FORMER World Rally Champion Petter Solberg has signed a deal to drive for Banbury's Subaru World Rally Team until at least 2009.

The 31-year-old Norwegian and his 42-year-old Welsh co-driver Phil Mills joined Subaru during the 2000 World Rally Championship season. Since then, Solberg has claimed 13 WRC rally victories, 30 WRC podium finishes and the 2003 FIA Drivers' Championship title.

Subaru World Rally Team managing director Richard Taylor said: "We're delighted that Petter will remain at Subaru. It is great news for us. Over the past six seasons we've developed a strong relationship with Petter and he has become a great ambassador for Subaru and the sport in general.

"We've had a difficult start to this WRC season and our recent performance has fallen below the standards we set ourselves, but Petter's decision is the clearest endorsement of our ability to get things back on track. We are confident that we've got the right technical direction now.

"We have a good plan and are looking forward to making ourselves fully competitive again over the next few months and then developing a new car for the longer term. Petter believes, like we do, that we can give him the best opportunity of winning his second and hopefully his third World Championship titles in the near future."

Solberg said: "Well, first of all the aim is to win that's the main thing. That's what I want and the team wants too. OK, it's been a difficult situation recently and we haven't won as much as we want, but I've seen the plan and the strategy and how things are going to work out. That's why I'm feeling very positive about signing for Subaru again.

"I know that they have always been in the top of this sport and they will be back at the top and start to win rallies again very soon."