Schwarz gets home outing on German WRC dry-run

Schwarz, who won the recent Sachsenring Rallye on home ground, will use his regular Octavia WRC on the event, which runs from July 5-8.

"It's great that Germany's got a rally like this," he said, "and I'm delighted to be taking part. I've competed on the old Deutschland and Hunsruck Rallies (the two events that have been combined to form Germany's bid for WRC status) but not since 1996, so I won't have any home advantage apart from the local support."

Based in Trier in the west of the country, the Rally Deutschland has already attracted a likely entry from World Champion Marcus Gronholm. Ford has yet to confirm its participation, although there is increasing speculation that Colin McRae might be called into action. Hyundai is also considering sending a car, although that could depend on budget from a local distributor.