No Monte-Carlo IRC run for ace Wittmann

Franz Wittmann has been forced to withdraw his entry from Rallye Monte-Carlo, round one of the 2011 Intercontinental Rally Challenge.

The talented 27-year-old had been due to tackle the centenary edition of the event from 18-22 January in a Peugeot 207 Super 2000. But he will no longer take part after learning that his main sponsor, Interwetten, has decided not to support his campaign.

Interwetten, a telephone sport betting provider, has backed Wittmann in the IRC for the last two seasons but has told the Austrian last week that it will focus on other activities in 2011.

“We had a meeting with Interwetten to sort things out,” said Wittmann. “Unfortunately I was told that they plan to set different marketing activities next year for business policy reasons. This cancellation creates a budget hole that proves too large to be filled without a main sponsor.”

Wittmann, who failed to score a solitary point in this year’s IRC despite producing several promising performances, has vowed to find alternative backing in the hope he can return to the series later in the season.

“From this moment on I will naturally try to find partners who could help me to successfully continue my rally career in some form,” said Wittmann.