IRC regular Luca Betti will drive a Peugeot 207 S2000 for the rest of the season. The car will be run by a new Italian team, F.R. Special Cars, and will run on Pirelli tyres.

Betti – whose previous exploits have included fifth overall on the Rallye du Valais last year in a two-wheel drive Honda – had the chance to carry out a very short test with the car last week, but he will have to treat his debut with the Peugeot in Ypres this week as a learning experience.

"I'm delighted to have the chance to drive this car, but there will be a lot to get used to," Betti declared. "Ypres is a very specialised event so it is not the ideal place to be learning a new car, but we will see what we can do."

Mario Isola, Pirelli's Rally Manager, added: "We will bring a wide range of tyres to Ypres, as anything can happen with the weather. It's an event where the right tyre can make a big difference, so we're all hoping for a good result with Luca and our other drivers."