WRC: Kubica secures 2015 M-Sport Fiesta

Robert Kubica will return to the World Rally Championship at next week's Rally of Portugal driving one of the five all-new Ford Fiesta RS WRCs. Preparation of the Polish star's car, pictured, is currently being finalized at M-Sport's UK headquarters, with the Fiesta expected to run for the first time before the weekend.

Kubica's RK World Rally Team has purchased the car and will run it in association with M-Sport in Portugal, where the 2015-spec Ford will make makes its first WRC appearance.

The 2008 F1 Canadian Grand Prix winner was forced to miss the last round of the WRC in Argentina after failing to find agreement with A-Style – the Italian outfit which had run him on the first three rounds of this year's series – in efforts to restructure his campaign. A-Style evidently will not be involved with Kubica's entry next week.

All five new Fords coming from M-Sport are nearing completion, with Martin Prokop joining the rest of his team to put the finishing touches on his car ahead of its shakedown on Thursday.

The factory cars of Elfyn Evans and Ott Tanak have been through the shakedown process already, while Italian privateer Lorenzo Bertelli will drive the fifth.

Originally on Autosport.com