The 29-year-old Spaniard will drive Loubet’s Hyundai i20 at Rally RACC Rally de España (14 – 17 October) after the Frenchman’s season was ended when he suffered a broken hip in a collision with a car.

Solans has quickly pieced together a deal with the Hyundai 2C Compétition squad, for whom Loubet has driven all season, to tackle his home rally and will climb behind the wheel for the first time at Monday’s test.

“I’m so sorry about Loubet because this thing doesn’t deserve to anybody,” 29-year-old Solans told WRC.com.

Video: Top 5 Reasons to watch RallyRACC – Rally de España

“The team called me to say they had this possibility that maybe I can drive this car, so I was hard working during two or three days to try to find everything we need to do this rally.

“Finally, it looks like we achieved it. I have to be really grateful for all the help from Hyundai, from Rallye Team Spain, and from RACC Motorsport, because they have been helping me since I started rallying and they are helping me now as well.”

The 29-year-old, who lifted the Junior WRC and the WRC3 titles in 2017 before winning the Spanish gravel crown last season, admits he has no idea what to expect from his first experience of top-tier cars.

“All I can tell you is what I know from Dani [Sordo] and other drivers who I was talking with many times, but it will be a lot of fun for sure,” he added.

Solans will be guided by one of the WRC’s most experienced co-drivers. Marc Martí has 200 WRC starts to his name alongside drivers like Carlos Sainz, Dani Sordo and Jesus Puras. Only Miikka Anttila, former partner to Jari-Matti Latvala, has made more WRC starts in the co-drivers’ seat.

“Having Marc behind me in the co-driver’s place is easy because he has been in a WRC car many times and he can help a lot in this small programme,” said Solans, who has tackled the Salou-based asphalt fixture seven times previously. His last two drives in 2018 and 2019 were in R5-specification cars in WRC2.

“I have done this rally many times so it’s less job to do and our big job is to get used to the car. It’s a new generation of car for me which we are not used to,” he added.

“Last time with the R5 it was really good and we had many good times but this year it is a totally different situation. We just want to have fun and do some great times. Closer than we expect [to the leading drivers] will be enough for us.”

Solans will be joined in the Hyundai 2C Compétition squad by Oliver Solberg, who makes his third World Rally Car outing of the season.