Scott Speed will join Subaru Rally Team USA for the 2019 Americas Rallycross season, the Japanese manufacturer announced today.

The shock move means that the American will leave the Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross team that he has raced for in all but one season of his rallycross career.

The ex-Formula 1 driver will partner former World Rally stars Chris Atkinson and Patrik Sandell, who have been full-time drivers for the Vermont Sports Car-run team since 2017.

“I’m excited to officially announce my racing plans for the 2019 season. I’ve raced all over the world – Formula 1, NASCAR, Formula E, and a four-year rallycross championship run, including the inaugural ARX title this year – and I’m thrilled that the next chapter for me will be here in the US with the Subaru team in the Americas Rallycross series,” said Speed. “Subaru is a team on the rise in ARX, having been part of rallycross in the U.S. since the beginning.”

“At every race I’m amazed at the crowds of fans that show up to support the team,” said Speed. “I’m also excited to join Patrik Sandell and Chris Atkinson – two of the top drivers in the sport, who showed serious pace in the WRX STI this season. With the development they’ve put in I know this team can win, and I’m looking forward to bringing home another championship.”

Speed has won the last four US rallycross championships, taking three-straight Global Rallycross titles between 2015-2017, and the first season of the succeeding Americas Rallycross championship this year.

Across his six-year rallycross career to-date, the former-NASCAR campaigner has won 18-times – 16 times in GRC, including the non-championship X Games round in 2015, and twice in ARX.

Speed’s first victory came on his debut in Foz do Iguaçu, driving GRC’s Olsbergs MSE-run ‘Star Car’ for guest drivers in 2013. The success of that one-off appearance led to Speed switching to the discipline full-time.

He moved to Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross ahead of the 2014 season to partner Tanner Foust and had been there ever since.

The future of Volkswagen’s US programme meanwhile is currently uncertain. Speculation suggests that the German manufacturer will pull its support for the team in 2019, although IndyCar outfit Andretti Autosport could continue to run the team privately.