World Rally News

Kris Meeke will hope for an impressive season in 2009 after a inking a deal with Peugeot to contest the Intercontinental Rally Challenge. Meeke will debut in the 207 S2000 in the Monte Carlo Rally and the aim for the season is clear - to fight for the championship crown.

Petter Solberg has admitted that he has '100 things up in the air' as he desperately chases a drive that will allow him to return to the World Rally Championship in time for his home event next month - but he will only come back, he insists, when all of the circumstances are right.

Luc Alphand's rollercoaster of a Dakar Rally took one final plunge downhill on stage six, as his recovery towards the top five was halted by the loss of co-driver Gilles Picard.

David Richards has admitted that everybody was taken by surprise when Subaru announced it was pulling out of the World Rally Championship last month - but he also revealed he is hopeful the manufacturer may one day return.

The BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team ultimately missed out on the two titles in 2008 to Sebastien Loeb and Citroen.

The leader's curse affecting this year's Dakar rally struck again overnight with confirmation that BMW X-Raid's Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah had been thrown out of the event for missing a series of hidden waypoints on stage six of the two-week event.

Aaron Burkart will compete in the Junior World Rally Championship again this season having concluded a deal to use a Swift S1600 constructed and supported by Suzuki Sport Europe.

The organisers of the Rally Ireland published the official entry list for their event this week, the opening round of the 2009 World Rally Championship, which runs from January 29 to February 1. In total 43 crews are due to start with 21 in WRC cars. The full entry list is as follows:

The closing date for entries to the Rally Norway has been extended by one week, it has been confirmed.

The entry list for the Rally Ireland, the opening round of the 2009 World Rally Championship, has been announced with a total of 43 runners, including 21 WRC specification drivers.

Robby Gordon kept the #309 Monster Energy Toyo Tires Hummer inside the overall top ten on the 2009 Dakar Rally despite rolling the machine into a ditch during the fourth leg of the event on Tuesday.

Luc Alphand led the way for Team Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart as he attempted make up for lost time on the fourth leg of the 2009 Dakar Rally between Ingeniero Jacobacci and Neuqu?n in western Patagonia.

Carlos Sainz moved to the lead of the Dakar Rally on Sunday's second stage, completing the test with the fastest time and jumping into the lead of the event.

Pirelli will take its snow tyre to the Rally Ireland, the opening round in the 2009 World Rally Championship, it was announced today. The Monte Carlo Snow tyre will be offered to competitors as an option instead of 'normal' tarmac rubber.

Petter Solberg will be free to compete for any manufacturer in the World Rally Championship in 2009, the Norwegian has confirmed in a statement on his personal website.

Chris Atkinson has conceded that while it is going to be difficult now for him to stay in the WRC, he still definitely wants to continue competing in 2009 and may consider a move to the Intercontinental Rally Challenge.

Petrochem Carless has been appointed the single fuel supplier to the FIA World Rally Championship for 2009, 2010 and 2011, it was confirmed today. Petrochem Carles is one of Europe's leading refiners of advanced racing and control fuels.

Guy Wilks has been forced to evaluate his options for the 2009 season after seeing his chance to join Subaru's World Rally Championship team come to a premature end.

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.

Only a day after Suzuki revealed it would pull out of the World Rally Championship, Subaru has announced that it will follow suit and quit the sport ahead of the 2009 season.

Sebastien Loeb shrugged off the disappointment of being beaten in the first round of the Nations Cup by winning the overall Race of Champions title at Wembley.

Having been given the chance to join the Uspenskiy Rally Tecnica outfit for the final round of the World Rally Championship, Patrik Flodin enjoyed a winning end to 2008 with the Production WRC win on Wales Rally GB.

The 2008 Intercontinental Rally Challenge drew to a close in China this weekend, with visting driver Jarkko Miettinen claiming victory in his Group N Mitsubishi.

Mikko Hirvonen recovered from his dramatic roll on the opening day of Wales Rally GB to secure a place in the points - taking a place in the WRC record books in the process.