Citroen privateer Petter Solberg recently confirmed that he will skip the Rally Australia next month, the tenth round in the 2009 World Rally Championship.
Mikko Hirvonen has defied his early running order to emerge from the opening leg of the Rally Portugal with a comfortable 15 second lead over Dani Sordo having managed to stay error free throughout the day.
Former WRC title winner Petter Solberg and World Touring Car Championship title winner Yvan Muller have both completed a test session with the Courage-Oreca team at Paul Ricard.
David Richards, the chairman of Prodrive, says there was no warning given that Subaru was planning to pull the plug on its World Rally Championship programme.
Sebastien Loeb has extended his lead in the WRC standings to eight points with only four rallies remaining, two of which will occur on his preferred Tarmac surface.
The World Rally Championship is currently in the midst of a trio of back-to-back Mediterranean events and following the Rally d'Italia Sardegna, next up is the legendary Acropolis Rally of Greece - one of the oldest and most prestigious rounds in the series.
Henning Solberg will take in his second event of the season under the Munchi's Ford World Rally Team banner this weekend in Sardinia and the Norwegian reckons another top-five finish should be possible.
Following the long-haul trip to Japan at the end of last month, the FIA World Rally Championship now returns to Europe for the Rally Ireland, the penultimate round of the season.
The Stobart Ford team have confirmed that Henning Solberg will again take advantage of the SupeRally format and re-join the fold on Sunday in a bid to complete the Rallye Deutschland.
Subaru World Rally Team managing director, Richard Taylor has said that they are 'pleased' with the way their new partnership is working with BFGoodrich.
Subaru team leader, Petter Solberg was amongst those to send their congratulations to Sebastien Loeb at the weekend, after the Frenchman clinched his third drivers' title in succession from the 'arm-chair'.
SS5 - Trawscoed 2 (27.97 kms): Solberg fastest through SS5; Gronholm second; Loeb third; Martin fourth; Sainz fifth; Duval sixth; Baldacci leads the JWRC; Loeb leads the overall event by 14.8secs. Stage times and overall standings after SS5.
Petter Solberg's co-driver Phil Mills has revealed that he cannot wait to get back in the cockpit this weekend, and take on the challenge of the Rally Japan.
Subaru team leader Petter Solberg has admitted that he will need to build up his confidence again in Japan this weekend, following his spectacular crash on the Rallye Deutschland, which trashed his Impreza WRC.
SS12 - Panzerplatte Lang 1 (40.30 kms): Stage stopped following Solberg's crash. All drivers given notional times, except Martin, Duval, Robert, Loix, Carlsson, Gardemeister, Sarrazin, Bengue, Hirvonen and Schwarz - they had completed stage prior to accident.
The ADAC Rallye Deutschland and the other asphalt events, in France and Spain, could be the deciding factor in terms of the championship now, that's the prediction of Subaru team boss David Lapworth, as the World Rally Championship heads to Trier for round ten of the championship.
SS12 - Ouninpohja 1 (33.24 kms): Solberg fastest through SS12; Gronholm second; Martin third; Sainz fourth; Tuohino fifth; Sohlberg sixth; Lindholm went off the road and retired; Andersson heads the JWRC category; Gronholm leads the overall event by 45.8secs.