The rise and fall of Subaru in the WRC

When Subaru announced their shock withdrawal from the World Rally Championship on December 16, 2008, few would have expected that we’d still be awaiting their return some 14 years on.

"Subaru's sales pitch has been so closely tied to rallying for so many years that it's hard to see the factory Imprezas staying away from the WRC for too long,” the highly respected rally annual,  Rallycourse, said at the time.

Here we are though, it’s 2022 and nothing has changed.

Subaru's decision shocked the rallying world like few of that nature had ever done, and came just 24 hours after Suzuki had announced a similar departure from the WRC.

It left only Citroen and Ford as the manufacturer-supported teams in the series, and it took many years for it to recover. Some might say it still hasn't.

How did that decision from Subaru come about though? What led to it, and how could such a successful team disappear from the WRC overnight, seemingly never to return?

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Author

Peter Whitten

Peter has been the editor of RallySport Magazine since its inception in 1989, in both printed and online form. He is a long-time competitor, event organiser and official, as well as working in the media. In 2020 he received a Motorsport Australia 'Media Service Award'.
Peter has been the editor of RallySport Magazine since its inception in 1989, in both printed and online form. He is a long-time competitor, event organiser and official, as well as working in the media. In 2020 he received a Motorsport Australia 'Media Service Award'.

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