Ford MST Drivers Shine in Cyprus
Ford MotorSport Türkiye put five crews on the podium at the Mediterranean Rally, the second round of the 2018 season, organised by the North Cyprus Touring and Automobile Association, with the points earned also counting towards the Turkish Rally Championship.
As at the season opener, Rally Phrygia, the event produced plenty of excitement, with its punishing mix of asphalt and gravel stages testing every competitor. Cyprus had seen almost no rain all winter, but heavy showers over the rally weekend made the stages even tougher, and only 27 of the 44 crews that started the demanding event made it to the finish. 
At the Mediterranean Rally, which drew great interest from press and spectators, Ford Motorsport Türkiye driver Deniz Fahri won the overall classification, finishing six seconds ahead of Red Bull athlete Yağız Avcı, the five-time Turkish Rally Champion who competes for Ford Motorsport Türkiye. With this result Yağız Avcı retains the overall lead of the Turkish Rally Championship after the first two rallies of the season, while Deniz Fahri moved up to second place in the championship with his points from the Mediterranean Rally.
The rally's two-wheel-drive category also saw an intense fight. Ford MotorSport Türkiye drivers Ümit Can Özdemir, Cem Alakoç and İsmet Toktaş, competing in the Fiesta R2T and R2, took the podium places in that order, successfully completing the tough Mediterranean Rally.
Serdar Bostancı: "We are delighted with our success as a team"
Ford MotorSport Türkiye Team Director Serdar Bostancı said in his assessment: "The second rally of the season, with a total length of 454.45 kilometres, was run at a very punishing and demanding pace, especially after the heavy rain. We entered eight crews, and with many crews retiring, we are delighted that all of ours reached the finish and that five of them made the podium. It is also a particular source of pride that Red Bull athlete Yağız Avcı, who returned to the team this year, has successfully negotiated an important corner on the road to his sixth Turkish title. Another of our drivers, Deniz Fahri, won this tough rally and declared, 'I'm in the Turkish Championship fight too.' After the Mediterranean Rally, which is not on the Fiesta Rally Cup calendar, our next target is the Aegean Rally. I wish all the crews competing under the Ford MotorSport Türkiye banner every success in that rally as well."
