Who drove for the Subaru rally?
Subaru's official factory rally program, the Subaru World Rally Team (SWRT), fielded a rotating lineup of top drivers in the World Rally Championship (WRC) from the late 1990s into 2008, achieving notable success including a drivers' title in 2003.
Over the years, Subaru relied on a cadre of standout drivers who piloted the Impreza WRX STI in pursuit of wins and podiums. The exact lineup varied by season as sponsorship, management, and development priorities shifted, making Subaru's rally roster something of a who's-who of the era rather than a fixed team of a single season.
Notable Subaru rally drivers in the WRC era
The following drivers are among the most recognized who piloted Subaru's World Rally Team cars during its WRC years. The list highlights the period and their contributions.
- Colin McRae — Joined Subaru in the late 1990s and helped establish the team’s competitiveness on the world stage.
- Richard Burns — Drove for Subaru in the early 2000s and secured the drivers' championship with the team in 2001.
- Petter Solberg — Drove for Subaru from 2000 to 2008 and captured the drivers' title in 2003, the program's peak achievement.
- Henning Solberg — Petter Solberg's brother, competed with Subaru during the mid-to-late 2000s as a regular driver.
- Chris Atkinson — Australian driver who served as a key Subaru WRT racer during the mid-to-late 2000s.
During its peak, Subaru frequently ran two cars per event, with some seasons featuring additional guest or developmental drivers as the program evolved under Prodrive's management. The factory program ultimately ended after the 2008 season, marking the end of Subaru's official WRC factory-backed campaign.
Legacy and afterlives
Following the factory withdrawal from the WRC, Subaru continued involvement in rallying through regional programs and customer teams, maintaining the brand’s rally heritage in markets around the world. The Impreza’s rally pedigree remains a touchstone for Subaru's performance image and engineering philosophy in all-wheel-drive competition.
Summary
In brief, Subaru's rally history in the World Rally Championship was defined by a rotating but high-caliber driver lineup, anchored by Petter Solberg's 2003 title and featuring notable names such as Colin McRae, Richard Burns, Henning Solberg, and Chris Atkinson. The factory WRC program concluded after the 2008 season, but its impact on Subaru's motorsport identity endures in the brand’s rallying legacy.
Who drove for Subaru in WRC?
Subaru World Rally Team
| Team principal(s) | David Richards |
| Technical director | Richard Taylor |
| Drivers | Petter Solberg Chris Atkinson |
| Co-drivers | Phil Mills Stéphane Prévot |
| World Rally Championship history |
|---|
Why did Colin McRae leave Subaru?
Toward the end of his tenure with Subaru McRae was overcome with mechanical faults and this led him to leave the Subaru L555 factory team in 1998. After leaving Subaru in 1998, Colin was approached by Ford to drive for them in the 1999 WRC Season and since McRae was up for the challenge he accepted.
Who is the most famous Subaru rally driver?
Colin Steele McRae
“Colin McRae Subaru” are three words that comfortably go together, when you consider the context of rally driving and what our brand achieved through the sport. Colin Steele McRae was a Scottish rally driver who became the first Scot and the youngest person to win the World Rally Championship Drivers' title in 1995.
Why was Subaru banned from WRC?
Subaru left the World Rally Championship (WRC) after the 2008 season due to the global financial crisis which made the program too expensive. Additionally, the parent company, Fuji Heavy Industries, felt that Subaru had already achieved its marketing and sporting objectives for the WRC program.
You can watch this video to learn about the real reason Subaru left the WRC: 29sCar Problems FixedYouTube · Jul 21, 2025
- Financial crisis: The 2008 economic downturn forced many car manufacturers, including Subaru, to cut costs.
- Marketing objectives met: Subaru's parent company stated that the company had reached its sporting and marketing goals, particularly in raising brand awareness for its all-wheel-drive technology.
- Other factors:
- Recent seasons had been disappointing, with no rally wins since 2005.
- A change in WRC technical regulations for 2010 would have required developing a new car, adding to the costs.
This video explains the rise and fall of the Subaru WRC team: 49sOnlyaMK3YouTube · Nov 29, 2022
