Qatari World Rally Championship driver Nasser Al-Attiyah has revealed that he is looking to secure a deal with Volkswagen to race the German firm’s 2017 Polo R WRC in next year’s championship.
Despite exiting the sport, VW recently confirmed that it had concluded development of its 2017-spec car, would homologate it and was looking for private teams to sell it to. Al-Attiyah could be the man VW needs.
Speaking with Motorsport, the 45-year-old confirmed that he is working on a deal to race the Polo R WRC next season as the VW Group itself is 14.6 per cent owned by a Qatar sovereign wealth fund.
“We are trying to drive the new Polo R 2017. As you know, Qatar has some shares in the VW Group. I met the officials here in Qatar and we are trying to make that possible. If it’s possible, then why not? If we get the confirmation, then I’ll do the full WRC season next year,” Al-Attiyah confirmed.
If such a deal were struck, it could present an option for reigning champion Sebastien Ogier who is without a seat next year due to VW’s exit. Given his success piloting VWs, he could be very interested in driving the 2017-spec machine if Al-Attiyah can secure more than one car.