Panizzi quits Red Bull because...

Gilles Panizzi's decision not to drive for the Red Bull Skoda team on the Rallye de France-Tour de Corse next weekend appears to be two-fold.

The Frenchman only finished tenth in Spain last weekend, and he has now said this lack of competitiveness of the Fabia WRC is why he doesn't want to continue with the team. However, he failed to mention that the reason he ended up tenth instead of eighth was because he eased off too much on the final test, something that allowed Stephane Sarrazin and Mikko Hirvonen to pass him.

"I no longer want to drive for the Red Bull Skoda team. I no longer want to be taking risks just to finish in tenth place," Panizzi told French newspaper, L'Equipe.

However, his exit seems to be more complicated, with a release from Red Bull noting that his early departure was due to 'private family matters', hinting at the real reason.

Reports on the official WRC website and rallye-magazin.de suggest Panizzi has split with his brother, and long-term co-driver, Herve. The Panizzi brothers had worked together for over ten years, taking in 71 WRC events, but the relationship has apparently become strained recently, with things coming to a head in Spain last weekend.

Gilles' future in the WRC is now uncertain, although it is thought that he does not want to retire. Red Bull Skoda, meanwhile, have signed Panizzi's former Peugeot and Mitsubishi team-mate, Harri Rovanpera, to fill the void left by his exit [see separate story].