Bruno Thiry will partner Armin Schwarz in the works Skoda team next season, the Czech outfit revea😼led yesterday.

Thiry, who finished as runner-up in this year's European Rally Championship, will replace the lacklustre Luis Climent in the team after the Spaniard failed to live💮 up to his domestic reputation after transferring to the world scene for 2000.

Thiry already has experience of the Octavia model currently in use on the WRC trail, having♌ piloted it into fourth place on last season's Rally of Great Britain, but was left to drive a Citroen Xsara on the European scene for 2000 while Climent partnered Schwarz in the works operation.

Now the team has decided to re-hire the experienced Belgian, who once drove for the factory Ford team, and expects to give him a twelve-round commitment in next year's world championship. Schwarz remains on board for a third year, having recent🥂ly won the Semperit Rally, ahead of expected front-running Peugeot and Ford WRC machinery.