David Richards of the World Rally rejects talk of crisis regarding factory teams pulling out of the rally:
Only two full factory teams – Subaru and Ford – line up for the season opener in Monte Carlo this weekend.
World champions Citroen joined Peugeot, Mitsubishi, Skoda and Hyundai in pulling the plug on their works teams.
“I think you are going to see a world rally with far more different faces on the podium,” said Richards.
“You will see private competitors competing when they’ve never had the chance before.
“In many respects this is what the general public want, this is what builds demand and interest in motorsport.”
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