Novikov to miss 2014 WRC

Evgeny Novikov will not have a full time drive in the World Rally Championship in 2014 due to a lack of funding.

In a statement, the Russian’s backer Michael Lepekhov said: “We have been negotiating with different teams, but failed to agree.

“We do not exclude the possibility of participation of Evgeny in some races, but about the full participation in the World Rally Championship in 2014 are not talking.”

Known more for his crashes than his successes, Novikov, 23, began his WRC career in 2009 with Citroen’s Junior team, before switching to the M-Sport Stobart Ford squad for 2011.

He stayed with M-Sport in 2012, when he achieved his best season ranking of sixth, thanks to second places in Portugal and Italy.

Still with M-Sport, he ended a fast but accident prone 2013 a distant seventh, rolling on the season closing Wales Rally GB, one week after he rolled at the pre-event test.