Ex-champ Petter Solberg to drive for Ford in WRC 2012

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.

© 2011 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Thu, 29 Dec 11 04:11:15 +0000.

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