Метка: M-Sport

Fourmaux’s WRC Central Europe struggles down to mystery issue

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Adrien Fourmaux believes his struggles for pace at the Central European Rally can be attributed to a mystery issue that his M-Sport World Rally Championship team will investigate.

Fourmaux has been one the WRC’s form drivers this year but has strangely been off the pace on this weekend’s asphalt roads, which yielded a WRC2 victory for the Frenchman last year.

Fourmaux completed Friday’s six stages 1m33.4s adrift of leader Thierry Neuville in what proved to be an extremely difficult day for the 29-year-old. 

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A hybrid unit failure on stage four (Strasín 1 — 26.69km) caused by an impact from a jump landing put Fourmaux on the back foot. Under new regulations that came in last month, the unit can no longer be reset, meaning he had to complete the remaining four stages without hybrid boost.

However, Fourmaux felt that the hybrid loss was only part of his problems having highlighted handling issues before the failure. At the midday remote service he said that he was struggling with “everything” when asked what areas of the car were causing strife.

Changes made at the remote service improved the Puma across the afternoon. 

But Fourmaux believes there has been something awry with the car since there start of the event as it is not performing the same as it did on the pre-event test or when he was competing at the Rallylegend event last weekend.    

“Feeling-wise it seems to be better but the time is still really bad, so I have no idea,” Fourmaux told Motorsport.com. 

Adrien Fourmaux, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team

Adrien Fourmaux, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team

Photo by: M-Sport

“I really struggled on the dirty stuff to slow the car down and rotate it. It is definitely not ideal, but we had a test in the wet – it was really clean with no cuts, and then we went Rallylegend where it was fully dry. 

“But here there is a lot of dirt on the road, so I think we missed something on the test. 

“But also there is something wrong because directly from the start of the event I mentioned to the team that the car doesn’t feel the same as it was in Rallylegend with the same springs, same anti-roll bar and same dampers, the car was already much softer. There is something we need to investigate. 

“We are going to change the anti-roll bar and springs and we will see if there is any difference.”

Fourmaux was one of four Rally1 drivers to suffer a hybrid unit failure on Friday, which added to the frustration. 

Team-mate Gregoire Munster and Toyota’s Sami Pajari also had to run four stages without the boost as teams are unable to reset the devices on safety grounds under the new regulations. 

M-Sport has confirmed that it has replaced the hybrid units on its cars ahead of Saturday’s stages.

“We had an issue in Greece and we have had the issue here, it is really frustrating, so I think it is big shame for everybody,” Fourmaux added.



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M-Sport’s 2025 WRC driver line-up plans «up in the air»

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


M-Sport’s driver line-up for the 2025 World Rally Championship is «totally up in the air» as speculation mounts around the future of its current lead driver Adrien Fourmaux.

The Ford squad often makes its moves in the driver market late into the year and this season is no different as it plans to field two Ford Puma Rally1 cars next year.

The decision to promote Fourmaux back to its Rally1 programme this year after his 2023 season in Rally2 has paid dividends, with the Frenchman reeling off eight top-five finishes including four podiums (Sweden, Kenya, Poland and Finland).

The run has seen the Frenchman amass only six points fewer than Ott Tanak’s 2023 tally at this stage of the campaign, having replaced the 2019 world champion this year.

Fourmaux’s impressive rise has made the 29-year-old a valuable commodity in the service park, with the 2023 British rally champion linked with a move to Hyundai to pilot the Korean marque’s third car for next season.

When asked about his team’s 2025 plans, M-Sport’s team principal Richard Millener maintains that «nothing has been signed with anybody» at the minute.

«It is totally up in the air and nothing is signed with anybody, all options on the table as usual for M-Sport at this point in the year,» Millener told Motorsport.com. «We want the strongest possible team we can get for two cars for next year and that is the goal and what we continue to push on.»

Adrien Fourmaux, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team

Adrien Fourmaux, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team

Photo by: M-Sport

The team wishes to agree a new deal with Fourmaux and has not given up on retaining his services. However, should it need to look elsewhere the squad appears to have a shortlist of options to fill its two seats.

Its other full-time driver Gregoire Munster delivered arguably his best Rally1 performance to date in Chile, where he ran as high as fourth, matching stage times at the top of the leaderboard, before finishing seventh.

The performance arrived after a inconsistent campaign to date which could bode well for his future, although Millener says the Luxembourger should remain focused on the final two rallies of the season.

«He just needs to concentrate on one rally at a time now. He shouldn’t be thinking about how he makes sure he gets a drive next year,» added Millener. «It needs to be a case of just doing the best he can on each rally and see what comes at the end of the year.»

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Another driver that M-Sport is keeping an eye on is Martins Sesks following his trio of Rally1 outings with the team. The 25-year-old’s drives to fifth in Poland, followed by a podium challenge in Latvia before a mechanical issue struck, has turned heads.

Sesks admitted after his latest outing in Chile that he was unsure where his future lay.

«Like he says, he doesn’t know what is next and I don’t know what is next, there is a lot up in the air but it was good to give him that opportunity as well and now we need to see what happens in the next few weeks,» said Millener.

Outside of those two drivers, Motorsport.com expects WRC2 title contenders Oliver Solberg and Yohan Rossel to be on the team’s 2025 driver shortlist.



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What M-Sport is looking for from Sesks’ WRC “extended audition”

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


M-Sport is treating Martins Sesks’ Rally Chile outing as an “extended audition” in the World Rally Championship as the Ford team continues to assess the young driver’s skills for the future.

Rising star Sesks and co-driver Renars Francis have earned a third outing in Ford Puma Rally1 this year following impressive displays to finish fifth and seventh respectively in Poland and Latvia rounds earlier this year.

The opportunity to pilot a non-hybrid powered Puma in Chile has been made possible thanks to further support from the WRC Promoter that helped fund the Latvians’ last two Rally1 appearances. 

Sesks’ reputation as a future talent has been enhanced by scoring maiden stage wins in Latvia on his way to challenging for a likely third-place finish before a mechanical issue struck his Puma on the final stage. 

The 25-year-old’s performance has impressed M-Sport enough to emerge as a possible candidate for more drives in the future as the team weighs up its options for 2025.

Team principal Richard Millener is keen to see how Sesks will perform in Chile, a rally that will offer a brand new challenge for the 2023 European Rally Championship runner-up. 

“I think there is a lot of interest from a lot of parties about what he’s capable of and, there’s a lot of discussion about Latvia, Poland being very similar events, home events and him knowing them well, can it be repeated in some way?» Millener told Autosport.

Martins Sesks, Renars Francis, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team Ford Puma Rally1

Martins Sesks, Renars Francis, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team Ford Puma Rally1

Photo by: McKlein / Motorsport Images

“I don’t want to expect that he could repeat challenging for a podium in Latvia. What we want to see is another rally with no issues and him get to the end with no mistakes and effectively have a good result, which I think could be done by being clever as well. 

“The title fight is going to be pretty big and Chile is a pretty tricky rally as well. It is fast and technical I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a couple of accidents. 

“If he can get top five again, fantastic, that’s more the goal, so it’s a bit of an extended audition, I guess. But certainly, I’m not in a position to say that he’s going to be signing with us for next year. It’s just a case of trying to see what else we can do for these junior drivers.

“I think he’s already proven what he’s capable of and this opportunity come about through M-Sport pushing as well, but also through promoter and Martins with his own thing. 

“It’s a good opportunity for us to see what throwing a completely new environment at him with not a lot of notice. What he can do and how he approaches it.”

In addition to a set of brand new stages to learn, Sesks is running without hybrid power similar to his debut in Poland. On those fast gravel stages the performance deficit to the hybrid-powered Rally1 cars was minimal, but the deficit is likely to increase on Chile’s technical roads.

“Of course, it will be a big challenge to go to South America and drive a Rally1 car in Chile for the first time,” said Sesks.  

Martins Sesks, Renars Francis, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team Ford Puma Rally1

Martins Sesks, Renars Francis, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team Ford Puma Rally1

Photo by: M-Sport

“It will be a great adventure I think, something new again and we’re now trying to prepare for the rally. We’re watching the onboards and seeing similar things to some European rallies.

“It will be a bit harder for us driving the non-hybrid car, but again it’s an opportunity to show some pace without the hybrid, and if we succeed there it’s even better. Our experience from Poland and Latvia in understanding the car will help a lot. It will be a challenge but we’re looking forward to it.”

Sesks isn’t the only rising star being offered a rare Rally1 outing this weekend with Toyota fielding Sami Pajari in one of its four GR Yaris. The Finn has replaced regular Takamoto Katsuta, who will sit out the trip to South America. 



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M-Sport to launch behind-the-scenes WRC docuseries

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO



A new World Rally Championship docuseries will launch later this month, offering fans a rare behind-the-scenes look at M-Sport Ford’s 2024 campaign.

The series titled ‘More than Machine’, produced in partnership with team sponsor SafetyCulture by Superlative Films, is a six-part documentary that follows the daily lives of M-Sport’s drivers Adrien Fourmaux and Gregoire Munster, engineers, technicians and other team members through this year’s 13-round WRC season.

The trailer for the series – to be broadcast through the WRC’s YouTube channel – has been released today with the first episode, which follows the team’s progress through Safari Rally Kenya, to be launched on August 22.

Behind-the-scenes sporting documentaries have grown in popularity in recent years with Formula 1’s Netflix ‘Drive to Survive’ series the catalyst for a range of spin-off series in various sports. This is the first time the WRC has dabbled in the genre through a major production by an independent filmmaker.

According to M-Sport, one of the key objectives of the docuseries is to “bring never-before-told stories to life”, with the series focussing on not only the drivers but several team members ranging from co-drivers, weather crews, mechanics and physiotherapists.

“We’re very lucky to have this opportunity to tell all the incredible stories behind our fantastic team,” said M-Sport team principal Richard Millener.

 

“On rallies, there’s so much that happens behind the scenes in the service park that the fans don’t get to see, and I believe this series will do a lot to bring people even closer to the sport.”

“We’re only really scratching the surface, but by telling these stories and getting to know the people who run the cars and make the rally happen, we’re opening ourselves up to an even bigger fan base.

“There are real, human stories to tell here, and I’m so pleased we’re now able to document them.”

M-Sport founder, Malcolm Wilson, added: “Up until now the WRC has not delved into the backstories of the people who make the operation work, so having the chance to show this to a global audience is something very special. I hope everyone enjoys watching our journeys in WRC as much as we have enjoyed working with the production team on it.”



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M-Sport to investigate further Sesks WRC Rally1 outings

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


M-Sport will investigate further opportunities to field Martins Sesks in the World Rally Championship following stunning displays in Poland and Latvia.

Sesks made his Rally1 debut with the Ford team as part of a two-round agreement facilitated by the WRC Promoter and partners of last year’s European Rally Championship runner-up.

The Latvian made an immediate impact finishing fifth on his debut in Poland driving a non-hybrid Ford Puma. Last weekend he stepped up to the hybrid specification Rally1 car in Latvia, where he lit up the timing screens, scoring two stages wins and challenged for a podium before a mechanical issue on the final stage dropped the 24-year-old to seventh.

When asked if there is a chance Sesks could return for more outings with the team, M-Sport team principal Richard Millener told Autosport/Motorsport.com: “I would love to [do something] and I will certainly spend a bit of time trying to see what’s possible.

Martins Sesks, Renars Francis, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team Ford Puma Rally1

Martins Sesks, Renars Francis, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team Ford Puma Rally1

Photo by: M-Sport

“I have to be honest, M-Sport didn’t fund any of this. We just helped with the car and we got the budget as low as possible to get it done. Other partners in the WRC Promotor and Martins partners made this happen. 

“If we could find a way to get him involved again, it would be great.

“He’s proven in two rallies you can keep up with WRC guys. I think you would definitely consider him if you had the opportunity.

“He’s just worked very well when I was with the team, everybody and his approach and his attitude and his charisma and the way he does the stage-end interviews and how he is with the fans. There are a lot of new Martins Sesks fans at the minute.”

Sesks is set to continue his European Rally Championship campaign this weekend at Rally di Roma in Italy, where he will drive a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 car.

“This experience with M-Sport has been amazing, I was enjoying so much being here with the team,” said Sesks.

“The team has become like a family now, we were really working shoulder to shoulder to get the result and I think we fit in well.”

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Sesks’ top fight WRC debut one of the strongest in a while

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Martins Sesks’ top-flight World Rally Championship debut at Rally Poland is “one of the strongest in a while” according to M-Sport team principal Richard Millener.

Last year’s European Rally Championship runner-up has stepped up to rallying’s top Rally1 class with M-Sport as part of two-round deal, supported by the WRC, that also includes his home WRC round in Latvia next month.

Sesks headed to Poland with having conducted only one test in the Ford Puma but has lit up the stages to end Friday in fifth only 7.7s adrift of the rally lead.

To add further gloss to his performance, Sesks is running a non-hybrid powered version of the car that is 130 horsepower down on his Rally1 rivals.

The 24-year-old stunned himself by clocking a second fastest stage time in stage two just 0.3s behind the benchmark set by rally leader Hyundai’s Andreas Mikkelsen. It prompted a stage end reaction that has already gone viral on social media.

While Sesks was assisted by a strong road position, the Latvian consistently posted top five stage times.

When asked if he could believe what he had achieved, he said: “I don’t have anything to answer to this because for me, one of the things that would be fine for me for Saturday was not to be the last Rally1 car, so I have someone in front to see the lines. We have done that job.

“Let’s not talk about the podium just yet. It is all about finishing the rally and to learn. It is incredible.

“Everything is difficult in the car and that is what makes it easy because it is all difficult and you have to concentrate on everything.”

Martins Sesks, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team

Martins Sesks, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team

Photo by: McKlein / Motorsport Images

M-Sport team principal Millener labelled the performance as one the best first days for a driver in the WRC top-flight.

“It is definitely up there, I would say it is one of the strongest first day debuts we have seen in a while,” said Millener.

“Now the key bit is keeping his cool for the rest of the rally.

“If you look at his strengths, they are these type of roads, and he is not a slow driver anyway, and he had good road position.

“But on the other hand, he had never driven the car for more than a day and he is straight into a World Rally Championship and against the best there and doing what he has done on every stage is pretty fun to watch. It’s pretty impressive.”

Sesks ended Friday 0.2s behind M-Sport regular Adrien Fourmaux having been the top Ford runner until the day’s final stage.

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The remarkable 22-year streak M-Sport is celebrating at WRC Rally Poland

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


When it comes to streaks in motorsport, M-Sport’s run of scoring manufacturer points in 300 consecutive World Rally Championship rounds, spanning 22 years, is difficult to beat.

It’s a feat that is unlikely to be surpassed and which is being celebrated by the Ford squad at Rally Poland this weekend after achieving the milestone in Sardinia earlier this month.

To put this achievement into context, social media didn’t exist, mobile phones couldn’t access the internet, and the current World Rally champion Kalle Rovanpera was just a one-year-old future superstar when this run of results began.

Monte Carlo, 2002 is where this unfathomable streak started when world champions Carlos Sainz and Colin McRae brought the factory M-Sport-run Fords home in third and fourth.

After double title winner Sainz and 1995 world champion McRae reached the finish in Monte Carlo 22 years ago, M-Sport has amassed manufacturer championship points at every rally entered, achieving key milestones such as the 100th event at Rally Turkey in 2008, the 200th coming at Rally Mexico in 2016, and then the 300th at Rally Sardinia this year.

That equates to a whopping 84,365 kilometres of stages completed with 29 drivers and 38 co-drivers contributing points over the journey. During this period, M-Sport has operated as the Ford factory team, but since 2013 it’s been a semi-factory outfit, competing against the heavily financed works efforts from Citroen, Volkswagen, Toyota and Hyundai.

M-Sport reached the 300 consecutive point-scoring rallies landmark on Rally Sardinia

M-Sport reached the 300 consecutive point-scoring rallies landmark on Rally Sardinia

Photo by: M-Sport

When asked to explain how his team has achieved such a feat, M-Sport founder Malcolm Wilson told Motorsport.com: «It started when we got the Ford contract and it [the WRC] was all about reliability. Obviously rallying has changed but, in the early days, if you had a good, reliable car you stood a chance of winning or getting a good result.

«We’ve always tried to do that. We have had a quality control inspection on everything since then and that side of the operation has only got bigger and better with regards to attention to detail, and obviously just a great team of people as well.

«At the end of the day, you can’t do anything without people, and I’ve been lucky that a lot of people that are still working for me have been involved since before this all started in 2002.

«I mean, to be honest, even when we got landmarks like 100, 150 and 200, we were thinking it has to end at some point. In fairness, it’s a lot easier now but in those early days, you actually had to be sometimes in the top six to get in the manufacturers’ points, so it’s easier now than it was then.

«It hasn’t been a full factory outfit since what, 2013 and it’s some years it’s been close if we would even continue. That probably makes it even a bit more remarkable.

«Let’s be honest, it will never happen again because which manufacturer is going to still be in WRC for 22 consecutive years?»

Title success on 2017 Wales Rally GB was a major highlight for Wilson

Title success on 2017 Wales Rally GB was a major highlight for Wilson

Photo by: Sutton Images

Reflecting on this run of 300 events, one rally stands out as the most cherished in Wilson’s eyes. The event in question is Wales Rally GB 2017 when M-Sport completed a memorable trifecta of rally win (through Elfyn Evans), the drivers’/co-drivers’ world titles with Sebastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia, and its third manufacturers’ crown.

«That 17-minute window at Wales Rally GB when we clean swept anything that can be won is the rally I will always cherish,» said Wilson.

«We did it, and to do it with Seb was great. I really wanted to get Seb in 2011, so to have Seb and just the way that him and Julien Ingrassia gelled with the team and the car that year, it was just one of the most amazing moments for me.»

While the team will celebrate this weekend, there is of course the matter of extending this streak to 301 events as Adrien Fourmaux and Gregoire Munster aim to complete Poland’s 19 stages, with special banding on their Ford Pumas offering a constant reminder of the achievement.

M-Sport's stickers celebrating its 300th consecutive point-scoring event

M-Sport’s stickers celebrating its 300th consecutive point-scoring event



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M-Sport reveals Ford Puma for WRC Rally1 debutant Sesks

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Martins Sesks is all set to make his top-flight World Rally Championship debut now the covers have come off the non-hybrid powered Ford Puma Rally1 car he will pilot.

Sesks is set to make his Rally1 debut on Poland’s gravel roads next week which hosts the seventh round of the WRC. The event is part of a two-round deal, that includes Sesks’ home round in Latvia (18-21 July), which has been made possible thanks to a collaboration between the driver, M-Sport and the WRC Promoter.

As part of the arrangement, Sesks, the 2023 European Rally Championship runner-up, is set to drive a non-hybrid Ford Puma Rally1 car, marking its first appearance at WRC level in Poland, to aid their transition to the full hybrid version of the car in Latvia.

The FIA passed regulations this year which allows teams to field Rally1 cars without hybrid units with ballast added to compensate for the weight of the plug-in hybrid system.

Sesks jumped behind the wheel of the Puma for a test day in Estonia earlier this week to aid preparations for Poland.

Martins Sesks, Renārs Francis, M-Sport Ford Puma Rally1

Martins Sesks, Renārs Francis, M-Sport Ford Puma Rally1

Photo by: M-Sport

“I’m really excited to be back competing in Poland,» said the 24-year-old Sesks. «We have some great memories here, especially after winning the ERC round last year. For sure this year is a completely different game, this will be our first event in a Rally1 car.

«The testing we did last week was something incredible, and a completely different experience to anything I’ve done before! The car reacts so quickly, and how fast it goes round corners is just so unique and indescribable to anyone who hasn’t driven the car.

“It will be a big challenge to get up to speed, but this is the goal for Poland. We will be driving non-hybrid to get use to the aerodynamics of the car, get to know the team and to get more and more ready to be in good shape for Latvia. The goal is to get the mileage, finish the rally and learn as much as we can.

“The thought and the feeling with this kind of Latvian red-inspired livery was to show how grateful we are for everything that the country has done for us.”

Sesks’ addition to the Rally Poland entry list will see M-Sport field three Ford Pumas with the Latvian joining regulars Adrien Fourmaux and Gregoire Munster. The Pumas will be up against three car entries from Toyota and Hyundai.

Martins Sesks, Renārs Francis, M-Sport Ford Puma Rally1

Martins Sesks, Renārs Francis, M-Sport Ford Puma Rally1

Photo by: M-Sport

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Ford signs Carlos Sainz Sr to lead Dakar Rally programme in 2025

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Sainz and double event winner Nani Roma will be two of the four drivers to represent Ford in the prestigious Dakar event in Saudi Arabia next year, with its remaining line-up to be announced at a later date.

This would mark the Spanish driver’s fourth stint with the American auto giant, having periodically competed with its range of cars in a World Rally Championship career that lasted almost 20 years.

It was at the wheel of a Ford Sierra RS that he made his WRC debut back in 1987, before joining the factory team for a handful of events the following season.

He returned to Ford as a two-time WRC champion in 1996, scoring three victories over the following two seasons before heading back to Toyota.

Toyota’s withdrawal at the end of 1999 paved the way for a third stint between 2000-02, which yielded another two wins and a best finish of third in the championship.

Sainz has been hired by Ford after he steered Audi to its first victory in Dakar in January, the culmination of a three-year factory programme that was cut short due to what has been described as a lack of spare parts.

With Ford, Sainz will be targeting a fifth Dakar win with as many manufacturers, having scored his previous four triumphs with Volkswagen, Peugeot, Mini and Audi.

«I’m very excited by this new Dakar Rally project, to go back to working with Ford for the fourth time, and to return to M-Sport, to return to Malcolm [Wilson, founder of M-Sport] who I know very well, it’s really great to be back,» he said. 

«My history with Ford goes all the way back to ’87, and I think I was Malcolm’s first driver, his first ever factory driver, back in the day, and I’m very proud of that.

«I’m really excited to be driving the Raptor truck, and to approach this big challenge with a lot of goals. One is to help Ford win the Dakar Rally.»

Ford Raptor

Ford Raptor

Photo by: Ford Performance

The American auto giant made the announcement on Friday afternoon, where it also revealed that it has begun active testing with the 2025 Ranger Raptor.

It had already planned to build an all-new Dakar challenger for 2025 after making an explanatory outing in this year’s Dakar with a revised version of the NWM-built Ranger, piloted by Roma and South Africa’s Gareth Woolridge.

Ford dropped a teaser of the new Raptor along with the announcement, showing the rear of the vehicle kicking up dust in a desert.

«The scale of our ambitions in off-road racing is unparalleled in Ford’s recent history and nothing is more clear in that ambition than our challenge to take the Ford Raptor to the legendary Dakar rally,» said Mark Rushbrook, global director, Ford Performance Motorsport. 

«Taking on such an enormous challenge requires the best engineers, designers, team members, navigators and drivers, and in Nani Roma and Carlos Sainz Sr, we have two of the most experienced and successful drivers in Dakar history.

«The Ford Raptor is already showing promising signs in testing and having two of the best drivers in the world with us for the ride gives us confidence for the continued development of the truck.» 



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