Former WRC champion Petter Solberg will drive for Ford in next year’s World Rally Championship, after completing a test for the works team. The name is no stranger to rally fans, but if you don’t follow the sport, there’s a chance you might have seen ‘Solberg’ on the rear window of a Subaru rally car replica.
The Norwegian (they’re all Scandinavian) is 37-years old now, and he last won the WRC title in 2003 with Subaru. He hasn’t been out of the sport, though, running his own team for the past three seasons.
Solberg signed a single year deal with Ford, and he takes the place of Mikko Hirvonen, who’s leaving for Citroen. In the game of WRC musical chairs, Mikko is taking the place of Sebastien Ogier, who has gone to join the new Volkswagen WRC team.
Solberg will partner Jari-Matti Latvala, who is Ford’s lead driver. To be co-driven by Chris Patterson, the ex Subaru man will be driving a Ford (the Fiesta WRC) for the first time since Rally Finland 2000.
“The addition of Petter Solberg to the team brings one of the sport’s most experienced and flamboyant drivers back to the team where he started his top-level career. A drivers’ world title and 13 world rally victories are testament to his abilities and his vast experience will be a great asset to our line-up,” said Ford of Europe’s senior manager for motorsport, Gerard Quinn.
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he is a genuinely nice guy ;) happy for him to finally get a full works drive again after losing his job when Subaru shut down their WRC programme.
Wohoo! Let’s take the opening round 1-2-3 finishing again this year!
It will be good to have Solberg in WRC 2012 again. I hope he has not lost his touch, as cars and drivers have evolved since he left. Still Sebs Lobb of Citreon is the man to beat who is out to make it his 9th WRC title.
VW is the dark horse and new face in WRC with Sebs Ogier, but it will be a few more years before they can become a title contender.
Great for Solberg and for Rally.
He was running on customer Citroën this year, and has shown that he still got the pace.
Poor Ogier has the pace but no patience…
Let see what Solberg can do against Loeb and his team mate Latvala.
Hope WRC 2012 edition reserve a good show for us!
i wonder solberg whether he be no.1 driver or no.2 in Ford?
yeah..proton also announced taking part in WRC s2000 category…so expect mcrae and pg anderson to fight them all….goodluck to all rally competitor