Ford may sacrifice McRae for new car.

Ford boss Malcolm Wilson has indicated that his team may sacrifice the services of Colin McRae or Carlos Sainz in order to safeguard the development of the new Focus World Rally Car.

The two WRC drivers come to the end of their current contracts with Ford this year and budget constraints might force a reluctant Wilson to drop either McRae or Sainz and channel their multi-million dollar salary into the all-new Focus, which should arrive in 2005.

"It's not something we want to do," states Wilson. "But we might have to lose either Colin or Carlos. We might still end up keeping both of them, but the new car is the future."

McRae said he's not thinking about next season just yet and reiterated he just wants a car to win the title.

"I haven't had any thoughts about next year," he said. "But when we get around to it, the deal has got to be right and it's got to look like it can win the World Rally Championship."