Nasser Al-Attiyah switches to S-WRC

Former Production car World Rally Champion Nasser Al Attiyah has become the latest driver to confirm a switch to the new WRC support championship for Super 2000 cars, the S-WRC.

Al-Attiyah, from Qatar, has campaigned a Subaru Impreza in the Production car World Rally Championship since 2004 and was crowned champion in 2006.

He was one of the stars of the 2009 P-WRC season too, taking class wins in Argentina and Italy, but after losing second place in Greece as a result of a technical infringement beyond his control, he finished the year third in the standings.

This year marks a fresh start for Al-Attiyah and his Barwa Rally Team, with an attempt at the FIA's latest series in a car which is completely new - a Ford Fiesta S2000 run by Autotek Motorsport.

Al-Attiyah is the reigning and six-time Middle East Rally Champion and is currently challenging for victory in the 2010 Dakar Rally in South America with the factory Volkswagen team.

In addition to his S-WRC programme, Al-Attiyah will use his Fiesta S2000 in his 2010 bid for a seventh FIA Middle East Rally Championship title. His challenge begins with the Qtel Qatar International Rally on 21st-23rd January.

Accompanied by his Italian co-driver Giovanni Bernacchini, Al-Attiyah's S-WRC programme will begin with Rally Mexico in March.