Touring car ace Yvan Muller will make his World Rally Championship debut on October’s Rallye de France driving a Citroen Xsara run by the Petter Solberg World Rally Team.

Muller, 41, is currently leading the FIA World Touring Car Championship for drivers’ and won the series in 2008.

Accompanied by co-driver Gilles Mondesir, Muller will drive the Xsara WRC Petter campaigned in 2009 until its last event in Finland. Since then, the car has been completely rebuilt around a new chassis.

The car will be run by the Petter Solberg World Rally Team, alongside Petter’s C4 World Rally Car, but has been entered by the French team Automeca, with backing from the broadcaster Motors TV.

Muller, who like Sebastien Loeb was born in the Alsace region of France where the rally is based, said he was looking forward to trying something new. “Circuit racing is probably what I’m best known for but I think it’s very important to try new experiences,” he said. “I get a good feeling about rallying, and I’m very happy to see this project move forward on the Rally of France. It’s a great opportunity also to discover the roads of my hometown!” Read more at www.wrc.com