Volkswagen will confirm its 2011 World Rally Championship entry on Thursday, May 5 at a press conference in Sardinia.
While the German manufacturer remains tight-lipped on the subject, the agreement was reported to have received the final internal signature required yesterday and the announcement of the firm's first World Rally Championship effort will be made on the eve of Rally d'Italia.
A spokesman from VW said: "I cannot comment on anything at the moment."
VW had initially planned to reveal its WRC intentions in Portugal last month, but the final signatures were not in place, forcing it to postpone. The news from Italy is expected to be centred on a Polo World Rally Car, which will arrive for a selected program of WRC rounds in 2012 before the full season in 2013.
There are not expected to be any announcements of drivers, but Petter Solberg and Nasser Al-Attiyah are reckoned to be close to agreements.