The Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) has agreed a one-rally deal with Evgeniy Novikov, one of off-road motorsport’s bright, young talents, to pilot Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team’s third Ford Fiesta RS World Rally Car at next month’s Wales Rally GB – the 2011 World Rally Championship (WRC) season finale

Russian Novikov, who has already raced for M-Sport Stobart Ford Rally Team this season, will steer Team Abu Dhabi’s points-scoring entry in place of regular driver, Sheikh Khalid Al Qassimi, who has domestic commitments during the emirate’s Etihad Airways Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend - which falls on the same dates as Wales Rally GB, 11th-13th November.

Since making his WRC debut in Wales in 2007, Novikov, 21, has forged a successful route through the world’s premiere off-road motorsport series. After a fifth-place finish in the Rally d'Italia Sardegna two years ago, the fearless star made rally history when he became both the first Russian and the youngest-ever driver to top the WRC time sheets in the first stage of the 2009 Acropolis Rally.