Reigning World Rally Champion Sebastien Ogier has signed for the M-Sport team -- a privateer outfit with factory support from Ford -- following Volkswagen’s shocking withdrawal from the championship before Rally Australia.

Ogier, with four world titles behind him, will lead a two-car team with Estonia’s Ott Tanak in the second car.

Ogier tested the all-new 2017-specification Fiesta in Wales recently, before signing on to become the first world champion with a privateer team since Sebastien Loeb in 2006 (who clinched the title with the Kronos team during Citroen’s sabbatical).

With 38 rally wins, the 32-year-old Ogier is currently the most successful driver in the history of the sport, which is set to embark upon a new era with faster, wider and more radical cars under the latest regulations. M-Sport, run by Malcolm Wilson, has previously won the manufacturers’ championship –- also in 2006, as well as 2007 -– but it has never sealed a drivers’ title despite coming close with stars like as Colin McRae.

"There will be a lot of new things this season, but I am definitely looking forward to it," Ogier said. "We have a new generation of World Rally cars, and a new team –- it’s certainly an exciting time. There’s not long before we line up at the start of Rallye Monte-Carlo, and we’ve not had a lot of seat time with the Ford Fiesta WRC, but we’ll give it our best to be ready. We’re aware of the challenges, and I can see how hungry Malcolm and his team are for success. It’s funny to think that just a few months ago, I was sitting at a motorsport forum at Wales Rally GB saying how nice it would be to work with him one day. I had no idea at the time that it would come quite so soon, but here we are."

Wilson said he was prepared to do whatever he could to sign Ogier, who also had retirement among his options.

"We go to Rallye Monte-Carlo with the No. 1 on the door of the Ford Fiesta WRC and the strongest driver lineup we have had in years," Wilson said. "To say we’re excited about next season is an understatement. We believe that we have produced an exceptional car, and we are in the best possible position ahead of this exciting new era. I’ve made no secret of how much we wanted to work with Sebastien and Julien, and it is fantastic to welcome them to the team. We have worked extremely hard to secure them, and they believe that the Ford Fiesta WRC is the car with which they can best defend their championship."

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