Skoda, which will compete in every WRC event next year, has retained the experienced Armin Schwarz. Janne Tuohino, Jani Paasonen and Alex Bengue will share the team’s second Fabia.
Skoda, which will compete in every WRC event next year, has retained the experienced Armin Schwarz. Janne Tuohino, Jani Paasonen and Alex Bengue will share the team’s second Fabia.
Schwarz, in his second consecutive season with the Czech team after a three-year stint between 1999 and 2001, had been expected to scale down his participation in WRC.
However, Skoda confirmed on Wednesday that Schwarz would lead the team on every event on the calendar. Finnish stars Tuohino and Paasonen will participate in gravel events and Frenchman Bengue will drive the second Fabia on the asphalt events. A third car will be entered on selected events, but no driver programme had been announced.
Paasonen drove for Skoda in Finland this year, finishing sixth, while Tuohino impressed in limited outings in both a privateer and a works Ford Focus, finishing fourth in Sweden and in the points in Finland, Cyprus, Greece and Turkey. Bengue finished second in this year’s French rally championship after winning the title last year and has had selected outings in European asphalt events.