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Category: WRC, Rally
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Sebastian Ogier named Driver of the Year at Autosport Awards
A great honour for Volkswagen driver Sébastien Ogier. The World Rally Champion* was awarded the so-called “Motorsport Oscar” as the 2013 rally driver of the year at the Autosport Awards in London on Sunday. The coveted trophy was presented by Red Bull Formula 1 team boss, Christian Horner. In front of some 1,200 guests invited by the British trade magazine Autosport, Ogier praised the outstanding teamwork at Volkswagen, without which the World Champion title would hardly have been possible. In their debut season in the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), Volkswagen took victory in the drivers’, co-drivers’ and manufacturers’ classifications.*
Auto Bild Motorsport Awards 2013: Ogier and Ingrassia “rally drivers of the year”
Meanwhile, the readers of the Auto Bild Motorsport magazine have chosen World Rally Champion* Sébastien Ogier as the “rally driver of the year for 2013”. The Volkswagen pilot received the award at the weekend in front of around 600 guests invited from the media, industry and world of motorsport to the 2013 Essen Motor Show. His co-driver Julien Ingrassia was selected by the readers as the “co-driver of the year for 2013”. Ogier expressed his gratitude to the fans as well as to Volkswagen for the enormous support he has received throughout the year. Marvin Kirchhöfer was also recognised at the event. The 19-year-old from Leipzig outclassed his rivals to win this year’s title in the ATS Formula 3 Cup in a Dallara F311 “powered by Volkswagen” vehicle.
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Sebastian Ogier of Volkswagen bags the `Oscar of Motorsports’, the Autosport Award. A Volkswagen photo -
Volkswagen round off debut season with 1-2 finish: WRC
Volkswagen Motorsport rounded off a near-perfect debut season in the FIA World Rally Championship with an emphatic one-two on Wales Rally GB. Newly-crowned FIA World Rally Champions* Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia claimed their ninth win of the season while team-mates Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila claimed second. Third overall was taken by the Qatar World Rally Team crew of Thierry Neuville and Nicolas Gilsoul.In the FIA World Rally Championship, the fight was for second position and Neuville’s podium points were sufficient to secure the Belgian the coveted spot ahead of Latvala. In the Manufacturers’ Championship, Volkswagen had already secured the title in its debut season*, overhauling the Citroën Total Abu Dhabi World Rally Team.Today’s route was by far the shortest and took in just 51.92 competitive kilometres, concluding on the famous Great Orme stage. The Power Stage ran on the 7.52 kilometre Clocaenog stage and awarded additional Championship points to Neuville, Evgeny Novikov and Mads Østberg for being the fastest three drivers through this single stage. Behind the leading trio, Mads Østberg moved into fourth after Andreas Mikkelsen spun in the first stage, and maintained position ahead of his fellow Norwegian to the finish of the event. Martin Prokop claimed sixth and Dani Sordo did well to claim seventh after incurring a five-minute penalty before the start of the event.The 2013 FIA World Rally Championship has now drawn to a close with new champions on the trophies. Next season kicks off in its traditional home of Monte Carlo in January 2014.* Subject to official publication of the results by the FIAWales Rally GB – Final Classification (Subject to the result of a complete engine inspection for car No. 8, Ogier/Ingrassia)1. Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia2. Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila3. Thierry Neuville/Nicolas Gilsoul4. Mads Østberg/Jonas Andersson5. Andreas Mikkelsen/Mikko Markkula6. Martin Prokop/Michal Ernst7. Dani Sordo/Carlos Del Barrio8. Elfyn Evans/Daniel Barritt9. Jari Ketomaa/Tapio Suominen10. Mark Higgins/Carl WilliamsonVolkswagen Polo R WRCVolkswagen Polo R WRCFord Fiesta RS WRCFord Fiesta RS WRCVolkswagen Polo R WRCFord Fiesta RS WRCCitroën DS3 WRCFord Fiesta R5Ford Fiesta R5Ford Fiesta R53hr 03 min 36.7sec3hr 03 min 58.5sec3hr 05 min 01.2sec3hr 05 min 24.9sec3hr 05 min 40.1sec3hr 11 min 14.2sec3hr 12 min 04.6sec3hr 14 min 49.8sec3hr 15 min 52.9sec3hr 16 min 57.7secFIA World Rally Championship for Drivers (after 13 of 13 rounds)
Sébastien Ogier (FRA)Thierry Neuville (BEL)Jari-Matti Latvala (FIN)Mikko Hirvonen (FIN)Dani Sordo (ESP)Mads Østberg (NOR)Evgeny Novikov (RUS)Sébastien Loeb (FRA)Martin Prokop (CZE)Andreas Mikkelsen (NOR)Nasser Al-Attiyah (QAT)Elfyn Evans (GBR)Robert Kubica (POL)Bryan Bouffier (FRA)Juho Hänninen (FIN)Chris Atkinson (AUS)Jari Ketomaa (FIN)Hayden Paddon (NZL)Michal Kosciuszko (POL)Ken Block (USA)Khalid Al Qassimi (ARE)Sepp Weigand (DEU)Per-Gunnar Andersson (SWE)Henning Solberg (NOR)Benito Guerra (MEX)Nathan Quinn (AUS)Olivier Burri (CHE)Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari (QAT)Yazeed Al Rajhi (SAU)Esapekka Lappi (FIN)Roman Dumas (FRA)Mark Higgins (GBR)290 points176 points162 points126 points123 points102 points69 points68 points63 points50 points30 points20 points18 points10 points8 points8 points8 points8 points7 points6 points5 points4 points4 points4 points4 points4 points2 points2 points1 point1 point1 point1 pointFIA World Rally Championship for Manufacturers (after 13 of 13 rounds)
Volkswagen MotorsportCitroën Total Abu Dhabi World Rally TeamQatar M-Sport World Rally TeamQatar World Rally TeamJipocar Czech National TeamAbu Dhabi Citroën Total World Rally TeamVolkswagen Motorsport IILotos WRC Team425 points280 points190 points184 points65 points63 points50 points20 pointsends
Ogier wins 9th round of the season this year as Volkswagen finishes 1-2 at Rally GB. A Volkswagen photo -
Ogier well on course for ninth victory: WRC Rally Great Britain
Wales, 15 Nov 2013: Sébastien Ogier is well on course for a ninth victory in the 2013 FIA World Rally Championship having consolidated his lead during the first full day of competition in Wales Rally GB. The Frenchman has 20.1 seconds in hand to team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala who has powered ahead of Thierry Neuville.An FIA release said:Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (F/F), Volkswagen Polo R WRC leading the Rally GB. A Volkswagen photo Today’s route was the longest of the event and took in two identical loops of three stages covering 137.06 competitive kilometres. In addition, crews could only take advantage of a mid-day remote service in Newtown, meaning limited spare parts and service time. Ogier started the day with a slim advantage but was again immediately on the pace, winning the first stage in the opening loop. While he was beaten by Dani Sordo and Latvala in the following two stages, this afternoon the Frenchman blitzed the opposition with a string of three fastest times to take a commanding control of the leaderboard. Latvala’s fastest time in SS6 saw him overhaul Neuville, who has been uncharacteristically off the pace in Wales.
Behind the leading trio, Mads Østberg is fourth, battling with fellow Fiesta driver Evgeny Novikov, the duo split by 3.7 seconds this evening. Andrea Mikkelsen is also in that fight for fourth, a further 1.1 seconds behind. Citroën has been in the thick of today’s dramas; Robert Kubica, making his debut in the DS3 WRC, rolled in the first stage and just two stages later Mikko Hirvonen did the same thing in the sister car. Sordo, in ninth, is their only remaining contender, although the Spaniard is carrying a five-minute penalty with him for a breach of the chassis regulations.Wales Rally GB – Unofficial Results after Day 21. Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia2. Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila3. Thierry Neuville/Nicolas Gilsoul4. Mads Østberg/Jonas Andersson5. Evgeny Novikov/Ilka Minor6. Andreas Mikkelsen/Mikko Markkula7. Martin Prokop/Michal Ernst8. Elfyn Evans/Daniel Barritt9. Dani Sordo/Carlos Del Barrio10. Mark Higgins/Carl WilliamsonVolkswagen Polo R WRCVolkswagen Polo R WRCFord Fiesta RS WRCFord Fiesta RS WRCFord Fiesta RS WRCVolkswagen Polo R WRCFord Fiesta RS WRCFord Fiesta R5Citroën DS3 WRCFord Fiesta R51hr 34 min 48.0sec1hr 35 min 08.1sec1hr 35 min 50.6sec1hr 36 min 18.8sec1hr 36 min 22.5sec1hr 36 min 23.6sec1hr 39 min 44.2sec1hr 41 min 18.2sec1hr 41 min 42.6sec1hr 41 min 44.6sec -
Night owls, Ogier-Ingrassia lead Rally Great Britain: WRC
Wales, 14 Nov 2013: (15 Nov early hours IST): Ogier first, Latvala third – Volkswagen opened its account at the Rally Great Britain in impressive fashion. The Wolfsburg-based manufacturer won two of the first three stages, which were held in the pitch-black Welsh night. Newly-crowned World Rally Champions* Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (F/F) were responsible for the two stage wins and lead the final round of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) after 25 kilometres of the 300-kilometre rally. Their team-mates Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila (FIN/FIN) are third overall after a hat-trick of top-three times, while the third Polo R WRC pairing of Andreas Mikkelsen/Mikko Markkula (N/FIN) are also in touch with the leaders in sixth place. The opening three stages of the Rally Great Britain demanded perfect interaction between driver and co-driver. As all three stages through the Welsh forests – “Gwydyr”, “Penmachno” and “Clocaenog” – had not featured on the route for the past two years, accurate pace notes were the key to success in the dark on Thursday evening, a VW release said.Andreas Mikkelsen-Mikko Markkula (N-FIN), of Volkswagen take a start in the night. A VW photo Quotes after day one of the Rally Great Britain
Jari-Matti Latvala, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #7
“After qualifying, I opted to start first – and this decision appears to have been the right one. I was able to match the pace of Sébastien Ogier and Thierry Neuville, who had decided to start later. The three of us at the front of the field have been involved in a really close tussle so far. The night stages were quite tricky: sections with good grip alternated with some very slippery spots. Finding the right rhythm for these conditions and pacing yourself intelligently is the key to being successful here in Great Britain. The first two stages went really well for us, but it was a bit more slippery on the third. Despite this, I think starting first will still be a good decision come tomorrow.”Sébastien Ogier, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #8
“A great start to the Rally Great Britain for us. It didn’t take me long to find my rhythm after qualifying. Whatever happens here, I can take a very relaxed approach. The Rally Great Britain is not normally one of my favourites. It is very easy to make a mistake and crash out. For this reason, it is particularly important to adopt the mindset that the rally is not over until the very last stage. It was not easy in the dark today, and it is extremely slippery on the muddy gravel roads. The coming days will definitely be a real challenge – particularly on Saturday and Sunday, when we are on the road all day without a midday service. This puts a lot of strain on the car and tyres.”Andreas Mikkelsen, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #9
“For me, the start of the Rally Great Britain is like returning home. This is where I started my career. I really like the countryside in Wales and feel right at home here. However, the conditions are also particularly difficult and I must adapt my driving style in the Polo R WRC to suit the slippery sections. I love night stages and they are quite simply a fantastic experience in a World Rally Car. I am happy with the start I have made here in Wales, although I did pack too much information into my pace notes. This resulted in me losing time, particularly on the second stage. However, I am already looking forward to the next three days of rallying.”Jost Capito, Volkswagen Motorsport Director
“Any team always like to get off to a good start at a rally. And we made almost the perfect start today thanks to impressive performances from Sébastien Ogier and Jari-Matti Latvala. Sébastien and Jari-Matti both showed their class with first and third places in particularly testing conditions and on slippery surfaces. Over the next few days, we will see an exciting battle develop between them and the drivers from Citroën and Ford for victory at the final rally of the season. As a rally fan, you cannot ask for more than that.”And then there were …
… Nikolaus and the ferrets. The low-pressure area that subjected the opening day of the Rally Wales to extremely volatile weather, with driving rain and strong gusts, goes by the name of Nikolaus. For this reason, the Volkswagen Team’s winter parkas have made their first appearance since the Rally Sweden. With their fur collars, these are lovingly known by the team as their “ferrets”.ends
* Subject to the official publication of the results by the FIA. -
Gaurav Gill/Musa Sherif thrill the crowds; Ghosh/ Naik win INRC title
Tumkur, 10 Nov 2013: Speed maestro Gaurav Gill and experienced navigator Musa Sherif topped the time sheets and cheered the crowds with their thrilling drifts and daring speed runs in the SUV class as Mahindra Adventure Rally team but all eyes were on reigning National champions Amittrajit Ghosh and co-driver Ashwin Naik, who clocked steady timings. Sporting MRF colours, the duo clinched their second consecutive National title as the IMG 39th K-1000 rally, the fourth round of the Indian National Rally Championship (INRC), concluded near here on Sunday.
Driving a Mahindra XUV 50, the newly-crowned Asia Pacific Rally Champion Gill, has to be satisfied with the SUV Rally Championship title. He is not in contention for the INRC title as he entered a non-INRC class. Teammates Lohitt Urs and co-driver Bonnie Thomas finished second. Malaysian rally ace and former WRC (production) and APRC winner Karamjit Singh and co-driver Jagdev Singh, who set the best times after Gill in their factory-prepared Polo R2 won the Indian Rally Championship.
Driving a Mitsubishi Lancer Cedia in Group N 1600 class, Ghosh and Naik clocked 1hr, 34 mins and 46.6 seconds. Rahul Kantharaj and Vivek Bhat, who were third overnight, took the second place pushing Prithvi Dominic and Pruthivi Sthal to third.
Ghosh will be out of country and will be missing the final round at Chikmaglur next month due to last-minute change in the dates. “I am very happy to clinch the championship here. We were under tremendous pressure but we managed to drive safely and clock steady times,” said the Kolkota rallyist, whose father Arindam Ghosh won the K-1000 in 1981.
Driving a Volkswagen Polo rally car in the INRC 1600cc class, championship leader Arjun Rao and co-driver Satish Rajagopal, who were trailing Phalguna Urs and Anoop Kumar by a narrow margin yesterday, managed to gain 17 seconds in SS 8 to pip them to second place. Sirish Chandran and co-driver Nikhil Pai of Slideways Industries, also in a Volkswagen Polo rally car, came third.
In the Junior INRC class, Suhem MK and navigator Jeevarathinam came first followed by Aroor Viram Rao and co-driver Somayya AG. Rohan Pawar and Arjun Mehta finished third while Championship leader Asad Khan and co-driver Zayne Asrar could manage only a sixth place.
Ten cars out of the 37 that took the starting flag failed to finish the rally. The fifth and final round of the INRC will be held at Chikmaglur on Dec 6, 7 and 8.
Provisional Results (unaudited):
INRC Overall / 2000cc: 1. Amittrajit Ghosh / Ashwin Naik (Cedia) 1hr, 34mins, 46.6 secs; 2. Rahul Kanthraj / Vivek Bhatt 1:36:39.2. 3. Arjun Rao / Satish Rajagopal (VW Polo) 01:37:36.0.
INRC / 2000cc: 1. Amittrajit Ghosh / Ashwin Naik (Cedia) 1hr, 34mins, 46.6 secs; 2. Rahul Kanthraj / Vivek Bhatt 1:36:39.2. 3. Pruthvi Dominic / Purthivi Sthal (Cedia) 1:45:45.1.
INRC 1600cc:1. Arjun Rao / Satish Rajagopal (VW Polo) 01:37:36.0; 2. Phalguna V Urs / Anoop Kumar DS (VW Polo) 01:37:37.4; 3. Sirish Chandran / Nikhil Pai (VW Polo, Slidways Industries) 01:37:45.1.
JINRC: 1. Suhem MK / J Jeevarathinam 1:40:49.7; 2. Aroor Vikram Rao / Somayya AG 1:42:45.6; 3. Rohan Pawar / Arjun Mehta 1:44:54.4.
SUV NRC:1. Gaurav Gill / Musa Sherif (Mahindra Adventure Rally) 1:30:56.3; 2. Lohitt Urs / Bonnie Thomas (Mahindra Adventure Rally) 01:35:24.5.
IRC:1. Karamjit Singh / Jagdev Singh (VW Polo R2, Slideways Industries) 1:31:50.4; 2. Sumit Panjabi / Prakhyath Shirole (Cedia) 1:53:36.51.
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Volkswagen Motorsport’s Rally-Spec Polo R2 testing begins at K1000 today
Malaysian rally ace and Team Slideways Industries driver Karamjit Singh to test the Polo R2 during the upcoming IMS K-1000 Rally
- Polo R2 will start competing in the Indian Rally Championship from 2014 season
Pune, November 5, 2013 – Volkswagen Motorsport India will begin the testing of Polo R2, a specially developed rally car, during the upcoming IMS K-1000 Rally at Bangalore. Multi-APRC title holder Karamjit Singh, who has been driving for Team Slideways Industries, will get behind the wheel of the newly developed prototype. The Polo R2 will compete in a new category that will be introduced by FMSCI in the Indian Rally Championship (IRC) 2014.
Volkswagen Motorsport India has been the pioneer of one-make car racing series in India. Polo Cup started in 2010 and is now in its fourth successful season. While young talent has been identified, trained and promoted to international racing series through the Polo R Cup series over the last few years, it was time for Volkswagen Motorsport India to expand to other forms of motorsport in India. The logical step was taken with the extension of technical support to rally teams competing with Volkswagen Polo in the Indian National Rally Championship.
In an effort to further promote our association with Indian motorsport, Volkswagen Motorsport India has now developed its first prototype of the Volkswagen Polo R2 – a rally-spec version of the Polo. The Polo R2 will compete in a new category R2 that will be introduced by FMSCI in IRC from 2014 season. Before entering the competitive season, the Polo R2 will be tested at upcoming IMS K-1000 Rally in Bangalore and then at the Chikmaglur Rally in December 2013.
The Polo R2 is powered with a four cylinder 1.6-litre MPI petrol engine that produces over 130 PS of power. The engine has been mated with a 5-speed manual transmission. Other modifications to the car include Reiger Suspension and uprated Alcon brakes (285mm front disc and 255mm rear disc). The bodywork modifications comprise of aerodynamic body kit, rear spoiler, a roof vent and stripped interiors. From safety point of view, the car has been equipped with FIA-spec roll-cage, fire extinguisher system and OMP rally seats with six-point harness for the driver and navigator. The Polo R2 will run on 15-inch alloy wheels shod with JK Rally tyres.
Prithviraj Siddappa, Head of Volkswagen Motorsport India, said “The first running in of the car has been done and the feedback has been good so far. Karamjit Singh has been driving the Group N Polo this season for which we have been providing technical and spares support at the rally stages. He will now move up to the R2 which is a more powerful car. His inputs are crucial for us in developing the car further and we hope to see some positive steps after the K-1000 Rally.”
Mahesh Kodumudi, President and Managing Director, Volkswagen India Private Limited, commented “The Volkswagen Polo is a perfect example of German engineering. And when the engineering is right, it is always possible to extract more out of the car. Pushing the performance of the car to the limits and putting it through extreme driving will only bring out the Polo’s real potential. I believe that the Polo R2 is our next step in showcasing the capabilities of the car.”
Motor sports enthusiasts interested in getting further information can log on to the website, www.volkswagen-motorsport.in. This website displays information about all the activities undertaken by Volkswagen Motorsport India.
Follow Volkswagen Motorsport India on Facebook: www.facebook.com/vwindiam and Twitter: www.twitter.com/vwmotorsportind
About Volkswagen Motorsport
In more than 40 years of motorsport history Volkswagen has been setting standards primarily in three areas: The brand celebrated exploits in touring car racing, formula racing and rally racing.
The brand’s history in motorsport started in 1966, in formula racing. Formula V – “V” stood for Volkswagen – became an important career step for drivers like Keke Rosberg or Niki Lauda. With 58 hp and the robust technology of the Beetle it offered favourably priced entry and high-quality racing for young drivers. Later, one-make cups like Formula König powered by Volkswagen and Formula Volkswagen built upon this line and consistently followed through on the one-make cup idea with standard chassis. In 2008 Formula ADAC powered by Volkswagen started to continue this tradition.In comparison with other manufacturers Volkswagen set the pace on the formula stage as well. Between 1979 and 1994 Volkswagen, as a Formula 3 engine manufacturer, won 55 international titles, including seven in Germany. Since September 2007 Volkswagen has been competing in the Formula 3 Euro Series, since 2008 in the German Formula 3 Cup and since 2009 in the British Formula 3, and with success: 2009 saw the title wins in the German and British Championships, and 2010 in all three series. At the prestigious Formula 3 finale in Macau in November 2009 and 2010 Edoardo Mortara celebrated wins “powered by Volkswagen”.
Successes in rally sport
While the first off-road excursions date back all the way to the 1970s, Volkswagen has been systematically promoting young talent since 1980. For half a decade, the Golf Rally Cup offered optimum opportunities to young drivers. Concurrently, Volkswagen in the 1986 World Rally Championship (WRC) clinched the title win in Group A with the Golf and driver Kenneth Eriksson. In cross-country rally sport the brand achieved its first big exploit by winning the 1980 Dakar Rally. From 2009 to 2011 Volkswagen became the first manufacturer to win the legendary rallye with a car powered by a Diesel engine. Volkswagen created history once again by re-entering the WRC 2013 and winning the championship in the debut season itself.
Attractive one-make cups in touring car racing
In more than three decades Volkswagen has shaped the touring car scene as well. The Scirocco Cup, as the first one-make cup from 1976 onwards, produced a subsequent Formula 1 driver, Manfred Winkelhock. It was followed by the Golf Cup and the Lupo/Polo Cup from which numerous talented drivers managed to ascend to higher-level series. Currently, the Scirocco R-Cup is setting bench-marks in the European racing circuits.
Follow the link to take a visual sneak-peek into the history of Volkswagen Motorsport:
http://www.volkswagen-motorsport.com/index.php?id=128&L=1
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Gill creates history as he becomes first Indian to win APRC Title
Longyou (China), 2 Nov 2013: Indian driver Gaurav Gill created history by becoming the first Indian to win the top class in the 2013 FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Championship title after finishing Day 1 of the Rally of China at the wheel of his Team MRF ŠKODA Fabia S2000 here on Saturday.
According to Adrenna Communications’ release, title rival and team-mate Esapekka Lappi was leading at the end of Day 1 with Gill in second place. Gill, with Australian co-driver, Glenn Macneall, only had to finish the rally to secure his first APRC title, while Lappi is in a position to move up to second in the championship, having finished second in the S2000 category at the recent Sanremo Rally in Italy.
Gill’s team-mate lads Esapekka Lappi from Finland leads the event by 4 minutes. There’s still one day to go, before the finish when Gill and the team can celebrate on the APRC podium. Gill suffered a puncture which cost him 2-3 minutes but managed to get back in the rally.
Team MRF Driver Gaurav Gill (India), 2013 FIA APRC Champion commented “This is definitely the high-light of my career so far, we’ve come close on several other occasions and this year wasn’t easy either. I have to thank the team, my co-driver Glenn (Macneall), Skoda and a big thank you to MRF tyres too as they’ve stuck with me all these years and so it’s nice to reward them and my country. We stopped and changed tyre losing 2-3 minutes, but the main thing is to get the car back here.”
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Gaurav Gill of India pilots the MRF Skoda to finish Day 1 and take the APRC titles in the China leg on Saturday. An Adrenna Communications photo -
Volkswagen wins Manufacturers
28 Oct 2013: Part two of the World Champions’ story: Volkswagen has won the manufacturers’ title in the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) with an outstanding one-two victory at the Rally Spain. That means all the WRC titles* for 2013 will go to the car maker from Wolfsburg. Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (F/F) claimed the Drivers’ and Co-Drivers’ crown three weeks ago at the Rally France. The French duo went on to score an impressive win – their eighth this season – ahead of their team-mates Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila (FIN/FIN) at the “Rally de España”. As a result, Volkswagen has an unassailable lead in the Manufacturers’ Championship with one round still to go this season. Winning three titles in its debut year with the Polo R WRC is Volkswagen’s greatest motorsport achievement to date, a press release said.
Sebastian Ogier and co-driver Julien Ingrassia who won the Rally Spain clinched the Constructors’ title for Volkswagen. A VW Motorsport photo Title wins that will go down in history – Volkswagen’s debut
Volkswagen’s achievements in the 2013 WRC season are unparalleled. The German team clinched all of the titles in the top category of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) in its debut year – the Drivers’ and Co-Drivers’ Championship and the manufacturers’ trophy. No other manufacturer has managed to win a World Championship in its first year since the World Rally Championship began. Even in the history of Formula 1, no car maker has yet taken the title in its opening season through their own efforts. Volkswagen’s performance has exceeded all expectations. Originally, it was considered to have set itself ambitious goals by aiming for podium finishes in year one, round wins in the second year and championship titles in its third year.
Volkswagen drivers shine in extreme conditions
On its last day, the Rally Spain turned into a real showdown between the Volkswagen pairings Ogier/Ingrassia and Latvala/Anttila. Following a puncture on day two, Ogier started the final 138.54 kilometres on gravel fourth overall, with Latvala in the lead. On the third and final day, the Volkswagen duos rose to the different challenges they faced. While Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila opened the road on the concluding gravel stages of the Rally Spain, forcing them to clean the optimum line for the cars behind them, Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia faced another problem. The new World Rally Champions* tackled the course fourth in a cloud of dust thrown up by their toughest rivals as they fought to win the round. This obviously didn’t slow down the season’s dominant duo too much: Ogier/Ingrassia put in best times on four of the six Special Stages on Sunday alone, plus two more top-three times. Only one other driver/co-driver pairing really shone on Sunday: Andreas Mikkelsen/Mikko Markkula recorded two best times in the third Polo R WRC.
An extra pair of eyes in the dust: co-drivers play a crucial role on Sunday
Clouds of dust thrown up by the car in front, low morning sun – the conditions on Sunday posed a huge challenge for drivers and co-drivers alike. Thanks to a precise reading of the pace notes, pairings like Ogier/Ingrassia were able to gain up to 20 seconds on their direct competitors in the dust, despite poor visibility. Trust between the driver and co-driver is absolutely crucial in situations like this. When reading the pace notes, the co-drivers have to rely completely on their instincts – there are no clues to fall back on in zero visibility. “It was really tough going for us co-drivers,” said Julien Ingrassia, Sébastien Ogier’s right-hand man.
The all-rounder: 13 of 15 best stage times go to the Polo R WRC
The Rally Spain was the only round in this season’s WRC series to cover both asphalt and gravel. The Volkswagen Polo R WRC proved to be a great all-rounder in these unique conditions: 13 of 15 best stage times and 26 of 45 possible top-three times went to the World Rally Car from Wolfsburg. The all-wheel-drive triumphed seven times on the nine asphalt stages and on all six gravel sections. Since the Polo R WRC first lined up in the WRC at the Rally Monte Carlo, it has racked up 132 of the 215 possible best stage times – that’s 61.4 per cent. Sébastien Ogier has put in 101 best stage times single-handedly so far this year.
Quotes following day three of the Rally Spain
Jari-Matti Latvala, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #7
“I’m absolutely delighted for the team. Volkswagen more than deserved to win the World Championship title this year. The Polo R WRC is a real World Champion car. Even though we had a few technical problems at the end today, it got us over the finishing line again and we won the very first one-two victory in the WRC with the team. I would’ve liked to have fought with Sébastien Ogier for victory in the round right to the bitter end because we had a fair duel without tactical instructions until just before the finish. I’m still pleased with second place. It gives me confidence ahead of the forthcoming Rally GB in Wales, which is definitely one of my favourite rallies. I can hardly wait to tackle it.”Sébastien Ogier, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #8
“What an incredible rally, and what a fantastic season! Our team really deserved the World Championship title. I’m incredibly proud to be part of the Volkswagen team. And of course I’m ecstatic that Julien and I managed to secure the win here in Spain. I promised beforehand that I would try everything – and it worked. It has to be said that it was extremely difficult early this morning though. Driving through the dust thrown up by the cars in front was like being in the thickest of fog – zero visibility. At times, we had to slow down in the middle of full-speed stretches because we couldn’t see anything at all. We made a strong comeback in France and left as World Champions. Now we’ve managed to play catch-up big style in Spain – and we’re World Champions again!”Andreas Mikkelsen, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #9
“Volkswagen are World Champions! I’m so pleased for the team – they’ve just been great this season. It’s just a fantastic bunch of people. I wanted to give them something back today too and tried to perform as well as possible. I felt comfortable in the Polo R WRC right from the start this morning and adjusted to gravel really quickly. Starting so far back certainly wasn’t a disadvantage, but all that dust was. But we did a good job during the recce and I had a lot of confidence in the pace notes. Seeing your own name right at the top of the list of times twice is great, of course. On the third stage of the day, I slid off the road after a long right-hand bend that went into a sharp left-hand turn. This afternoon, I wanted to go on the attack again, but I hit something on the straight. After that, the steering wheel was wonky. Later on, the suspension got damaged too, which is why we couldn’t take part in the last Special Stage. Nevertheless, I’m not dissatisfied with the Rally Spain.”Jost Capito, Volkswagen Motorsport Director
“Winning all three World Championship titles in one season is simply unbelievable. Given that this is the first season we have competed in the World Rally Championship with the Polo R WRC, it is an even greater achievement. Winning the Drivers’ and Co-Drivers’ World Championship was an absolute highlight for the whole team. It was a dream come true for Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia in particular at their home event three weeks ago. But the Manufacturers’ World Championship is even more important for a car maker because it proves that it’s not just the driver who’s exceptional – the product is too.”And then there was …
… Santiago Cañizares. The former Real Madrid and FC Valencia goalkeeper is a big rallying fan. He paid a visit to the Volkswagen Motorsport team and his compatriots Carlos Sainz and Luis Moya at the Rally Spain. Cañizares has 46 caps for Spain and commentates on the WRC for Canal+ in his home country. In his free time, he enjoys playing with his three vintage rally cars: a Porsche 911, a Renault Alpine and a Renault 5.* Subject to the official publication of the results by the FIA.
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Ogier-Julien pair slip to 4th; Latvala-Anttila in narrow lead: Day 2
A WRC fan finds a vantage point on Day 2 of Rally Spain. Photo by Volkswagen Motorsport Volkswagen, Citroën and Ford each have two teams in the top six – on day two of three, the Rally Spain developed into a thrilling three-way battle of the brands. Volkswagen’s factory duo Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila (FIN/FIN) are leading by a narrow margin with their Polo R WRC after the nine asphalt stages of round twelve in the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC). Latvala/Anttila will go into Sunday’s leg with a 1.6-second lead over asphalt specialist Daniel Sordo (Citroën). The “Rallye de España” now changes character completely. On the last day, the drivers will tackle gravel Special Stages in the only WRC event held on both asphalt and gravel. On Saturdayevening, the Volkswagen Team will reconfigure the Polo R WRCs for gravel rather than asphalt in the longest service of the year (75 minutes). This involves changing the suspension components, shock absorbers, springs and differentials. A tall order for the mechanics.
The new World Rally Champions* Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (F/F) experienced something of a setback today. A puncture during SS 06 of the Rally Spain cost the Volkswagen duo approximately 50 seconds. Thanks to best times in four Special Stages and three further top-three finishes, they are still fourth in the overall standings, 46.5 seconds behind their team-mates Latvala/Anttila. In spite of this, Ogier/Ingrassia could still claim victory: on Sunday, they will benefit from starting fourth as their biggest rivals will already have cleared the ideal line. Meanwhile, Andreas Mikkelsen/Mikko Markkula (N/FIN) were forced to retire early in the third Polo R WRC after an error in the first stage on Saturday damaged the car’s suspension. They will return on Sunday under Rally 2 regulations.Saturday’s SS 08 was the so-called Power Stage, where bonus points are awarded in the Drivers’ Championship. Ogier/Ingrassia came second after Thierry Neuville (Ford) to earn two points, while Latvala/Anttila bagged one by finishing third. With this performance, Ogier/Ingrassia continued their indomitable run of success: the World Champions* have collected extra points in all of the Power Stages held in 2013 to date. So far, the pair have bagged 28 bonus points – equivalent to winning a round plus a Power Stage. All they have to do to secure today’s extra points is cross the line on Sunday.
Quotes following day two of the Rally SpainJari-Matti Latvala, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #7
“Of course I’m pleased to be leading in the Rally Spain at the end of day two. But the terrain is about to change from asphalt to gravel. It’s not an easy situation because I’ll have to open the route as the leading driver, meaning I’ll clear the ideal line for the cars behind me. All the same, we didn’t spend a single second today driving tactically – instead, we tried to secure ourselves a bit of a lead. I hope that the weather will give me a bit of extra help tomorrow and the damp will improve grip, at least first thing in the morning. It is certainly set to be exciting because four drivers could still win. We’ll have to give 100 per cent if we want to stay in the running.”Sébastien Ogier, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #8
“Today was going pretty well for us until the sixth stage, then we got a puncture in our front left tyre in the 15th kilometre. Although we still made it to the end of the stage, it cost us more than 50 seconds. And even though starting further back is an advantage tomorrow on gravel, it certainly wasn’t a strategic move! Anyway, it will be difficult to make it right to the fronttomorrow – but I never give up. We’ll definitely go on the attack 100 per cent tomorrow.”Andreas Mikkelsen, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #9
“About halfway through the first Special Stage, I slid off the track because of a understeer. It was only a small mistake, but I hit a big stone in a ditch. Then the back right suspension broke and we replaced lots of parts on the car. Unfortunately, we didn’t make it to the start of the next stage in time. Now we face the gravel stages tomorrow, but we’ve got a good starting position at the back of the WRC field because we retired today. I hope this will mean we can put in a couple of good SS times tomorrow.”Jost Capito, Volkswagen Motorsport Director
“A little bit of bad luck can make a huge difference in the World Rally Championship, as Sébastien Ogier’s experience today showed. His puncture put him back from first to sixth place. After that, he managed to work his way forward to fourth position. However, this also means that the WRC is never boring. With this in mind, Jari-Matti Latvala’s performance today was all the more exceptional – he managed to stay objective and faultless in every situation. He is leading going into tomorrow’s gravel stages, but that also means he has to tackle them first. That’s not an easy job and it’s certainly not advantageous. After switching from asphalt to gravel, absolutely anything is possible on Sunday. So it’s definitely worth following the World Rally Championship tomorrow.”
And then there was …… “El Clásico”. The 258th face-off between Spain’s two biggest football clubs, FC Barcelona and Real Madrid, also occupied the rallying legends Carlos Sainz and Luis Moya. Sainz is a member and avid supporter of the “Royal Club”, while his former co-pilot Moya is an FC Barcelona fan. Moya also works as a live football commentator for the radio station Cadena SER. Both men are part of the Volkswagen Motorsport team at the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC).
And then there also was …
… Miikka Anttila’s brother. He congratulated Jari-Matti Latvala’s co-driver on his first-ever win in an asphalt rally with a wink. The duo has yet to win an event on this terrain. Saturday evening marked the end of the asphalt stages at the Rally Spain and the Finns are currently in the lead. Reason enough to celebrate the interim result.
* Subject to the official publication of the results by the FIA.
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A perfect start for Ogier-Julien duo: Rally of Spain-WRC
Sebastian Ogier and Julien Ingrassia take the lead after Day 1 in rally Spain. A Volkswagen photo World Champions* and now also confirmed night owls – Sébastien Ogier, Julien Ingrassia and their Polo R WRC are at the top of the leader board in the Rally Spain after the first of three days. Having scored all three possible best stage times in pitch darkness, the new holders of the Drivers’ and Co-Drivers’ titles* in the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) are 8.8 seconds ahead of their Volkswagen team-mates Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila (FIN/FIN). Asphalt specialist Daniel Sordo (Citroën) is in third place. Andreas Mikkelsen/Mikko Markkula (N/FIN) in the third World Rally Car from Wolfsburg finished the first 61.75 of 355.92 SS kilometres sixth in the overall standings. All three Volkswagen duos put in a successful night shift on Friday: Ogier/Ingrassia won all three Special Stages and Latvala/Anttila were always in the top three. What’s more, Volkswagen took all three top spots in the third Special Stage, “Riudecanyes 1”.
The members of the Volkswagen team won’t get much sleep tonight. Back at the service park in Salou, it is time for the so-called flexi-service with 45 minutes allocated per car. This has to be completed by 02:15 hrs. The mechanics will be back at work at 08:15 hrs on Saturday to perform the first service. Volkswagen need not worry about its crew’s motivation, however: the car maker could secure the manufacturers’ title in the World Rally Championship in Spain. To achieve this, all they need is for either Ogier/Ingrassia or Latvala/Anttila to come at least seventh. The teams face another 155.63 SS kilometres on asphalt on Saturday, followed by 138.54 kilometres – largely on gravel – on Sunday.Quotes following day one of the Rally Spain
Jari-Matti Latvala, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #7
“We can be very pleased with our first evening because it’s not easy starting a rally in the dark and driving fast straight away. But we managed without any problems and got into a good rhythm. I enjoyed the last stage in particular and upped my speed. You need to be consistently fast to succeed in this rally. That’s still our goal for Saturday, which will all be on asphalt, before we switch to gravel tracks on Sunday. This changeover is one of the special challenges we face here in Spain, just like the darkness this evening.”Sébastien Ogier, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #8
“The rally got off to a good start for us. I took a somewhat restrained approach to the first stage this evening, but after that we did a perfect job. I just want to enjoy the rally here in Spain and have some fun – and the best way to do that is to go flat out. My aim tomorrow is to extend our lead as much as possible to give us a good chance of winning when we switch to gravel on Sunday.”Andreas Mikkelsen, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #9
“I might have been a bit too cautious in the first two Special Stages, especially on the fast stretches. But I still enjoyed them. The Polo’s set-up is perfect – it’s definitely the best asphalt car I’ve ever driven. I’ve always liked the third stage and it went really well again today. Third place on that stage is a great result. I’m very pleased with the time I put in. We got our rhythm right and now I hope that we’ll have another good day tomorrow.”Jost Capito, Volkswagen Motorsport Director
“A great start to the rally for Volkswagen. All three driver/co-driver pairings showed that they were on the ball right from the word go today. The conditions weren’t easy because the Special Stages were held in utter darkness. Nevertheless, Sébastien Ogier and his co-driver Julien Ingrassia have already given themselves a bit of a cushion for the next couple of days. From Volkswagen’s point of view, it’s perfect that Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila are their keenest rivals, of course. Andreas Mikkelsen and Mikko Markkula also deserve a massive compliment – they got better and better from one stage to the next this evening. I think the first few Special Stages of the Rally Spain have left everyone wanting more.”And then there was …
… the garment of the day, a shirt belonging to the footballer Lionel Messi. The FC Barcelona player – who was named “World’s Greatest Player” four times in a row between 2009 and 2012 – signed and dedicated his jersey to Sébastien Ogier as a World Championship gift. Ogier presented the shirt to the fans during the Spanish rally’s opening ceremony in front of Barcelona’s cathedral. Everyone loved it – except Carlos Sainz, who is a dyed-in-the-wool Real Madrid fan.
* Subject to the official publication of the results by the FIA.
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