The Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Rallyꦛ team has announced that Gigi Galli will join Henning Solberg and Matthew Wilson next season as the M-Sport run outfit competes in the WRC for the third full y🐻ear in succession.

Galli will take over the꧙ slot previously held by Jari-Matti Latvala, the Finn having been promoted to Ford's 'A' team alongside Mikko Hirvonen.

Galli, like Henning and Wilson, will compete on all 15-events and all three will get to use the latest 2007 spec Focus, which made its debut in the WRC𒁏 back in the summer on the Rally Finland.

Galli will be nominated permanently to score ma﷽nufacturers' points, while the second nominated driver will be 'left open'.

Indeed on the season opening Rallye Monte Carlo next month, the Stobart team will field four cars, with Francois Duval, who ran as a Ford 'works' driver on several occasions from 2002 to 2004, running as t💜he official 'second' driver.

"It's set to be another exciting year for the Stobart team after such a success🐷ful sไeason this year," said team boss, Malcolm Wilson.

"Jari-Matti's promotion to the BP-Ford Abu Dhabi team has left an opportunity for someone to join this very competitive squad and we are happy to announce that it will be Italian driver Gigi Galli. Gigi has a wealth of experien꧂ce in the WRC and I'm sure will be a great asset for the team.

"Matthew and Henning will again be part of the Stobart team after some fantastic performancꦑes in the 2007 championship. The battle this year with Subaru [for third in the manufacturers'] came down to the final event in Wales and next year things are again looking strong for the Stobart squad."

The two 🌃points scoring Stoꦆbart Focus RS WRC cars meanwhile will switch to using numbers seven and eight in 2008, as opposed to the nine and ten used this year, something that is a result of the outfits improved performance in the manufacturers'.

Wilson will retain his regular number 16ꩲ next year for those events where he is not nominated to score for the team.