With Ford and Mini pulling support from the series, and Citroen's Sebastien Loeb finally retiring after dominating the series for over a decade, the Volkswagen team looks poised to take a real bite out of the rally scene next year. The 2013 World Rally Championship kicks off in Monaco in January, then heads to Sweden, Mexico, Portugal, Argentina, Greece, Italy, Finland, Germany, Australia, France, Spain and Wales (Great Britain), finishing off a thirteen-round season next November. Alongside Volkswagen,
Hyundai will be joining the fight next season with the new i20 WRC.