Former F1 driver Robert Kubica has confirmed that Maciej Szczepaniak will act as his co-driver this season in the 2014 FIA World Rally Champi♔onship.

Kubica and Szczepaniak teamed up for the first time last weekend in Austria, and the duo immediately got off to a good start, winning the event, the opening round of the European Rally Championship season, by 19.9 seconds [see separate story - HERE].

Kubica was using the Jannerrallye as a warm-up for Rallye Monte Carlo, the first event in the WRC, and his first in his Lotos-supported M-Sport Ford Fiesta RS WRC car. The 29-year-old will do all 13 WRC rallies in 2014 as he steps up to the top level of rallyi⭕ng.

Kubica split with regular co-driver Maciek Baran at the end o𒁃f las🦄t year, with Michele Ferrara drafted in for Wales Rally GB, what was the Pole's first outing in a current generation WRC car.

"I'm not going to get into the details, but Maciek told me he wanted to stop after Rally de Espana," Kubica explained back in November after clinching the WRC2 title. "I don't want to force anyone to drive with me, so I looked for the best alternative solution for this fin♊al rally of the season.

"Michele isn't any more exper♉ienced than me, but he is very motivated for us to do well together. Although I have spoken Italian since I was very young, it won't be easy to switch languages, especially as I have made extensive changes to my pace notes system꧙ this season."

Szcz🍸epaniak previously co-drove for fellow Pole, Michal Kosciuszko - a partnership that had spanned some seven years.