It’s been out known for several weeks now that Prodrive, the World Rally Championship car manufacturers for Subaru, have pulled out of the WRC.  This is a huge blow to the sport.  Prodrive blame the economy for their withdraw from the sport however, I believe that the FIA will suffer the most.  Subaru came to the sport in the early 1990’s and since then have become an icon to the sport of rallying.  Subaru claim that they achieved what they wanted in the sport and are okay with the withdraw.  However, for us Subaru fans, this has put a gigantic hole in our hearts.  Privateers will most likely carry on with the name in the sport, but like Lancia, Peugeot, Toyota and others, Subaru too will die a slow death in rallying. 

It’s sad really when you think about it.  Take people like the late Richard Burns, Colin McRae, Mark Lovell, Michael Park and other iconic characters who raced for Subaru throughout the years and it was Subaru that helped them put their names in rallying enthusiast’s homes.  Then you take people like former world champion, Petter Solberg, who is left without a drive for next year, it’s just odd to think of him racing for another team.  Now like the greats that have raced in the sport, the “icon” itself is out of it’s element; it’s out of rallying.

So from here forward, I’m not sure if I’m really interested in the WRC.  I mean it’s not the Ford and Citroen show.  Suzuki pulled out as well and who knows if manufactures such as Hyundai, Peugeot, Seat, Skoda and Mitsubishi will return to the sport.  It will be interesting to see if the FIA can resuscitate the WRC and get other manufacturers to participate like in the late 90’s.  Till then, the sport will continue to die leaving the, arguably, the best drivers in the world eternally on the bench.