Kuipers gets Portugal entry after Hanninen confirms absence

After a 12-month absence, Dennis Kuipers will return to the World Rally Championship next week when he joins the Qatar World Rally Team for Rally de Portugal. Dutchman Kuipers will drive Juho Hanninen’s Ford Fiesta RS after the Finn confirmed he was unable to take part for personal reasons. Kuipers drove a Ford Fiesta RS WRC for the FERM Power Tools World Rally Team in 2011. He finished 12th in the final standings on the back of a career-best fifth on Rallye de France Alsace.
He made only one WRC appearance in 2012, finishing sixth on Rally de Portugal, before a crash on the German Rallye Sulinger in May led to a lengthy recuperation from back injuries and a broken collarbone.
“Firstly I want to send my best wishes to Juho and his family and I am sure the team will agree that it won’t be quite the same without him and Tomi [Tuominen, Hänninen’s co-driver] in the service park,” said Kuipers.
“But I also need to say a big thank-you to Malcolm [Wilson] and Nasser [Al-Attiyah] for making it possible for me to compete in Juho’s absence. I really enjoy this event and it holds a lot of good memories for me. I can’t wait to get back to the WRC and I am really looking forward to working with M-Sport once again.”
Kuipers will be co-driven in Portugal by Robin Buysmans.