Valimaki gets works Hyundai for 2003.

Motor Sport Developments Ltd., the outfit that runs Hyundai's WRC effort, has announced that rising Finnish star Jussi Valimaki will enter at least seven rounds of the 2003 World Rally Championship in a full specification Hyundai Accent World Rally Car.

Valimaki's first WRC outing will be in the Swedish Rally in February and will be followed by six other events currently to be confirmed. He will also take part in other non-Championship events.

"I am very happy with this step," said 28-year-old Valimaki. "My target for 2003 was to move up to driving a World Rally Car and this team is the best scenario we could have imagined to enable me to learn more and develop my experience - hopefully resulting in a works drive in the future. I must thank all those people that have helped me during the years to get to this position and I intend to take full advantage of this opportunity."

The first test with the Hyundai will be following the Rally of Great Britain in Wales. "It is good to get a feeling for the car so soon as I believe that an early start to our preparations, coupled with hard work and thorough testing will produce good results, especially on the rallies that I know well," said Jussi, just before his third Rally of Great Britain.

Despite his youth, the enthusiastic Finn already has 21 WRC starts in 10 different World Championship Rallies.

Tero Gardemeister, his experienced co-driver, said: "It has been interesting to follow how Jussi has been developing this year and I am very confident for 2003."

MSD will prepare and run the car from their Milton Keynes base. Paul Risbridger, in charge of the project enthused, "Jussi is an exciting prospect for 2003 and we are pleased to be able to form a partnership at this stage of his career. We are confident that the Accent WRC? is the right car to tackle the variety of events planned for 2003 and we look forward to working closely with him throughout the programme."