechanics and development of the car to the trust between the driver, co-driver, and the wider team. There may be two people in the car, but winning is really a team sport. 

Fostering confidence in your team isn’t a one-off trust exercise  — it’s something M-Sport practices every day, from workshop to rally. It starts with debriefing engineers on a car’s performance on the track, rebuilding, and checking everything is done properly. It’s in the meticulous preparation and pace notes shared between driver and co-driver. 

It’s also about ensuring all this knowledge is passed on within the organization, so everyone learns and grows together. With EdApp by SafetyCulture, quality assurance training becomes easier to deliver to the entire M-Sport team in easily digestible bite-sized lessons. This way, they are always compliant and everyone stays in touch with best practices.

 

Driving towards better

In rallying, preparation is the competitive difference. That’s why you’ll often see drivers traditionally peak later compared to other competitive sports. There’s so much to learn because the conditions, the engineering, and the groups are always changing. Getting everything right takes time. “The smallest detail is what makes the difference between winning and losing,” shares Malcolm Wilson OBE, Managing Director at M-Sport. 

M-Sport knows what it takes to be the best. They have lived the highs and lows, competing and winning at the highest level throughout the company’s life. Seven M-Sport cars won on their debut events. With SafetyCulture as their Workplace Operations Partner, they continue to drive towards better because they know continuous improvement isn’t a nice-to-have, it’s a must.

READ MORE: SafetyCulture and M-Sport Join Forces