The former Hyundai and Mitsubishi WRC driver will race the Loco World RX Team's Volkswagen Polo Supercar campaigned so far in 2017 by fellow Briton Guy Wilks.

Wilks and the Loco squad have mutually agreed that the double British Rally Champion will vacate the seat that will be filled by McRae for the remaining four rounds of the World RX season in France, Latvia, Germany and South Africa.

"This has all come together quite quickly, but I'm really looking forward to France, it will be a great experience," said McRae.

"From the outside World RX is going from strength-to-strength and it's probably one of the most competitive championships around at the moment, so to get the opportunity to do that is really exciting."

The Scott, who now lives in Australia, has limited previous experience of rallycross machinery.

Most recently, he competed in a one-off Australian rallycross event in 2015 driving a Supercar Lites machine, and tested a M-Sport-built Ford Fiesta Supercar in America last winter, raced in the Global Rallycross Championship by Steve Aprin.

"The one event in the Lites car and the test in Florida with the Loenbro Motorsports team gave me a bit of experience of the cars, but obviously not at the level it will be at in France," he said.

McRae's last World Championship appearance was on Rally New Zealand in 2012, driving a Proton Super2000. He plans to test the ex-Johan Kristoffersson Polo in Northern France next week.

Wilks, whose best result was a seventh place finish in the opening round of the year in Barcelona said in a statement released by the World Championship: "I decided to vacate the seat with Loco from Canada onwards.

"I hope to be back in World RX again soon but in the meantime, I wish Alister the best of luck – he is a talent behind the wheel so it will be interesting to watch how he gets on in RX."