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Subaru and Suzuki pull out of WRC

 
7 5,881 views Dec 16, 2008
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2008 saw the Subaru team use a hatchback design for its rally car for the first time

2008 saw the Subaru team use a hatchback design for its rally car for the first time

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Following Honda’s surprise announcement earlier this month that it was pulling out of Formula One, we now have news that both Subaru and Suzuki will be withdrawing from competing in the World Rally Championship (WRC) next year. Once again, the global economic crisis is being blamed for the withdrawal, with motorsport events high up on the list of expenses carmakers are cutting as they attempt to boost profits.

"Our business environment has changed dramatically due to the rapid deterioration of the global economy," the boss of Fuji Heavy Industries (Subaru’s parent company) Ikuo Mori told a news conference in Tokyo today. "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."

With both Subaru and Suzuki out of the WRC, only Ford and Citroen remain for next year’s title, the latter already laying claim to the world champion title.

Subaru team boss David Richards had told Reuters earlier this week that Citroen, Ford and Subaru were all assessing their participation in the championship on an ongoing basis and that nothing could be taken for granted in the current climate.

The Subaru WRC team was established in 1989 and won the manufacturers' titles in 1995, 1996 and 1997. The team came third in this year’s event.
2008 Subaru WRX STI WRC car

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Comments (7)

  1. ma_GreyRazor avatar GreyRazor Posted: 12/16/2008 6:05am PST

    Utter bullsh*t! This is a sad day for rally fans.
     
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  2. ma_Chris avatar Chris Posted: 12/16/2008 8:10am PST

    subaru and suzuki? two teams that were dead long before this announcement. suzuki just came in last season, and subaru has been coming in the last places in the field.. when their cars even finish the rallys.

    now.. ford or citroen pulling out WOULD be news. ford pulling out of WRC would be like ferrari pulling out of F1
     
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  3. ma_NaBUru38 avatar NaBUru38 Posted: 12/16/2008 8:32am PST

    The 2009 WRC season will be dead. Let's keep our hopes high for 2010.
     
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  4. ma_sprp85 avatar sprp85 Posted: 12/16/2008 8:45am PST

    damnnnn
    all the motorsports are going down the hills
     
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  5. ma_Chris avatar Chris Posted: 12/16/2008 11:26am PST

    nab, whats going to be more interesting is in 2011 when WRC goes back to amalgamation rules....

    subaru and mitsu will be the only manufacturers making cars for the road with 300 hp from 2000cc engines, and ford and citroen will be left scratching their heads...

    ..........unless ford is planning on putting a 2L twin turbocharged engine in a production focus with AWD......... hrrrmmmmmmm........
     
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  6. ma_WVB avatar WVB Posted: 12/16/2008 2:37pm PST

    SHOCK ANNOUNCEMENT
    This devoted WRC fan announces waning interest WRC.
    Negotiations with devotee management have revealed rumors of quiting the sport and it is hoped that an ongoing interest in the sport will be retained for the 2009 and future seasons.
     
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  7. ma_Chris avatar Chris Posted: 12/17/2008 5:16am PST

    wvb, if subaru was the only thing interesting to you in the WRC, you must have slept through the last 3 seasons.
     
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