by Rob Wilkins


Subaru's managing director Richard Taylor believes that the Banbury-based outfit will be back fighting for wins in 2008.

Subaru have really struggled in the last two years in the WRC and haven't won now since 2005. During the season just gone the team only just finished ahead of the Ford 'B' team in the manufacturers', 6 points up on the Stobart outfit and with only two podiums all season there was little to get excited about. Despite that though, Taylor is hopeful that with the new Impreza they will be able to turn things around.

"Clearly it has been a poor season by our general standards," Taylor told Crash.net Radio just prior to the Rally GB. "We haven't produced the results or the performances that are typical of Subaru or that we would have aimed for or expected to do.

"But overall we have learned a lot about the current car. In the last few months in particular we have made a few steps forward with a lot of learning towards the 2008 car.

"This is a tough competition and the manufacturers' in it are all fighting to win, so it is difficult [to challenge Citroen and Ford]. But that is what we are here for and it is our job to do that. I am quite certain that with the new car we will be in the right ball park and we will be fighting for rally wins."

Asked when the new Impreza will make its debut in the WRC, he noted that a decision will be made in January.

"As we have said for a while now, we are going to wait until the first tests have been undertaken in the early part of the New Year before deciding when we will actually launch it on event," he explained.

Despite that though, Taylor is happy with how work is progressing on the new machine: "It is coming along very, very well. We have made very good progress with the project over the last three or four months," he continued.

"The car looks very, very good and everything we have seen of it so far is positive. But of course again we have got to get the car out there and really prove it works and make it reliable and make sure we have the right level of performance."


TO HEAR THE INTERVIEW IN FULL WITH RICHARD TAYLOR – RECORDED PRE-RALLY GB: CLICK HERE