Solberg facing the end of WRC career
The 2003 champion is side-lined after failing to find a drive for next year.
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2003 World Rally Champion Petter Solberg
© Ford Motorsport
2003 world rally champion Petter Solberg has been left without a drive for next season after failing to be snapped up following the demise of the Ford factory team.
The Norwegian driver had offered his services for free following Ford’s announcement in October that it would not be fielding factory cars from 2013 onwards, with Solberg understood to have been interested in taking the second seat at M-Sport next year alongside fellow countryman Mads Ostberg.
But with Solberg’s admission that he almost certainly won’t be driving in 2013, and with M-Sport due to announce its new driver line-up next week, it seems that the all-Norwegian partnership will fail to materialise.
A disappointing end to Solberg's WRC career
© Ford Motorsport
A disappointed Solberg told Sky Sports News: “I have said I am willing to drive for free, but at this point I will not pay to drive.
"I would have loved to have driven for a few more years but I do realise there will not be a WRC programme for me next year," he added.
The Norwegian’s 2012 Ford teammate Jari-Matti Latvala has already secured a drive for next year with the new Volkswagen team, and will campaign the Polo R WRC alongside Frenchman Sebastien Ogier.
Both Solberg and Latvala endured mixed seasons with Ford, with the pair finishing fifth and third respectively after failing to find the consistency that saw Citroen drivers Sebastien Loeb and Mikko Hirvonen claim the top two spots in the final championship standings.
Solberg’s departure from the WRC, along with Loeb’s retirement from fulltime WRC campaigning, means that there will be no world champion contesting a full season of the championship next year.
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