FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem revealed at last weekend’s Acropolis Rally that the three-time WRC constructors’ winner (1995-1997) is considering a possible return to the championship.
Subaru has a rich history in the WRC, running Colin McRae (1995), Richard Burns (2001) and Petter Solberg (2003) to world driver's titles before exiting at the end of 2008 due to the global financial crisis.
Ben Sulayem’s comments emerged from a meeting he had with Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda, who is actively trying to encourage more manufacturers to join the WRC.
The FIA president suggested that a possible Subaru return could be aided by Toyota, which owns a stake in Subaru and could help provide an engine to meet the championship regulations, should the manufacturer wish to return.
It would seem that if a project was to receive a green light from Subaru’s board, coinciding with the WRC’s new regulations in 2027 would seem the most likely opportunity to rejoin the championship.
In response to Ben Sulayem’s comments, Toyota has issued the following statement to Autosport emphasising that any commitment to the WRC will be decided by Subaru's board.
It said: “From the team’s side, we can confirm that our chairman Akio Toyoda and president Ben Sulayem have spoken at length during the 24 Hours of Le Mans, in which the topic was also raised of expanding the field of manufacturers in WRC.
“It is not a secret that our chairman, with his profound passion for rallying, is eager to see more manufacturers entering the WRC.
Source: Autosport