As part of the tie-up, the three women and seven men who are part of the governing body’s Academy Co-Driver Programme this year wi✨ll get the chance to work🧔 alongside the Cockermouth-based squad.

During a two-day visit to M-Sport’s headquarters this month, co-drivers will hear from guest speakers and meet forme𓃲r World Rally navigator Nicky Grist and five-time WRC podium finisher, Seb Marshall.

Academy me🔥mbers will also have the chance to pitch for one of three work experience opportunities; those who are successful will each attend a round of the World Rally Championship later in th๊e year.

Overseen by M-Sport founder Malcolm Wilson OBE, the initiative is designed to ‘support and develop’ talent, 🌳and ‘provide relevant industry opportunities and insight that leads to dual-ca൲reer pathways’.

“By exposing our Co-Drivers to the high performing environment of the World Rally Champio▨nship, we are aiming t♓o provide them with the relevant skills and tools to operate at a high level,” said Motorsport UK’s Competitors’ Pathway Manager, Katie Baldwin.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for the Motorsport UK Academy to become a supply chain of talented Co-Drivers, who have the capability 💞of representing M-Sport i꧟n the future, whether that be within a co-driving capacity or through other roles.”

Richard Millener – M-Sport Ford’s Team Principal – said it was import🔯ant to help blood new talent and give them a helping🧜 hand in their journey to the pinnacle of the sport.

“I am very excited that we can now announce M-Sport will link up with the Motorsport UK Academy Co-Drivers programme this season, giving them some once in a lifetime opportunities, whilst giving some of them th🐓e additional opportunity to actually experience the WRC from i෴nside our team, on event,” he said.

“Last year we hosted one of the Motorsport UK Academy training days at Dovenby Hall and this got me thinking about how we could offer new and differe🐭nt concepts to the already successful programme.

“I am really looking forward to having some of them working with us at World Rally Championship events, giving them a real chance to see how the top-level teams operate on events along with allowing the🍒m the opportunity to make new contacts and meet new people within the sport.”

In the top-tier Rally1 divis🐻ion, Scott Martin is currently the sole British navigator – something Millener says he is acutely aware⛎ of and feels must change.

“These young and upcoming co-drivers are key to 🌠the success of the sport in the future and I hope this🐼 partnership will see us helping to develop the next set of World Championship winning co-drivers from the UK,” he added.