Munchi's dump Raies, sign Villagra.

The Munchi's Ford World Rally Team has announced that Federico Villagra will replace Juan Pablo Raies and drive the team's second car on all the remaining events this year.

The changes will come into effect immediately with Villagra already confirmed for the next round in the FIA World Rally Championship, in less than two weeks time, the Rally d'Italia Sardegna.

Villagra, who won the Production Car World Rally Championship category in Argentina last weekend, had been planning to try and step up to do the PWRC full-time in 2008. However, it appears his performance over the weekend impressed the right people.

Speaking after his victory on Sunday and before the Munchi's deal was confirmed he explained that the reason he was only doing one PWRC event in 2007 was due to sponsorship problems.

"The idea this year was to do the complete PWRC. We worked on the budget but we couldn't get it so we are just doing this [event in Argentina as a 'guest' driver] and working on more for next year," he noted.

"For me it was really good to have a good fight with [Toshi] Arai. He is well known and very fast. Since yesterday when I had a flat tyre we were just two seconds behind - and we have been going back and forth the whole time."

Villagra's promotion though is a blow for Raies, who admittedly struggled in Argentina over the weekend. Indeed Juan Pablo eventually finished 12th overall on Sunday, over a minute behind Federico, who not only took the PWRC win, but who was ninth overall at the finish, just one place off a 'senior' WRC point.

For the record, Raies' co-driver, Jorge Perez-Companc will stay on and work with Villagra in the second Munchi's Ford Focus RS 06.