Eriksson - who won Germany RX following an epic overtake on turn one of the final - commented: "I am very excited to join MJP Racing Team Austria and to be able to compete full-time in 2017."

"Driving for the team alongside Timo Scheider makes me feel fantastic. I’ve seen what they have done with their new 2017 Ford Fiesta RXS and it will be amazing to drive this machine."

"Thanks to the team and their sponsors for giving me this opportunity.”

Germany’s Scheider, who also won the 24 Hours of Nurburgring, added: "I am very excited to join MJP Racing Team Austria - we had been talking since some time."

"Rallycross encompasses for me the great passion of motorsport. The level of the Championship goes up in 2017 with more manufacturers entering, but MJP Racing has built a new car for 2017 that will be a serious contender."

"They not only have great dedication but also employ a high-tech approach to designing and building race cars that is unique. We found ourselves to be very compatible as partners and I look forward to a fantastic season.”

Team owner Max J. Pucher concluded: “Last year we reached semi-finals regularly and the fact that we placed third and fourth in Barcelona final showed how competitive both the team and the cars are."

"Having Timo Scheider with us in the team is just fantastic and makes all of us in the team really proud and Kevin is the perfect match for Timo. The combination of DTM experience and World RX makes for one of the strongest driver pairings in the 2017 Championship."

"As much as I would have liked to have Alex Wurz as an Austrian counterpart to Timo he unfortunately was unable to commit to a full season. We have reached our ultimate goal of stepping up our game both in drivers and cars. Barcelona RX, here we come!”

The 2017 World RX season kicks off in just over seven weeks’ time with the World Championship travelling to the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya for the season-opening World RX of Barcelona.

Solberg will be responsible for the sporting operations of the new team supported by Volkswagen Sweden and its distributors.

The squad is based on Solberg’s rallycross outfit for the last three years, but with cars coming – along with technical support – from Volkswagen Motorsport in Germany. The team headquarters will remain in Torsby, Sweden.

An elated Solberg said the deal was the one he’d been waiting for. “This is the dream,” explained the Norwegian. "With backing from Volkswagen Sweden and the top-notch Johan Kristoffersson as my team-mate, everything is possible. From the start, we are aiming at gold in the championship, this is my priority for 2017: I want to take this for my PSRX Team and for Volkswagen Sweden.”
 
Solberg added: “My team has worked so hard for so many years to be in the position to make this deal and now we’re here, it’s fantastic. It really is the dream for me. We have so much potential now, but we also have a lot of work to do – but what an incredible future we are working towards now. Everything in the world is possible and achievable now.”
 
Kristoffersson also spoke positively regarding the new collaboration with Solberg.  He commented: “I am incredibly proud to be part of this extremely exciting project with Petter and Volkswagen Sweden - it’s a dream come true in every way. Together we will do everything in our power to achieve success - I intend to grab this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity with both hands.”

Volkswagen Motorsport Director Sven Smeets concluded: “We are very much looking forward to working together with Petter, Johan and Volkswagen Sweden in the FIA World Rallycross Championship. Petter’s team and Volkswagen Sweden will take care of the operation of the whole project. This strong co-operation provides everything needed to be successful.”

Round one of the 2017 FIA World Rallycross Championship will commence in Barcelona (1-2 April). The World Championship consists of 12 legs and concludes in Cape Town, South Africa, in mid-November.

Frenchman Guerlain Chicherit and British-based company Prodrive will develop an all-new rallycross car – the new Renault Megane RX - for the 2018 FIA World Rallycross Championship presented by Monster Energy.

The Renault Megane RX Supercar will be unveiled at this year’s World RX of France in Loheac (1-3 September).

Chicherit, a former World Champion in free skiing, has already entered select World RX events in 2015 and 2016 but has now decided to build his own team, GCK, to enter the 2018 season.

The new Supercar will be based on the Renault Megane IV and will be designed from the ground up by Prodrive to the latest World RX regulations. The entire car will be designed at its headquarters in Banbury, UK, including developing a bespoke two-litre turbocharged engine. Chicherit will continue to use the 2017 season to enter select rounds and begin testing the Megane RX in autumn 2017, ready for the 2018 season start.

David Richards, Prodrive Chairman, explained: “It has long been an ambition of ours to compete in the FIA World Rallycross Championship. It is the fastest growing motorsport series in the world and gives us the opportunity to use all our engineering experience to create a car capable of winning the world title."

"Guerlain is obviously a very talented driver and we look forward to working with him and developing a race car that both he and Renault will be proud of.”

Guerlain Chicherit added: “I’m so happy to be working with the guys from Prodrive to build what has been my dream for a long time."

"I know that with the right team and the support we have, we’ll be able to produce a car that will really make an impact in the paddock. I absolutely trust Prodrive to build the best car and I’m excited to bring my brand and partners to the Championship in 2018.”

Paul Bellamy, World RX Managing Director for IMG, concluded: “It is extremely encouraging to hear that Guerlain will be entering his own team into the FIA World Rallycross Championship using Prodrive’s years of expert knowledge and experience to design the new Megane RX."

"Guerlain is an extremely experienced athlete and we look forward to welcoming him and his new team to our sport full-time from next year.”