The BP Ford World Rally Team will enter a third car on four of the remaining eight rounds in the FIA World Rally Championship this season, following the 'partnership' deal announced today w💞ith the Abu Dhabi Tourismꦏ Authority [see seperate story].

As such United Arab Emirates driver Khalid Al Qassimi, the leader of the FIA Middle East💃 Championship, will drive a 📖BP-Ford-entered Focus RS WRC in Finland, Germany, Spain and Ireland.

Th⛎e 20♌04 Middle East rally champion will also continue with the BP Ford team in 2008, competing on ten of the 16 events.

B🧜P Ford team director, Malcolm Wilson reckons that the combination of Marcus Gronholm, Mikko Hirvonen and Al Qassimi🌃 will work well.

"The partnership of Sheikh Khalid, Mikko and Marcus - who we hope will be 200♊7 WRC Champion - forms a powerful combination of diverse experience and raw potential which will prove invaluable as the BP-Ford World Rally Team reinforces its WRC cre𝐆dentials," he noted.

ADTA chairman Sheikh Sultan Bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan meanwhile, who announced details of the n🍸ew partnership to the media this morning, is confident that the deal between Ford and Abu Dhabi will be a success.

"This is a great day for Motorsport, for Abu Dhabi and for the Unitedꦡ Arab Emirates," he added.

"This valued partnership for the currentꦉ season sets us all on-course for continued international awareness, and from 2008, the BP-Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team will be seen competing ac💙ross the globe. We have total faith in the partnership between Abu Dhabi and the BP-Ford World Rally Team."