Ford's factory WRC programme was run by M-Sport from 1997 onwards, following the shift of operations from the long-standing Boreham facility in Essex. The team had previously competed as the Ford World Rally Team and raced under BP sponsorship. The Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority joined as a partner at the mid-point of the 2007 season, when a joint venture between BP-Ford and the Abu Dhabi Tourism Board brought a third official Ford Focus RS World Rally Car into the team's campaign.
Announced at the halfway stage of the 2007 WRC season, the joint venture with Abu Dhabi was marked by the entry of Emirati driver Khalid Al-Qassimi alongside co-driver Nicky Beech. Al-Qassimi contested four events — Rally Finland, Rallye Deutschland, Rally RACC Catalunya, and Rally Ireland — in the third Ford Focus RS WRC. The primary drivers in 2007 were Marcus Gronholm and Mikko Hirvonen. Gronholm finished as championship runner-up behind Sebastien Loeb, and Ford successfully defended the manufacturers' title. For their 2007 season, BP Ford and M-Sport received the Rally Business of the Year Award from the Motorsport Industry Association.
Marcus Gronholm and co-driver Timo Rautiainen retired at the end of 2007, leaving Mikko Hirvonen as the team's senior driver. Jari-Matti Latvala stepped up from the satellite Stobart Ford team to take the second seat. Khalid Al-Qassimi returned with a programme of ten events; his co-driver Nicky Beech was replaced by Michael Orr. The season opened strongly: Hirvonen finished second in Monte Carlo, and Latvala broke Henri Toivonen's long-standing record as the youngest winner of a WRC qualifying event by winning Rally Sweden. Hirvonen took victory at the Jordan Rally and led a Ford one-two in Turkey. However, Loeb's late-season dominance, including victories in New Zealand, Spain, and Corsica, allowed Citroen to retain both championships. Ford came within eleven points of Citroen in the manufacturers' standings.
Hirvonen, Latvala, and Al-Qassimi were all retained for 2009. After Citroen's strong start — Loeb winning the first five rallies — Hirvonen mounted a sustained challenge. He scored four consecutive second places and then four consecutive victories, including wins in Italy, Greece, Finland, and Japan. Entering the final round in Great Britain with a one-point lead over Loeb, Hirvonen finished second to Loeb on the rally, losing the drivers' title by a single point — one of the narrowest margins in WRC history. Latvala finished fourth in the drivers' standings. Ford finished second in the manufacturers' championship behind Citroen.
The same three-driver lineup was retained. Hirvonen won in Sweden and Latvala took victory in New Zealand, but Citroen again claimed both titles.
New technical regulations for 2011 replaced the Ford Focus RS WRC with the Ford Fiesta RS WRC, reducing engine displacement from 2000cc turbo to 1600cc turbo in line with changes across road cars. The lineup of Hirvonen, Latvala, and Al-Qassimi continued with the new car. Hirvonen won Rally Sweden and Latvala took the Wales Rally GB — three victories in total across the season — but only enough to finish behind eventual manufacturers' champion Citroen by 27 points. The Abu Dhabi sponsorship ended at the conclusion of 2011, with the car reverting to a standard Ford blue and white livery for 2012.
The BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team era represented the peak of M-Sport's factory Ford programme. The 2007 and 2008 manufacturers' titles (and the 2006 title before the formal Abu Dhabi partnership) demonstrated Ford's competitiveness at the highest level. Hirvonen's near-miss in 2009 remains one of the most memorable drivers' championship finales in WRC history. The Abu Dhabi connection also represented an early example of Gulf state investment in top-level European rally motorsport, predating similar arrangements in other series.