Petter Solberg has said the close competition in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge was one of the key reasons why his team is contesting seven rounds of the all-action series this season.
Solberg’s Sweden-based PS Engineering concern will run a single M-Sport Ford Fiesta S2000 for rising star Patrik Flodin with support from Hankook tyres.
The former world rally champion Solberg (pictured) has experience from the IRC following his outing in a Peugeot 207 Super 2000 on Rallye Monte-Carlo in January 2011. He said: “I know how competitive the IRC is when I drove in Monte Carlo and saw it for myself. But actually I think Patrik can do very well, he has a lot of talent.”
Swede Flodin, 27, has one IRC start to this name when he took part on Rally Russia in 2009 driving a Subaru Impreza. He will begin his return to the series on May’s Tour de Corse and will tackle a total of five rounds on asphalt and two on gravel.
“It should be very interesting for him but we have a lot of work to do with testing and making a good plan,” said Solberg. “Corsica is a very, very tricky rally, one of the most difficult, that’s for sure. But I can definitely pass on some experience and I hope tha’ts an advantage for him. We’re going to do some testing together and I will be in the car with him: we have to do that really so I can help him properly.”
Following Tour de Corse, Solberg will contest the GEKO Ypres Rally, Rally San Marino, Sibiu Rally Romania, Barum Czech Rally Zlín, Rally Sliven and Rallye Sanremo.