The FIA has announced that Yves Matton has been appointed Rally Director within the governing body, confirming rumours of his departure from the Citroeën WRC outfit.
Matton has been in charge of Citroën's rally programme since 2011 after he replaced Olivier Quesnel. Pierre Budar will now take up the role of team principal, having previously run PSA's customer racing department.
In Matton's new FIA position, he will be "responsible for the strategic vision of rallying and cross country rallying at all levels, from grassroots with amateurs through to the regions and the pinnacles of the disciplines, the FIA World Rally Championship and FIA World Cup for Cross Country Rallies."
He will also be "instrumental in liaising with all the sport’s stakeholders in order to optimise the attractiveness, efficiency and future sustainability of the discipline."
FIA President, Jean Todt, said of the Belgian's appointment: "Yves has a wealth of experience across many facets of rallying, which is important for its continued growth.
"He has great passion for the sport and his understanding of competition and management at independent and manufacturer levels will be a great asset to further securing the future development of our sport. I would also like to thank PSA Motorsport for making Yves’ transition to the FIA so seamless.
"I also pay tribute to Jarmo [Mahonen] for his significant contribution and the advancements made in rallying under his management. We have solid foundations to further build on and I am confident we will continue to see the sport grow from strength to strength."
Matton added: "I must admit that I feel very honoured to take on this position at the FIA, the governing body of world motor sport. I have worked at various levels of the sport, including for one of the most successful manufacturers in history, but this is for me a real achievement in itself."
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