Prista Oil has hired the four-time world rally champion Tommi Makkinen in its attempt to make pilots from its proprietary team competitive on a European level, the company's managing board chairman Plamen Bobokov said, as quoted by Dnevnik daily.

In 2008 alone, the car team of the company will enjoy a one million euro budget.

Starting this year, the Prista Oil Rally Team will become international. Following OMV’s example, which, until last year, had teams in all countries in which it ran business operations, Prista Oil is planning to do the same. The club will keep the Romanian Dan Gartofan, who is a two-time national champion and the winner in all 12 of the rallies in which he took part.

Prista Oil plans to have competitors and teams in Serbia and Turkey as well.

The company has been investing in the motor sport for 11 years now. “We have become leaders in the south-eastern championship and now we are eyeing the top position in Eastern Europe, and then Europe-wide,” Bobokov said.

In 2010, when the Bulgaria rally is expected to become a phase of the world rally championship, the team is hoped to have between four and six cars racing in the world rally championship.