This year tackling its second season in the World Rally Championship, the Petter Solberg World Rally Team is the leading privateer squad in the series and combines the driving talents of the 2003 World Champion with machinery from five-time Manufacturers’ Champions Citroen.

The team was formed out of necessity in early 2009, after Solberg’s long time employer Subaru withdrew from top level rallying in December 2008, leaving him without a drive. With no other manufacturer team seats available, Solberg was faced with a choice of sitting the year out or taking matters into his own hands. Unsurprisingly, the determined Norwegian took the second option.

In a matter of weeks, Solberg and former Subaru team co-ordinator Ken Rees had assembled the bare bones of a team and had secured an eight-year-old Citroen Xsara to be run in partnership with Citroen’s semi-works customer team.

Despite round the clock efforts, the team missed the opening round of the series in Ireland, but stole the show on Solberg’s home round which followed, setting the fastest time on the opening stage of Rally Norway.

From that point on, Solberg and his 15-man team did their best in a David and Goliath style battle with the manufacturer supported teams. Highlights included podiums in Cyprus and Italy and fourth places in Poland and Portugal.

But for all of Solberg’s determination, it soon became clear that the ageing Xsara was no match for the modern machinery from Ford and Citroen, especially on faster rallies, and after a disappointing time in Finland, Solberg retired the car and elected to skip Rally Australia to regroup.

He and the team returned in Spain with a far more competitive C4 World Rally Car and a two-rally agreement with Citroen to drive as part of its Junior team. Two excellent performances in Spain and GB followed, which convinced Solberg to stick with the C4 for a full season in 2010 and a bid to win back the drivers’ title.

The Petter Solberg World Rally Team has not registered for the FIA Manufacturers’ Championship and is hence ineligible to score team points in 2010.