Multiple Argentine title winner Federico Villagra has secured a nine-event deal to contest the World Rally Championship in Ford’s new Fiesta RS WRC this year after he declared his retirement from the world stages last year.
Villagra, who drove a Fiesta Super 2000 on the Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC) round in Argentina last season, will start off his campaign on Rally Mexico in March, before taking part on the WRC in Portugal, Italy, Argentina, Greece, Finland, Australia, France and Spain.
Villagra will once again run under the Munchi’s Ford World Rally Team banner, co-driven by Jorge Perez Companc. The 42-year-old will also contest the Argentine national championship driving a Group N Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution.
“All the time, I am learning new things,” said Villagra. “It’s not so easy sometimes when you are jumping in between different cars, but I think we have shown that we deserve our place in the world championship.”
The Munchi’s car will be one of ten Ford Fiesta RS WRCs that factory team M-Sport is planning to field during the 2011 season.