Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila claimed their second victory of the 2014 FIA World Rally Championship season at Rally Argentina today. The Finns were dominant throughout and beat team-mates Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia by one minute 26.9 seconds at the end of three long days of competition. Third place was taken by Kris Meeke and Paul Nagle in their debut World Championship outing on Rally Argentina.

In the FIA World Rally Championship, Ogier tops the leaderboard, 24 points ahead of Latvala. Andreas Mikkelsen and Mads Østberg are equal on 48 points behind the two Volkswagen crews who have now collectively won nine consecutive WRC events. In the Manufacturers’

Championship, the German marque takes a commanding advantage and is 97 points ahead of nearest rivals, the Citroën Total Abu Dhabi World Rally Team.

Today’s route covered four stages, without service, and took the crews to the famous Mina Clavero and El Condor stages to the southwest of Cordoba. Conditions were treacherous with deep mud, patchy fog and rain ensuring the final day of competition was no easy ride to the finish. The second running of El Condor counted as the Power Stage, where Ogier, Mikko Hirvonen and Latvala collected the extra points respectively for being fastest through this single stage.

Behind the leading trio, Mikkelsen recovered from an early retirement in the event to take fourth position, but an alternator warning light after the final stage meant the Norwegian had an anxious drive to the finish. Thierry Neuville piloted the sole surviving Hyundai to fifth position in the team’s first visit to South America with the i20 WRC. The Belgian was forced to drive slowly in the final stage, however, having broken something in the transmission. Having adopted a different approach to this rally, Robert Kubica reaped the reward of sixth position and his first points of the season. He headed Elfyn Evans, who similarly drove a measured and safe rally to reach the finish in his first Rally Argentina. Martin Prokop finished eighth and Mikko Hirvonen climbed to ninth, having won three of today’s stages. Qatar’s Nasser Al-Attiyah claimed the final point-scoring position and also won the FIA WRC 2 Championship category for the second consecutive event.

The sixth round of the FIA World Rally Championship takes the contenders back to Europe and the Mediterranean island of Sardinia for Rally Italia Sardegna (5-8 June).

Rally Argentina – Final Unofficial Results (subject to scrutineering)

FIA World Rally Championship for Drivers (after 5 of 13 rounds)

FIA World Rally Championship for Manufacturers (after 5 of 13 rounds)

RALLY NEWS

1. Mikko Hirvonen/Jarmo Lehtinen 2. Ott Tanak/Raigo Molder 3. Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia 4. Mads Østberg/Jonas Andersson 5. Dani Sordo/Marc Marti 6. Thierry Neuville/Nicolas Gilsoul 7. Henning Solberg/Ilka Minor 8. Juho Hänninen/Tomi Tuominen 9. Andreas Mikkelsen/Mikko Markkula 10. Martin Prokop/Jan Tomanek

Ford Fiesta RS WRC Ford Fiesta RS WRC Volkswagen Polo R WRC Citroën DS3 WRC Hyundai i20 WRC Hyundai i20 WRC Ford Fiesta RS WRC Hyundai i20 WRC Volkswagen Polo R WRC Ford Fiesta RS WRC

1hr 25 min 05.6sec 1hr 25 min 09.3sec 1hr 25 min 12.1sec 1hr 25 min 31.2sec 1hr 25 min 31.3sec 1hr 25 min 47.6sec 1hr 26 min 47.9sec 1hr 27 min 03.8sec 1hr 27 min 21.8sec 1hr 28 min 04.8sec

The WRC regulations meant the two Volkswagen drivers were faced with a luxurious problem on the opening day of the rally. As first, second and fourth in the World Championship, they had the dubious honour of opening the route. In few other rallies is this such a major disadvantage as in Mexico. More and more of the layer of loose gravel is swept out of the way with every World Rally Car that passes. The disadvantage is calculated at about 0.1 seconds per kilometre and per competitor. However, theVolkswagen pairings of Ogier/Ingrassia and Latvala/Anttila produced an energetic display to negate this hindrance. Eight of eleven stage wins went to Wolfsburg on day one alone.

Bonus points on the Power Stage, World Championship lead extended in all three classifications
With victory in Mexico, Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia moved into the lead in the overall standings of the World Rally Championship – just ahead of their Volkswagen team-mates Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila. Ogier and Ingrassia lead both the Driver and Co-Driver classifications with 63 points, followed by Latvala and Anttila with 60 points. Between them, the two cars increased the lead in the Manufacturers’ Championship significantly. Volkswagen now has 115 points to its name – 55 more than its closest rival Citroën. Andreas Mikkelsen/Mikko Markkula are fourth overall with 24 points.

XXL team performance – Polo R WRC #9 perfectly restored to working order
The day’s rallying twice ended ahead of schedule for Andreas Mikkelsen/Mikko Markkula (N/FIN). On Friday, the Volkswagen duo hit a stone when exiting a corner on the “El Chocolate” special stage and damaged the rear-right suspension, bringing their day to a premature end having previously been running second. On Saturday, a mistake in the pace notes resulted in Mikkelsen/Markkula rolling their car when they cut too much off a corner and were flipped over by a hole in the road. Thanks to the outstanding job done by their mechanics, the number nine Polo R WRC was back as good as new by the time it took to the road for Sunday’s special stages. They managed to get the World Rally Car back into top condition within the three-hour time limit specified in the regulations. Mikkelsen/Markkula used the Sunday to gain as much experience as possible at rally pace, setting four top-three times in the process.

High altitude, heat, homework – Polo R WRC, the cleverest World Rally Car
Absolutely reliable and equipped with an intelligent engine control unit, the Volkswagen Polo R WRC set the technological benchmark at the Rally Mexico. The special stages took the teams from about 1,800 metres to 2,800 metres above sea level. The higher you get, the lower the air pressure, oxygen content in the air and cooling efficiency of the engine sink. At temperatures around the 30-degree mark, the objective was to minimise the loss of performance. The Volkswagen engineers took care of the software intelligence of the World Rally Car from Wolfsburg well in advance of the rally in Central America. The engine control unit is used without modification from Monte Carlo right through to the final round in Great Britain.

Physical and mental strength the key to success
Like their World Rally Cars, the Volkswagen drivers and co-drivers arrived at the Rally Mexico as well prepared as physically possible. Fitness was a key to success, particularly on the seven special stages at over 30 kilometres in length, which were tackled at high altitude and in scorching heat. Here too, Volkswagen left nothing to chance: the staff at the sports clinic in Bad Nauheim were tasked with looking after the physical condition of the team. Fitness and diet plans, regular performance tests throughout the season and comprehensive on-site care are part of the everyday rally routine atVolkswagen.

Facts, facts, facts – Volkswagen up there with the best
Volkswagen secured a place in the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) record lists with victory number seven in a row. The wins in Australia, France, Spain and Great Britain last year were followed by triumphs in Monte Carlo, Sweden and Mexico this season to produce the second-longest winning run in WRC history. Sébastien Ogier claimed his 18th overall win in the World Rally Championship, with eleven of these successes coming inVolkswagen colours.

Quotes after day three of the Rally Mexico
Sébastien Ogier, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #1
“Mexico really is a fantastic country for us! I like the rally, and it seems to like me. I picked up my first win as a junior here back in 2008 and took overall victory with Volkswagen last year – and now here I am, back on the top step of the podium. It is a fantastic feeling. Our entire team did a sensational job all weekend, and the Polo R WRC was once again super reliable and super quick in extreme conditions. I was hungry for this win after my mistake in Sweden! That is why Julien and I refrained from taking any risks on the final day. We really wanted to get this win under our belts. And it goes without saying that I also wanted to get my hands on the Power Stage points. Although we will now have to act as street sweepers for the opposition at the next round in Portugal, the World Championship points are more important than anything else.”

Jari-Matti Latvala, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #2
“I am really very happy with second place. Having been first onto the route on day one, which meant we were quite a long way off the lead, we set our sights on a place on the podium. The Rally Mexico was hard work and also very demanding on the cars. The Polo coped admirably with the stresses and strains of the high altitude and soaring temperatures, and our team also did a perfect job. Thanks for that. That was the best Rally Mexico so far for Miikka and me. We came through without any mistakes and finished runner-up for the first time. We are still almost level with our team-mates, without having to start first again in Portugal.”

Andreas Mikkelsen, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #9
“A tough rally for us. Retiring twice is not exactly what we had in mind. I just made too many mistakes. Thanks to the great job done by my mechanics, I was still able to gain a few kilometres of experience at the Rally Mexico on Sunday, which will allow us to push hard again next year. All in all, we learned an awful lot here – unfortunately we did it the hard way. I will analyse it in detail over the coming days, and will prepare as well as possible for the coming rally in Portugal. We will come back stronger, and hopefully return to the podium there.”

Jost Capito, Volkswagen Motorsport Director
“A one-two in these difficult conditions and given the new regulations regarding the starting order is more than we had expected coming into the Rally Mexico. I take my hat off to Sébastien Ogier, Jari-Matti Latvala and our engineers, who made this success possible. The performance of the two drivers was undoubtedly outstanding. However, the one-two is also a team success. Whether the chassis department or the engine department, the Polo R WRC was perfectly prepared for the difficult conditions. The champagne tastes particularly good today, as success in Mexico is always a bit special. It is the first gravel event of the year, and virtually a home event for Volkswagen. After all, our models are part of the scenery here. Everything came together here in Mexico, and we are very proud of what we have achieved.”

And then there was …
… Volkswagen Mexico. From the roadshow in Mexico City to the guest services in León and out on the special stages, our Mexican colleagues ensured everything was perfectly organised. Thank you! Volkswagen Mexico also celebrated its 50th anniversary in León.

And then there was also …
… the chef in the Volkswagen team. Daniel Zillgen spent the past few days meticulously ensuring that only American or Argentinean meat was served. In the case of Mexican meat, there is a risk that the drug Clenbuterol was used during breeding. This particular drug is also a banned doping substance.

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Quotes after day two of the Rally Mexico
Sébastien Ogier, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #1
“A fantastic day for us! The Polo is running absolutely perfectly and is as reliable as clockwork. Julien and I now have a comfortable lead, which will allow us to keep a check on the opposition. However, we will definitely not be relaxing. The Rally Mexico is one of the toughest on the calendar, and a lot can happen on the coarse gravel between now and the finish – especially given the fact that we still have to tackle the longest stage, ‘Guanajuatito’, tomorrow. 55.92 kilometres across country at full throttle, with temperatures in the cockpit reaching up to 40 degrees. You have to call on all your strength and remain fully focussed in order to come through it well. But one thing is certain: we want sombreros and cowboy boots as trophies on the podium again. And unless we suddenly come across a closed gate tomorrow, it is looking good for us.”

Jari-Matti Latvala, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #2
“I am very happy with second place today. Even this morning, Sébastien Ogier had opened such a big lead that we would not have been able to catch him under normal circumstances anyway. At the same time, the Rally Mexico once again showed how tough it is: many teams had major problems and had to give in. Our Polo was flawless, even on the very rough sections. It was pretty tiring work in the cockpit in that heat, and the ‘Otates’ stage was one of the longest I have ever driven. Given our expectations – after all, we had to open the route yesterday, which was a definite disadvantage – and with an eye on the championship, second place would definitely be a great result.”

Andreas Mikkelsen, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #9
“Retiring early two days in a row obviously doesn’t make a great impression. It might look as though I took too many risks today, but that is precisely what I was trying to avoid. I was actually downright cautious. However, we hit a hole when cutting the corner in a left-hander, which flipped and rolled us. That was obviously it for today. The plan coming into the rally was to get as many kilometres under our belt as possible in preparation for next year. To learn anything of use, however, you still have to go at a decent speed. That will also be the approach tomorrow, when we return again under Rally2 regulations for the final stages.”

Jost Capito, Volkswagen Motorsport Director
“It is hard to keep your concentration in the cockpit on the Rally Mexico’s long special stages, which take place at high altitude and in high temperatures. Both Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia and Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila were outstanding today. They dominated the long special stages and took as much care as possible of their equipment. The slightest moment of carelessness can lead to retirement – you can soon hit a rock on the narrow roads and damage a suspension. Unfortunately Andreas Mikkelsen found that out the hard way again today. But these things happen, and are part of rallying. We will have to keep that in the back of our minds on Sunday if we want to remain in the top two positions after the final four stages. We have done really well, but have not won anything yet.”

And then there was …
… the rally-driving lucky charm. After World Champion Sébastien Ogier had taken part in a training session with football club León ahead of last year’s Rally Mexico, the team promptly went on to win the Mexican football championship. In 2014, the tight schedule did not allow Ogier to pay ‘his’ club a visit – much to the disappointment and regret of “Club León”, who play their home matches in a stadium next to the Service Park for the Rally Mexico. On Friday evening, the team lost 0:1 at home to bottom-of-the-table Veracruz and are now a lowly fifth in the table.

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