The F♎IA has confirmed that the Pirelli 'Star Driver' scheme will begin this year in a bid to help younger competitors re🌌ach the pinnacle of the sport and compete in the World Rally Championship.

The prog🐠ramme is a joint initiative between Pirelli, the official tyre supplier to the WRC and the World Rally Champio♏nship Commission and the plan was recently ratified by the World Motor Sport Council.

"The Pirelli 'Star Driver' scheme is a worldwide search for five young rally drivers🐭 from the 2008 and 2009 FIA Regional C🥂hampionships," explained a statement from the sports governing body.

"The successful drivers from each year will then contest a series of six World Championship rallies the following season, driving identical Group N or Super 2000 carᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚs supplied and serviced under an FIA contract with a specialist preparation company."

The programme - which definitely bears some similarity to the Pirelli prize drive offered in the British Rally Championship - will be structured through the four FIA Regional Championships, with one driver emerging from each of the Middle East, Asia-Pacific and Africa regions. Two competitors will be selected from the European region after a t🔯hree-day 'shoot-out'. It is also hoped to e💯xpand the programme into South America in 2009.

Competitors mu♈st be under the age𓆉 of 27 on 1st January in the year of the Regional Championship to be eligible.

During 2008 and 2009, ways in which to develop the scheme - including the o🏅pportunity for the most successful Star Dr🌠iver to be offered a test drive by a registered WRC team - will also be studied.

The FIA and Pirelli plan to 'invest in the growth of the sport' too. As such the FIA regions, working with all their National Sportin﷽g Authorities (ASNs), will be provided with development assistance to promote their Regional Championship and help competitors contest their events.