Atkinson handed Subaru deal
Chris Atkinson has been handed a one-year contract to compete with Subaru in the world rally championship in 2006.
The Australian youngster enjoyed a successful rookie season this year, which included leading his home event and taking his maiden podium with third place in Japan.
His reward is a new deal to compete alongside former world champion Petter Solberg next year.
Atkinson, 25, said: “It’s fantastic to have the opportunity to stay with Subaru and I’m looking forward to showing, once more, the speed and the results we’ve demonstrated in the last part of this year.
“You can’t expect too much in your first year and the fact that we’re fourth in the number of stages won shows we’ve got the speed, which is very promising for the future.
“We’ve fitted in well with the team and with a year’s experience behind us, I can’t wait to see what we can do.”
Team boss David Lapworth has high hopes for Atkinson.
He added: “The move is part of a long-term plan to develop Chris at a world-class level and he is taking a step along the path followed by previous Subaru world champions, such as Colin McRae, Richard Burns and Petter Solberg.”
