The legendary McRae name will return to the World Rally Championship in 2012 after Malaysian manufacturer PROTON confirmed it would be entering Alister McRae on selected rounds of the Super 2000 world championship.PROTON will field two Satria Neo S2000s in Monte Carlo, Sweden, New Zealand, Finland, Great Britain, France and Spain next season. Two-time Junior world champion PG Andersson and double European champion Giandomenico Basso will contest the season-opening Rallye Monte-Carlo with McRae set to feature for the team during the year.
“PG and Giandomenico will both be driving in the SWRC,” said PROTON Motorsports boss Chris Mellors. “As well as them, Alister McRae will also be driving for us. Alister’s priority will be the defence of his FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship title, but we will see him in the SWRC as well. Beyond that, we haven’t made too many decisions, we want to look at drivers and keep an eye on some of the younger guys who are out there.”
PROTON has enjoyed WRC success in the past, guiding Karamjit Singh to the Production world crown in 2002. In recent seasons it has concentrated on campaigns in the Asia Pacific series and the Intercontinental Rally Challenge.
Alister McRae, 41, is the younger brother of the late Colin McRae who won the WRC title in 1995 but lost his life in a helicopter accident in 2007. Alister McRae has made 75 starts at world level, his last coming on Rally New Zealand four years ago.
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