Tomasz Kuchar to join Hyundai for 2002.

Former Polish F2 Rally Champion Tomasz Kuchar is to join the Hyundai Castrol World Rally Team on select rounds of the 2002 FIA World Rally Championship.

He will be making his debut with co-driver Maciej Szczepaniak on the first true tarmac event of the season, the Tour de Corse from 8-10 March.

Kuchar is an up-and-coming rally driver who has spent several years at the top of the sport in his native Poland. He contested Rallye Sanremo - his first WRC rally - in 1999 and in 2000 made his debut in a World Rally Car on the Swedish Rally. Aiming for a works drive, Thomasz set out to gain more experience at world level by contesting Portugal, Deutschland, Sanremo and Finland during last year's season.

His programme with the Hyundai Castrol World Rally Team will begin with the Tour de Corse, closely followed by Rallye Catalunya later in March. He will also contest the tarmac rounds in the later part of the year - Deutschland Rallye and Rallye Sanremo. While these are the only four rounds confirmed at present, the Polish crew are looking to expand their programme to include several gravel events as well.

Team Principal David Whitehead said: "It is of importance to the future of the World Rally Championship that all teams nurture and develop the drivers of tomorrow. We are delighted to have Tomasz join us and are very much looking forward to playing a key role in the development of this young driver's career."

Tomasz and Maciej will be present at the official launch of the 2002 World Rally Championship on Wednesday 16 January at Grimaldi Forum in Monte Carlo, alongside team regulars Armin Schwarz/Manfred Hiemer, Freddy Loix/Sven Smeets and Juha Kankkunen/Juha Repo.