Ford Drives Sport Relief

BRENTWOOD, UNITED KINGDOM – March 8, 2010: Ford power helped Sport Relief from John O’Groats to Lands End, and even as far afield as Mexico.

The Ford World Rally Team, including star pilots Mikko Hirvonen and Jari-Matti Latvala, swapped driving boots for running shoes for an international Sport Relief Mile prior to this weekend's Mexican rally.

Back in the UK, Ford Rental provided back-up vehicles to the celebrities tackling the Sport Relief Million Pound Bike Ride from Scotland to Cornwall this week.

David Walliams, Jimmy Carr, Davina McCall, Fearne Cotton and others were transported in four Ford S-MAX and Galaxy MPVs which ferried riders and their kit between two-hour stints in the saddle.

Simon Luckhurst, Ford Rental manager, said: "We hope that the short rests celebrities earned in our vehicles brought them a little relief. Ford was delighted to support the fundraiser – at home and abroad."

Yesterday's special Mexican Sport Relief Mile was not only run by 'flying Finns' Hirvonen and Latvala but also engineers, technicians, management and team boss Malcolm Wilson, who all did the Ford charity dash through the streets of León.

Said 29-year-old Hirvonen: "We raised money for Comic Relief last year and I hope we can raise even more for Sport Relief this year. Running isn’t my strong point, but I’m up for the challenge."