NEW DELHI: Indian tyre major MRF has confirmed its much awaited entry into the FIA World Rally Championship-2 category with ace driver Gaurav Gill.
The switch to WRC-2 ends MRF’s 16-year campaign in the Asia Pacific Rally Championship where it won nine titles, including three with Gill.
Team MRF is now foraying into the WRC 2 with Gaurav Gill at the wheel,” the tyre-maker announced in a statement issued Monday, revealing little else.
The announcement means Gill finally gets to drive at a significantly higher level, something he was itching to do after the APRC success in 2013, 2016 and 2017, PTI reports.
WRC-2 is already underway with four of the 13 rounds already completed and it is not yet known whether Gill will join the championship from round five scheduled in Argentina from April 26-29.
“We hope to complete all the entry procedures by the end of the month. Thereafter, we will take a call on when to join the championship and which car Gill will drive,” an MRF official told the newswire.
Gill’s last outing in European rallying was back in 2008, when he competed in rounds of the Production Car World Rally Championship (PWRC) with Team Sidvin India. Gill has also been rallying in India in the Indian National Rally Championship with Team Mahindra Adventure, a commitment he will reportedly keep up in 2018 as well.
At the APRC, MRF had tied up with Czech car maker Skoda in the 2012 season with drivers behind the wheel of a S2000. It later moved to Skoda Fabia R5 in 2016.
