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The World Rally Championship lost one-third of its teams within 24 hours when Subaru announced Tuesday it was following Suzuki out of the competition.
Both Japanese automakers cited concerns about the global economic crisis for quitting the sport, leaving Citroen and Ford as the only manufacturers in the FIA WRC competition for next season. It followed a sudden decision by Honda, Japan’s second biggest car manufacturer, to withdraw from Formula One.
“We will not contest the 2009 FIA World Rally championship due to the pressures of the global economic crisis that spread from the U.S. financial crisis that began this Autumn,” FHI president Kyoji Takenaka said. “The automotive industry worldwide, whether they are in developed on non-developed countries, have been hit hugely.
Prodrive chairman, David Richards, said: “Subaru’s departure from the World Rally Championship is a great loss as it is one of the sport’s icons. The Subaru World Rally Team has created true champions such as Colin McRae and Richard Burns and its absence will be felt by many the world over. Although this decision closes a significant chapter in Prodrive’s history, our focus now turns to the future.”
For many, Prodrive and Subaru are synonymous, given the long-standing and close association between the two companies. However, while the Subaru World Rally Team historically represented a significant part of Prodrive’s business, today it accounts for no more than 20 per cent of the company’s turnover.
“In order to optimise the management resources and to strengthen the Subaru brand further, Fuji Heavy decided to withdraw from WRC activities at the earliest time,” said Ikuo Mori, chief executive of parent company Fuji Heavy Industries
Subaru’s drivers for their 2008 campaign were Norway’s Petter Solberg and Australia’s Chris Atkinson. The team was run by the British engineering firm Prodrive.
After entering the sport in 1989, they won three drivers’ titles with Scotland’s Colin McRae taking the first in 1995.
Englishman Richard Burns claimed the second in 2001 with Solberg winning another two years later.
