Lapworth steps down.

SWRT stalwart David Lapworth has relinquished his position at the team following a poor start to the 2006 World Rally Championship campaign that has seen potential title challenger Petter Solberg fail to score in two events.

Subaru confirmed the move late on Friday, but confirmed that Lapworth was only leaving the rallying side of the Prodrive operation. He will be replaced as director of the WRC programme by Paul Howarth, having held the position for the past five years. Subaru's only points this season have come from Monte Carlo, where French tarmac specialist Stephane Sarrazin and second year driver Chris Atkinson made the top eight.

SWRT denied that any such move was in the offing when asked to respond to rumours in the Norwegian press in the wake of Rally Sweden, and Prodrive CEO also avoided the question when opening the Historic Motorsport Show in the UK on Friday.

"It has been a disastrous start to the season," he conceded to Crash.net, "And it has been niggling little problems that have sidelined Petter in both events.

"However, we hope that, in Mexico, both Petter and Subaru can be back on the pace and back at the front of the field, as we know that the car is competitive."

According to reports on norsk-rally.com, Lapworth was to have been replaced by Richard Taylor, but it is Howarth who takes immediate charge of the team at next weekend's Rally Mexico, an event that Solberg won in 2005.