Martin Prokop is trading in his beloved “Shrek” Ford Raptor for the M-Sport Ford Raptor. On Wednesday, Prokop announced a partnership with M-Sport and Ford Performance that will see him pilot their Raptor T1+ in the World Rally-Raid Championship through 2027.

His first W2RC race in the new car will be the Rallye du Maroc in October, though a go at the Baja Aragón in July is a possibility.

While the alliance means he now has works support from Ford, Prokop technically remains a privateer and will continue racing for his own ORLEN Jipocar Team. Ford Performance regards him as a privateer too, with company global director Mark Rushbrook describing their deal as a good business approach for the manufacturer. Team manager Quirin Müller also stressed that “we are still the ORLEN Jipocar Team, we just have factory technology (now).”

Prokop and navigator Viktor Chytka got to try out the M-Sport Raptor for the first time following the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge in February, where they placed tenth in Ultimate with Shrek. Mitch Guthrie finished fifth in one of M-Sport’s two entries.

Shrek, officially the Ford Raptor RS Cross Country, is Prokop’s custom-built steed that he had been using for years; the name is a reference to the movie character since Prokop’s WRC car is dubbed “Fiona”. M-Sport’s Raptor has a lower center of gravity than Shrek and steers faster. It also uses a Coyote V8 engine rather than the turbocharged V6 in Shrek and most T1+ cars. Conversely, Prokop found that the rear shocks on the M-Sport model perform worse than his Raptor’s.

Müller noted Shrek will still receive modifications like an updated differential and driveshaft, though “we won’t be racing with it anymore.”

“I’m a longtime fan and admirer of everything Ford Performance does around the world,” said Prokop. “I’ve worked with the Czech Ford division for 15 years, and this opportunity has exceeded my wildest dreams. After a brief experience with the Raptor T1+, I truly believe it will be a fantastic adventure for both me and Viktor.

“I’m incredibly grateful to Ford Performance and M-Sport for giving us the chance to take over this racing monster, and I hope to repay their trust with good results in the years to come.”

Prokop is no stranger to M-Sport, having raced for the team’s WRC program in 2021. Otherwise, it’s the same story as in rally raid as he drives for his own operation.

At the Dakar Rally in January, Prokop finished tenth in Ultimate while M-Sport put two of their four Raptors in the top ten with Mattias Ekström in third and Guthrie fifth. The team also fielded entries for Nani Roma (42nd) and Carlos Sainz (retired). After three rounds, Ford is third in the W2RC manufacturers’ standings while Ekström leads M-Sport drivers in points as he sits seventh; Prokop, who’s only run Dakar and Abu Dhabi, is 16th.

Featured image credit: Ford Performance