Tag: Rally

Outright speed, not the key in Malaysia: APRC

Johar Bahru, 27 Oct 2016: Rally crews from eight countries around the world are getting ready to tackle the fifth round of the FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC) this weekend at the Malaysian Rally, held in Johor Bahru, which is already promising to be the most challenging event of the year.

Daily thunderstorms have swept through the region and while this hasn’t caused damage to the roads, teams say it will be difficult to get car setup right due to the constantly changing conditions. Stages can start completely dry with loose surface gravel before turning into a mud bath later in the same section.

Tyre choice, car setup including suspension settings, tyre wear and mental alertness could all play a huge part in this rally but teams say they relish the challenge and can’t wait to tackle the 14 special stages.

After 3 wins out of 4 events, current APRC championship leader Gaurav Gill is hoping to continue his dominant charge in Malaysia, especially after his Team MRF Skoda Fabia R5 has undergone routine upgrades and parts replacements following the last round in Japan.

“At the end of Rally Hokkaido the team decided to change the engine as a precaution so we put a new one in for this rally knowing it’s a difficult event. So they [team engineers and mechanics] have been at it for the past couple of days preparing everything,” said Gill.

The test held on Wednesday was Gill’s first chance to test the new engine and ensure everything is set right for the upcoming rally, which he also says is incredibly difficult on the car, mind and body.

“The first run of the new engine has been quite good. We had to do a bit of tuning for the suspension to make it softer because there are so many junctions, and it’s better to have good speed in and out of the junctions. But it’s a long rally and it’s very difficult, probably the most difficult of the year so we have to be very careful,” Gill continued.

Meanwhile Gill’s Team MRF team-mate, Fabian Kreim of Germany, is keen to continue his momentum in the APRC Championship and will be looking to push for another podium finish, especially after the high of winning the German Rally Championship last weekend.

“We will push for sure. I have a very good feeling in the car after the test and I hope that we can drive as fast as Gaurav [Gill],” said Kreim.

Although Kreim admits this rally is completely different to any other rally he has done in the past and is looking to extend his experience on various road surfaces around the world.

“It’s hot and the humidity is quite high here. It’s a very different rally to all the other APRC rounds and I think this will be a very big challenge for us. But already the feeling in the car is better than Japan so we feel confident,” he said.

New Zealander Mike Young will continue to chase down the R5 Skoda’s at this event in his Cusco EZY Racing Subaru Impreza but maintains this rally is not about speed, but is rather about survival.

“You have to have a level head and approach this rally a little differently. You can’t go flat out all the time and have to keep a bit in reserve for places that could catch you out, especially because you get so hot and don’t concentrate as much as you should,” Young explained.

“It’s certainly going to be very tough out there but that’s what we have been training for. Mentally you also have to be quite strong and just focus on the game.”

His Cusco EZY Racing team-mate Sanjay Takale of India, who has extensive experience in this region, is also looking forward to the challenge of the notoriously difficult stages although said his goal is to simply finish.

“This rally is a game of surviving,” said Takale. “You have to be neat and tight on all the corners so you have to balance that with the speed. Of course my first aim is to finish and then we see if I can climb up [the leader board] from there.”

“Plus I really enjoy this rally because it is like a second home to me. I won the Malaysian Rally Championship here in 2011 so hopefully that works to my advantage this year,” he continued.

Finnish driver Jari Ketomaa is also joining the international field at the Malaysian Rally this year in the newly built Mitsubishi Mirage. While this car is built to R5 specifications, it’s not yet FIA homologated but the team still saw the Malaysian event as a good opportunity to test the car in the difficult conditions, giving them a chance to truly test its reliability and strength.

Two time winner of the FIA Asia Cup Yuya Sumiyama from Japan returns to Malaysia in a Cusco prepared Subaru Impreza, who will also be hunting for a top result here. After competing in the Malaysian Rally several times, and scoring as high as second in the past, Sumiyama will be a force to be reckoned with here.

Fellow countryman Makoto Kawahara also returns to the APRC in Malaysia after competing in other rounds including New Zealand. His focus is on finishing and getting more points in FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Cup powered by WÜRTH where he currently sits in seventh.

The Malaysian Rally gets underway on Friday evening from 8.45pm at the Angsana Complex before crews tackle 234 kilometres of closed special stages on Saturday and Sunday around the palm oil plantations near Kota Tinggi. The rally then finishes up back at Angsana Complex in Johor Bahru at approximately 4.00pm on Sunday.

eom/FIA press release

October 27, 2016

Ogier-Ingrassia claim fourth WRC title in a row with Volkswagen
- Crowned with a win: Ogier/Ingrassia wrap up world title after eleven rallies
- Title defence sees champions join Kankkunen and Mäkinen in exclusive club
- Match point number two for Volkswagen in the Manufacturers’ Championship
Wolfsburg, 16 October 2016: Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (F/F) were crowned World Rally Champions for the fourth time in a row after taking victory at the Rally Spain. They guided their Volkswagen Polo R WRC to a fifth win of the season in Catalonia, finishing ahead of Dani Sordo/Marc Martí (E/E, Hyundai) und Thierry Neuville/Nicolas Gilsoul (B/B, Hyundai). Their ninth podium in eleven races triggered wild celebrations. The Frenchmen can no longer be caught at the top of the overall standings in the 2016 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC). Team-mates Andreas Mikkelsen/Anders Jæger (N/N) went into the Rally Spain as their closest rivals in the title race, but the Norwegians’ hopes of winning the championship were dashed when they were forced to retire from the rally. Eighth place in the Manufacturers’ classifications for Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila (FIN/FIN) means Volkswagen is well-placed to claim its fourth Manufacturers’ title in a row next time out at the Rally Great Britain.

Kankkunen, Mäkinen and Ogier – up there with the biggest names in rallying

952 days in a row at the top of the table: Sébastien Ogier is only the third World Rally Champion to be crowned champion four years in a row in the pinnacle of rallying, and the fourth four-time world champion in the history of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC). He is now on a par with Juha Kankkunen (FIN) and Tommi Mäkinen (FIN). Only his compatriot, nine-time world champion Sébastien Loeb (F) has more titles to his name.

Four titles, each wrapped up with a win and races to spare – the Ogier/Ingrassia way

Eleven rallies, nine podium finishes, five of which were wins: victory number 37 of Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia’s careers, their 30th with Volkswagen, tasted particularly sweet. The four-time world champions remained true to form, securing the title with a win for the fourth time in a row. They previously wrapped up the 2013 title at the penultimate rally in France, before achieving the same feat in Spain in 2014. In 2015, they claimed an extremely hard-fought victory at the Rally Australia to win the title before the end of the season. Victory at the 2016 Rally Spain – the only rally on the WRC calendar to be held on both gravel and asphalt – was also contested passionately.

The masterstroke: irresistibly quick and considered at the Rally Spain

The Rally Spain in Catalonia developed into a thrilling battle for the lead between local heroes Dani Sordo/Marc Martí and eventual winners Ogier/Ingrassia. The weather added to the challenge on the opening day, which was held predominantly on gravel. Ogier/Ingrassia lost 17.0 seconds to Sordo/Martí on roads that were muddy in places and drying in others. However, they bounced back on Saturday, the first of two days on asphalt, to convert this deficit into a 5.8-second lead, with wins on five of the eight special stages. Ogier extended his lead on Sunday and ultimately finished 15.6 seconds clear of the rest of the field.

Setback for Mikkelsen, Latvala is back

In contrast, Mikkelsen/Jæger and Latvala/Anttila in the second and third Polo R WRCs suffered disappointments. Friday came to a premature end for Latvala/Anttila, who were running third in extremely wet and slippery conditions when they hit a barrier and were forced to retire. However, they returned under Rally 2 regulations on Saturday and Sunday to win five stages and score valuable points for Volkswagen in the race for the Manufacturers’ Championship courtesy of eighth place in the Manufacturers’ classification. Their Volkswagen team-mates Mikkelsen/Jæger were unable to return under Rally 2 regulations: the pair second in the world championship got out of shape in a fast right-hand corner on Saturday – also whilst running third – skidded into a barrier and rolled. The Polo R WRC could not be repaired with the materials on site.

Ogier/Ingrassia first, Mikkelsen/Jæger second, Latvala/Anttila sixth: the WRC standings

Mikkelsen/Jæger remain second in the overall standings behind their team-mates Ogier/Ingrassia. After the Rally Spain, the Norwegian Volkswagen duo is level on points with Neuville/Gilsoul. However, they keep their noses in front thanks to better individual results. Latvala/Anttila head to the final two rallies of the season in Great Britain and Australia sixth in the world championship. Volkswagen travels to Great Britain with a 62-point lead in the Manufacturers’ Championship. As such, the team has a great chance of winning the world championship title for the fourth time in a row, regardless of other results. To do so, Volkswagen must take a lead of 43 points into the Rally Australia.

The icing on the cake: Latvala ahead of Ogier on the Power Stage

Latvala/Anttila enjoyed a good end to the Rally Spain. They clocked the fastest time on the closing Power Stage and were rewarded with three bonus points. Ogier/Ingrassia finished second to complete the Volkswagen success in this discipline. Victory has now gone to the Wolfsburg-based manufacturer on 38 of the past 49 Power Stages.

Quotes after day three of the Rally Spain

Sébastien Ogier, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #1
“I feel fantastic! The fourth world championship title for Julien and me, it is impossible to describe how this feels. It is an honour to be mentioned in the same breath as such big names as Kankkunen and Mäkinen. I would like to say a huge thank you to our team at Volkswagen. Without them, Julien and I would not be here today. They do a fantastic job all year and we have had a perfect car all season. I had great fun at the wheel of the Polo R WRC once again this weekend. The tension ahead of the closing Power Stage was obviously greater than usual, given the fact that we were within touching distance of the title, and bearing in mind the mistake we made last year. But we’ve done it. Despite the more difficult regulations, and despite the strong opposition. I am extremely proud of this title. It is now time to celebrate in style with a team and my wife – and when I get home I can show my young son Tim the trophy that daddy won. I dedicate this world championship title to him.”

Jari-Matti Latvala, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #2
“Congratulations to my team-mate Sébastien Ogier on his fourth Drivers’ title. That puts him in the same league as my Finnish compatriots Tommi Mäkinen and Juha Kankkunen. That is a fantastic effort, not only from him, but from the entire Volkswagen Motorsport team. For me, the Rally Spain, as has so often been the case this year, was over far too soon. After the suspension damage on Friday, we had no chance of getting ourselves back in contention. Despite this, we did manage to win some special stages and eventually managed to contribute four points towards the Manufacturers’ Championship. Perhaps we will be able to wrap up this title at the next rally in Great Britain. That will definitely be the goal.”

Andreas Mikkelsen, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #9
“Congratulations on the title and respect for this victory to our team-mates Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia. Anders and I are pleased for them. They set the benchmark again in 2016. For us personally, the Rally Spain obviously did not end as we would have hoped. After victory last year, we wanted to do well again here and certainly to extend our lead over third place in the world championship. However, that was not to be. We came into a right-hander too quickly on Saturday, drifted wide, hit the barriers and rolled. That was 100 per cent my mistake. The battle for second place in the world championship is now wide open again, and we will have to be at our very best in the remaining rallies to achieve the goal we have been aiming for since the start of the season. We will work hard to make that possible.”

Sven Smeets, Volkswagen Motorsport Director
“To be crowned world champions for the fourth time with a win – that is outstanding. Today is a great day for Sébastien Ogier, Julien Ingrassia and the whole Volkswagen team. They have been extremely consistent and impressive all season. Nine podium finishes, five of them wins, speak for themselves. So does the fact that they have now led the World Rally Championship but just short of 1,000 days in a row. We are very proud of the fastest Volkswagen drivers in the world. We will certainly celebrate in style today. Furthermore, the result here in Spain puts us in a good position in the battle for the Manufacturers’ title. We could now also win the title for the fourth year in a row in Wales in two weeks’ time, regardless of other results. That is obviously the goal.”

And then there was …

… a first in the World Rally Championship. Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia are the first Driver/Co-Driver world champions in the history of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) to win the title without having won an all-gravel rally.

And then there was also …

… the “Breakfast of Champions”. Sébastien Ogier started his big day, on which he would be crowned World Rally Champion for the fourth time, by polishing off his usual omelette for breakfast. This was his 200th in total since he started driving the Polo R WRC for Volkswagen.

FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), all-time best list of multiple world champions

Sébastien Loeb, nine world titles (2004–2012)
Sébastien Ogier, four world titles (2013–2016)*
Juha Kankkunen, four world titles (1986, 1987, 1991, 1993)
Tommi Mäkinen, four world titles (1996–1999)
Massimo Biasion, two world titles (1988, 1989)
Marcus Grönholm, two world titles (2000, 2002)
Carlos Sainz, two world titles (1990, 1992)
Walter Röhrl, two world titles (1980, 1982)

*Subject to the official publication of the results by the FIA.
October 16, 2016
Ogier, Ingrassia open commanding lead on home soil: Rally France

Wolfsburg, 30 Sept. 2016: It doesn’t get any better than this. Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (F/F) made a perfect start to the Rally France on Corsica in their Polo R WRC. The three-time world champions, who could claim the title for the fourth time in a row with victory at their home race – provided other results go their way – won all four special stages on the opening day of round ten of this season’s FIA World Rally Championship (WRC). Two of the duos out to prevent the Frenchmen from getting their hands on the title this weekend are their Volkswagen team-mates, who are also on course for success: Jari-Matti Latvala/Mikka Anttila (FIN/FIN) ended day one in third place, just ahead of Andreas Mikkelsen/Anders Jæger (N/N) in fourth. Second place after 157.68 of 390.92 kilometres against the clock is occupied by Thierry Neuville/Nicolas Gilsoul (B/B, Hyundai). While Ogier/Ingrassia opened a commanding lead of 44 seconds, just 15 seconds separate the chasing pack of three in their battle for second and third.

The opening day featured some typical Corsican special stages: narrow, winding roads and long sections put driver, co-driver and car through their paces in gorgeous autumn weather.

Quotes after day one of the Rally France
Sébastien Ogier, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #1
“An ideal opening day for Julien and me – beautiful stages, superb weather and a perfect car. The key to stage one was to find our rhythm. Looking at the lead we opened, we appear to have done just that. It was pretty hot in the cockpit in the afternoon, particularly on the long 50-kilometre stage. We have a similarly demanding day ahead of us tomorrow, particularly if the weather deteriorates. However, we obviously want to continue as we were today, to make sure we win in the end. That is definitely the goal at our home rally.”
Jari-Matti Latvala, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #2
“We were a little too cautious at first, but gradually found our rhythm the further into the rally we got. We can make a few improvements here and there, for example when braking, but apart from that we are racing the right way for the Rally Corsica. That only makes the outstanding times set by our team-mate Sébastien Ogier all the more astonishing. Hats off to his performance. We will obviously try to stick with him tomorrow and on Sunday. If we can, we have a good chance of finishing on the podium.”

Andreas Mikkelsen, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #9
“We are not so much focusing on winning the world championship, but more on securing second place. With that in mind, we are going nicely in fourth place. I struggled to know how hard to brake in the morning. Unfortunately, we lost a lot of time as a result. Apart from that, though, it was a good day for us, but we have two more challenging days ahead to come.”

Sven Smeets, Volkswagen Motorsport Director
“We could hardly hope for a better start to the Rally France. Sébastien Ogier was clearly in a league of his own, while Jari-Matti Latvala and Andreas Mikkelsen are also well-placed. First, third and fourth is more than we had expected and hoped for. However, everyone in the team is well aware that we are only one third of the way into the rally and we still have a lot of work ahead of us. If we remain as focused as we have been so far, there is a good chance we will be rewarded with a strong result.”

And then there was …
… a little milestone. Andreas Mikkelsen is contesting his 75th rally in the World Rally Championship at the Rally France – the 45th with Volkswagen and the tenth with his co-driver Anders Jæger. The Norwegian made his debut at the 2006 Rally Great Britain. Since then, he has finished on the podium on 18 occasions, including victories at the 2015 Rally Spain and the 2016 Rally Poland – all with the Polo R WRC.

Standings after day two of the Rally France
01. Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (F/F), Volkswagen, 1h 37m 52.8s
02. Thierry Neuville/Nicolas Gilsoul (B/B), Hyundai, + 44.0s
03. Jari-Matti Latala/Miikka Anttila (FIN/FIN), Volkswagen + 58.0s
04. Andreas Mikkelsen/Anders Jæger (N/N), Volkswagen, + 59.3s
05. Craig Breen/Scott Martin (GB/GB), Citroën, + 1m 18.7s
06. Hayden Paddon/John Kennard (NZ/NZ), Hyundai, + 1m 26.2s
07. Eric Camilli/Benjamin Veillas (F/F), Ford, + 2m 00.7s
08. Elfyn Evans/Craig Perry (GB/GB), Ford, + 2m 36.3s
09. Dani Sordo/Marc Martí (E/E), Hyundai, + 2m 39.1s
10. Mads Østberg/Ola Fløene (N/N), Ford, + 2m 41.9s

eom/VW Motorsport press release

Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (F/F), Volkswagen Polo R WRC | Photo: Roeseler

September 30, 2016
Gill notches up fourth win in APRC: Rally Hokkaido

Obihiro (Japan), 25 Sept. 2016: Gaurav Gill of Team MRF chalked up his fourth consecutive win in the 2016 FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship as he cruised to victory in the Rally Hokkaido here on Sunday.

Having earlier won in New Zealand, Australia and China, Gill, the 2013 APRC champion with a new co-driver in Belgian Stephane Prevot, came up with another near-flawless drive in the MRF Skoda Fabia R5 to win by one minute, 50.6 seconds over his team-mate, Germany’s Fabian Kreim (Christian Frank) who finished ahead of Cusco Racing’s Michael Young (Malcolm Read).

Enjoying an overnight lead of 01:24.9, championship leader Gill maintained a scorching pace to extend his lead by over two minutes, winning the first four of the day’s eight Special Stages before cruising home for his 13th win in the championship since his debut in 2007.

“It’s great to win. Four out of four is awesome,” said Gill. “Everything worked well. The tyres worked well since Saturday when it was wet on the tarmac and I have to thank the team for the good setup.

“It was a very difficult rally because of weather conditions constantly changing. Mornings were all wet, afternoon became all dry, then become pretty rough, so pretty difficult but I’m happy.”

Kreim, who is placed second in the championship behind Gill, said: “I think we got a lot of experience especially on these very demanding roads with very fast parts and very big ruts. All of the ruts have a lot of loose gravel and compared to the other events, it’s completely new to us and it’s very good for us.”

eom/AP Media Comm. Release

September 25, 2016

Ogier, Ingrassia win at home for Volkswagen: WRC

Andreas Mikkelsen (NOR), Anders Jæger (NOR) Volkswagen Polo R WRC (2016) WRC Rally Germany 2016 Foto: Daniel Roeseler — Andreas Mikkelsen (NOR), Anders Jæger (NOR)
Volkswagen Polo R WRC (2016)
WRC Rally Germany 2016
Foto: Daniel Roeseler

Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia powered to a second consecutive victory in Rallye Deutschland, Volkswagen’s home round of the FIA World Rally Championship.

The French duo was able to control their advantage over the closing stages to notch up their third victory of the season. The battle for second went down to the wire with a three-way fight between Hyundai team-mates Dani Sordo and Thierry Neuville and Volkswagen’s Andreas Mikkelsen. In the end, Sordo and co-driver Marc Marti clinched the position by a mere one-tenth of a second over Neuville and Nicolas Gilsoul, Mikkelsen missing out when he lost the brakes and ran wide twice in the deciding Power Stage.

In the FIA World Rally Championship for Drivers, Ogier extends his lead to 59 points over Mikkelsen with Neuville and Hayden Paddon on equal points in third position. In the Manufacturers’ Championship, Volkswagen Motorsport has a 55 point advantage over Hyundai Motorsport with four rounds remaining.

Today’s route was the shortest and covered two repeated stages and 59.26 competitive kilometres. With more than 30 seconds in hand overnight, Ogier was able to pace himself over the final stages and, without putting a foot wrong, the reigning World Champion celebrated his 35th WRC career victory by a winning margin of 20.3 seconds. It was however the battle behind him that caught the attention. Going into the day, Mikkelsen, Sordo and Neuville were separated by just four seconds but with a great run through the opening stage, Sordo was able to move into second with the fastest time as Mikkelsen lost the feeling with the brakes and Neuville ran wide in the final corner. Neuville won the following stage to overhaul Mikkelsen and despite the Norwegian pushing to the limit, he dropped back to fourth. The second run through the first stage was then cancelled for safety reasons, leaving the battling trio to fight for honours in the final Power Stage. Again, Neuville posted the fastest time but it was just one-tenth of a second too slow after 306.08 competitive kilometres to deny team-mate Sordo the second place.

Behind fourth-placed Mikkelsen, who led the event at the end of the first day, Hayden Paddon finished fifth nearly a minute ahead of Mads Østberg. Unable to improve his position, Paddon spent most of the day testing different settings for the next asphalt round of the Championship in Corsica.

Esapekka Lappi finished a fine seventh overall in his Škoda Fabia R5 and won the FIA WRC 2 Championship category. The Finn, fourth in the series, needed to capitalise in Germany being that none of his closest rivals were registered for points on the event. Škoda R5 machinery filled the remaining positions in the top 10; Pontus Tidemand, not registered here, was eighth, and Jan Kopecky and Armin Kremer were ninth and 10th respectively, both taking podium positions in the WRC 2 category.

In the FIA Junior WRC Championship, Simone Tempestini is one step closer to taking the title with two rounds remaining. The Italian won two of the day’s three stages and takes the maximum Junior points for the third time this season from four events. Martin Koci, in an earlier fight with Tempestini, finished second after a spin in the first stage this morning, and Terry Folb claimed third in the category, the Frenchman winning the final stage.

Following the cancellation of Rally China, the next outing for the FIA World Rally Championship contenders will be on the island of Corsica for Rallye de France (29 September-2 October).

Rallye Deutschland – Unofficial Final Classification

1. Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia	Volkswagen Polo R WRC	3hr 00min 26.7sec
2. Dani Sordo/Marc Marti	Hyundai i20 WRC	3hr 00min 47.0sec
3. Thierry Neuville/Nicolas Gilsoul	Hyundai i20 WRC	3hr 00min 47.1sec
4. Andreas Mikkelsen/Anders Jaeger	Volkswagen Polo R WRC	3hr 00min 53.9sec
5. Hayden Paddon/John Kennard	Hyundai i20 WRC	3hr 04min 01.5sec
6. Mads Østberg/Ola Fløene	Ford Fiesta RS WRC	3hr 04min 57.9sec
7. Esapekka Lappi/Janne Ferm	Škoda Fabia R5	3hr 09min 03.5sec
8. Pontus Tidemand/Jonas Andersson	Škoda Fabia R5	3hr 09min 19.2sec
9. Jan Kopecky/Pavel Dresler	Škoda Fabia R5	3hr 10min 10.9sec
10. Armin Kremer/Pirmin Winklhofer	Škoda Fabia R5	3hr 10min 37.3sec

August 22, 2016

Mikkelsen, Jaeger snatch last-gasp win: WRC Rally Poland

Andreas Mikkelsen and Anders Jaeger snatched victory in the closing kilometres of Rally Poland when Ott Tanak and Raigo Molder – long-time leaders of the event – lost over 40 seconds with a puncture in the penultimate stage. The dramatic end to an incredibly close-fought rally saw the devastated Estonians robbed of a maiden win after one of the finest drives of their career. Hayden Paddon and John Kennard clinched third by just eight-tenths of a second, the Kiwis struggling with the treacherous conditions in the closing stages.

In the FIA World Rally Championship, Sébastien Ogier continues to head the leaderboard and the Frenchman takes a 51 point advantage over team-mate Mikkelsen mid-way through the season. In the Manufacturers’ Championship, Volkswagen’s lead is now 61 points over Hyundai Motorsport.

The final day of Rally Poland was the shortest and took in just two stages, both run twice, but the conditions were far removed from the hot and sunny weather earlier in the week. Thick mud, deep ruts and standing water from persistent overnight rain resulted in sandy roads turning to treacherous stages, with many a crew hitting problems. Tanak started the day with a handy 21.3 second advantage over Mikkelsen and the Estonian looked set to secure his maiden win in the WRC until a puncture in the penultimate stage. The distraught crew dropped 40.5 seconds, handing their Norwegian rivals a last-minute victory, the second time Mikkelsen has secured an eleventh hour win after his dramatic victory in Spain last year. His first win on a full gravel rally also means he is the sixth different winner in as many events this season. Paddon was reasonably secure in third this morning and with only 6.5 seconds separating him and Mikkelsen, the New Zealander had everything to fight for. However, after two disappointing retirements in the previous events he was happy to maintain his podium position, although very nearly lost out to team-mate Thierry Neuville when he backed off in the tricky conditions, lacking confidence in the car. His podium was ultimately secured by a mere 0.8 seconds.

Neuville also took it a bit too steady in the slippery conditions today and then picked up a puncture in the penultimate stage. Ultimately, the Belgian confessed that his pace notes were too conservative in the first passage of the stages and this is where his rally was compromised. Behind him, Jari-Matti Latvala and Sébastien Ogier were both within striking distance. Latvala won two of the day’s stages and Ogier claimed the win in the Power Stage to salvage 11 points from one of the toughest events for road cleaning so far this season. Behind the top six, Craig Breen performed brilliantly in his first out in the DS3 WRC since Rally Sweden. The Irish driver finished seventh after a great battle with team-mate Stephane Lefebvre, who ultimately dropped to ninth after spinning and clouting the rear wheel. He had to limp through stage 19 with the wheel virtually hanging off. Mads Østberg sandwiched the two Citroens and his team-mate Eric Camilli rounded off the top 10, the Frenchman losing time with an off at the end of the penultimate stage.

In the FIA WRC 2 Championship, Teemu Suninen took top honours after a great battle with Elfyn Evans and Esapekka Lappi. In the end the Finnish Skoda driver won by nearly a minute after his rivals dropped time with punctures today. Simone Tempestini was the runaway winner in the Junior WRC Championship and the Italian won by nearly three and a half minutes.

The FIA World Rally Championship contenders now take a short summer break before heading to Finland for another of the fastest gravel rallies in the series.

Rally Poland – Provisional Final Classification

1. Andreas Mikkelsen/Anders Jaeger	Volkswagen Polo R WRC	2hr 37min 34.4sec
2. Ott Tanak/Raigo Molder	Ford Fiesta RS WRC	2hr 38min 00.6sec
3. Hayden Paddon/John Kennard	Hyundai i20 WRC	2hr 38min 02.9sec
4. Thierry Neuville/Nicolas Gilsoul	Hyundai i20 WRC	2hr 38min 03.7sec
5. Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila	Volkswagen Polo R WRC	2hr 38min 08.2sec
6. Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia	Volkswagen Polo R WRC	2hr 38min 14.7sec
7. Craig Breen/Scott Martin	DS3 WRC	2hr 39min 35.8sec
8. Mads Østberg/Ola Fløene	Ford Fiesta RS WRC	2hr 40min 39.0sec
9. Stephane Lefebvre/Gabor Moreau	DS3 WRC	2hr 42min 46.4sec
10. Eric Camilli/Benjamin Veillas	Ford Fiesta RS WRC	2hr 42min 57.5sec

July 3, 2016

Mikkelsen takes early lead: Rally Poland

Andreas Mikkelsen has taken the early lead in Rally Poland after five stages of this ultra-fast gravel round of the FIA World Rally Championship. The Norwegian is however in the thick of a battle with Hayden Paddon and Ott Tanak, both of whom are within six seconds of the lead at the mid-leg service in Mikołajki.

The seventh round of the series got underway last night with a short super special stage, where Thierry Neuville set the pace in front of a crowd of thousands. Today, however, crews headed northeast of the rally base for the first of two loops of four stages and will return to Mikołajki for a second run around the super special stage tonight. Mikkelsen, runner-up last night, had a good run through the opening stage of the morning and went on to win the second test despite running over a rock. He lost some ground in the following two stages, ‘not quite on it’, but heads in to service with a 2.6 second lead over Paddon. The Kiwi driver leapt up the leaderboard this morning from seventh last night to second overall behind Tanak after the first stage, fastest time aiding his charge after disappointing retirements in the last two events. He went on to win the final stage of the morning, even though he struggled with understeer, and will be looking for improvements in all areas this afternoon. Tanak briefly led although the Estonian has been lacking some confidence in the handling of the car. He is now just 3.4 seconds adrift of Paddon.

Championship leader Sébastien Ogier has run without problems and is fourth just 5.4 seconds ahead of Rally Italia Sardegna winner Thierry Neuville. As road conditions got softer with the passage of cars, the Belgian was simply unable to push harder and struggled with the set up and speed of his pace notes. Jari-Matti Latvala has not entirely got into the groove of the event and is sixth, the Finn also picking up a puncture in SS4. Stephane Lefebvre, in the DS3 WRC, is seventh only one-tenth of a second adrift and he heads team-mate Craig Breen in the sister car. Eric Camilli is ninth and Mads Østberg 10th.

In the FIA WRC 2 Championship, Pontus Tidemand leads the charge ahead of Teemu Suninen, and Simone Tempestini has taken the advantage in the Junior WRC Championship category, early pacesetter Andrea Crugnola hitting problems.

eom/FIA press release

July 1, 2016

Meeke and Nagle triumph in Portugal: WRC

The DS 3 WRC crew of Kris Meeke and Paul Nagle claimed an emphatic victory in Rally de Portugal today, the pair dominating from the second stage of the event to win by 29.7 seconds. A titanic battle developed between the Volkswagen crews and Andreas Mikkelsen and Anders Jaeger overhauled reigning World Champions Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia to take the second step of the podium.

In the FIA World Rally Championship, Ogier remains in control of the leaderboard and the Frenchman has a 47 point lead over Mikkelsen after five rounds. In the Manufacturers’ Championship, Volkswagen Motorsport is ahead of Hyundai Motorsport by 49 points, the Korean manufacturer scoring with just one car following the retirement of Hayden Paddon.

The final day of competition took the crews over two identical loops of two stages and included the iconic Fafe stage where thousands of fans descend to watch this rollercoaster stage. Starting the day with 45.3 seconds in hand to Ogier, Meeke was able to control his pace, take no risks but up his speed if necessary. In the end, the Northern Irishman was able to get to the finish unchallenged to rack up his second victory in the FIA World Rally Championship. Ogier started the day in second position but a puncture in the opening stage enabled stage winner Andreas Mikkelsen to move ahead. The Polo R WRC team-mates were neck and neck on the remaining three stages, trading fastest times, but with Ogier needing to adopt some caution with a lack of spare wheels, the Norwegian was able to keep ahead and claim a fine second overall with Ogier just 4.8 seconds adrift. With Jari-Matti Latvala in the Power Stage mix, Volkswagen drivers were also able to claim a clean sweep of the additional points for this single stage.

Having been in the fight for the podium positions earlier in the event, Dani Sordo slipped away from the leading trio but nevertheless finished a comfortable fourth ahead of Eric Camilli in the lead Fiesta RS WRC. The Frenchman had a problem with the handbrake earlier and a spin in the Power Stage, but his fifth position represents his best finish in a World Rally Championship event. After his earlier power steering problems, Jari-Matti Latvala was out of contention for the podium but the Finn managed to climb back to sixth, only 5.3 seconds behind Camilli after the Frenchman’s spin in the final stage. Mads Østberg took seventh ahead of Martin Prokop, the Czech driver struggling with intercom issues today.

The top 10 was rounded off by Pontus Tidemand in ninth, the Swede also claiming the FIA WRC 2 Championship category victory ahead of Nicolas Fuchs. In the FIA Junior WRC Championship Simone Tempestini took honours in his DS 3 R3 after a massive battle with Martin Koci.

The sixth round of the FIA World Rally Championship takes the contenders to the island of Sardinia for Rally Italia (9-12 June).

1. Kris Meeke/Paul Nagle	DS3 WRC	3hr 59min 01.0sec
2. Andreas Mikkelsen/Anders Jaeger	Volkswagen Polo R WRC	3hr 59min 30.7sec
3. Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia	Volkswagen Polo R WRC	3hr 59min 35.5sec
4. Dani Sordo/Marc Marti	Hyundai i20 WRC	4hr 00min 38.1sec
5. Eric Camilli/Benjamin Veillas	Ford Fiesta RS WRC	4hr 03min 02.6sec
6. Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila	Volkswagen Polo R WRC	4hr 03min 07.9sec
7. Mads Østberg/Ola Fløene	Ford Fiesta RS WRC	4hr 05min 54.6sec
8. Martin Prokop/Jan Tomanek	Ford Fiesta RS WRC	4hr 09min 25.1sec
9. Pontus Tidemand/Jonas Andersson	Skoda Fabia R5	4hr 10min 46.2sec
10. Nicolas Fuchs/Fernando Mussano	Skoda Fabia R5	4hr 12 min 15.0sec

May 23, 2016

Meeke takes lead into the final day

Today’s route took the crews east of Porto for two identical loops of three stages covering 165.28 competitive kilometres. Meeke was again on the pace from the outset and the DS 3 WRC driver was fastest in all three of the morning’s tests to extend his advantage stage by stage. This afternoon the weight of an extra spare wheel slowed him, but with more than a minute in hand earlier in the day, he was able to continue controlling the field. At the head of the field, Ogier struggled more today with the road sweeping effect, allowing Mikkelsen to close the gap, overhaul Sordo and move into third, just 3.1 seconds adrift of Ogier.

Dani Sordo held third going into the day, but the Spaniard was at a loss to explain dropping time in the opening stage this morning and with the car moving around a lot, he lost more time in the following two stages and was overhauled by Mikkelsen in SS12, the longest stage of the rally. He has slipped further adrift but holds a good advantage over Eric Camilli, the Frenchman enjoying a great day of competition and on track for his best result of the season. After his power steering problems on the opening day, Jari-Matti Latvala is out of contention for the podium, but the Finn is sixth and ahead of Mads Østberg in the second Fiesta RS WRC. Martin Prokop holds eighth ahead of the lead FIA WRC 2 Championship drivers, Pontus Tidemand and Nicolas Fuchs. In the FIA Junior WRC Championship, Martin Koci heads the contenders in his DS 3 R3, 30.8 seconds ahead of Simone Tempestini.

Leading retirements of the day included Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville with a fuel problem, Stephane Lefebvre with damaged suspension and Citroën driver Khalid Al Qassimi.

Rally de Portugal – Unofficial Classification after Section 5

1. Kris Meeke/Paul Nagle	DS3 WRC	3hr 16min 11.4sec
2. Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia	Volkswagen Polo R WRC	3hr 16min 56.7sec
3. Andreas Mikkelsen/Anders Jaeger	Volkswagen Polo R WRC	3hr 16min 59.8sec
4. Dani Sordo/Marc Marti	Hyundai i20 WRC	3hr 17min 31.4sec
5. Eric Camilli/Benjamin Veillas	Ford Fiesta RS WRC	3hr 19min 15.6sec
6. Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila	Volkswagen Polo R WRC	3hr 20min 19.2sec
7. Mads Østberg/Ola Fløene	Ford Fiesta RS WRC	3hr 22min 44.2sec
8. Martin Prokop/Jan Tomanek	Ford Fiesta RS WRC	3hr 24min 23.2sec
9. Pontus Tidemand/Jonas Andersson	Skoda Fabia R5	3hr 26min 05.6sec
10. Nicolas Fuchs/Fernando Mussano	Skoda Fabia R5

3hr 26min 37.sec

eom/FIA press release

May 22, 2016

Gaurav Gill wins Whangarei round of the APRC to begin season with style

Whangarei (New Zealand), May 1: Gaurav Gill put in a mature performance to win the International Rally of Whangarei ahead of Germany’s Fabian Kreim to lead a 1-2 finish for Team MRF-SKODA, here on Sunday, and start the 2016 FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship season in great style.

It was 34-year old, Delhi-based Gill’s ninth victory in the APRC series and second in New Zealand following his triumph here in 2014.

Driving the Race Torque-prepared Skoda Fabia R5 with controlled aggression, Gill, with Australian Glenn Macneall as his co-driver, shrugged off the overnight 4.6-second deficit to Kreim and eventually won by 30.4 seconds despite problems with the turbo following a leak in the actuator during the first of the two loops of the three Special Stages.

After replacing the part during the service break, Gill pushed just enough to maintain his lead over Kreim (co-driver Frank Christian) for a deserving victory.

Gill began the day that saw spells of rain and intermittent drizzle, by making 23.3 seconds over Kreim in the very first Special Stage won by Kiwi hope Mike Young who eventually finished a distant third behind the two MRF-SKODA duo.

Hereabouts, Gill’s Fabia R5 suffered from loss of power that saw him finish third in SS-12 and 13 before returning for service. At this point, the Indian’s lead was cut to 9.3 seconds, but after repairs to the turbo during service, Gill returned for the second loop of the three Stages and stepped up the pace, making 20 seconds on Kreim in SS-14 FOR A 29.3-second lead before easing off in the final two Stages to complete a fluent win.

Gill, who won two of the six Special Stages on Sunday, was pleased as punch with his overall performance, but pointed that he was still learning the finer points of the Fabia R5 that he was driving for the first time.

“Obviously, I am extremely happy that I won today. Every win is special and today, after overcoming the overnight deficit, I opened a sizeable lead over Fabian and thereafter, my intention was to nurse it to the finish. The weather also changed overnight and we had to cope with it.

“We had problems with the turbo with a leaking actuator that we replaced during service after the first loop, but with hardly a minute to spare. Thus, we were very much down on power during the first loop. However, I made 20 seconds on Fabian after repairs before deciding to ease off and drive to his pace rather than push as I had enough lead to win. My aim was to finish the event straining the car or the engine.

“Overall, I drove about 80-85 per cent to my potential since I am learning the new car and get the set-up right as it was prepared for Rally of Finland. From now on, I have to be consistent and keep scoring points,” said Gill.

On his part, Kreim was happy to bag some points on his APRC debut and said he met his target of finish the Rally safely while keeping the championship in mind.

“I drove just like I did yesterday while the conditions, due to rains, were far better today. Like I said earlier, our intention was to bring the car to the finish line and score some championship points which we did though we too had some problem with the turbo,” said Kreim.

A delighted Lane Heenan of Race Torque said: “Since this was the first round, it was important that both our cars finished. Considering that Gaurav was driving the R5 for the first time, it was a pretty good result for him. The rains also helped as it afforded more grip.

“As for Fabian, he is still young and finding his way. He has had a good start for the championship by taking some points. I am happy that we had a 1-2 finish, but there is still a long way to go and we have to take one round at a time.”

APRC Classification (Provisional): 1. Gaurav Gill / Glenn Macneall (Team MRF-SKODA, Skoda Fabia R5) (02hrs, 55mins, 50.3secs); 2. Fabian Kreim / Frank Christian (Team MRF-SKODA, Skoda Fabia R5) (02:56:20.7); 3. Mike Young / Malcolm Read (EZY Racing, Subaru Impreza WRX STi) (03:10:00.3).

Gill’s previous APRC victories: 2008 – Malaysia; 2010 – Australia; 2012 – New Caledonia; 2013 – New Caledonia and Japan (wins APRC championship); 2014 – Malaysia and New Zealand; 2015 – New Caledonia. 2016 – New Zealand.

eom/AP Media Communications Release

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May 1, 2016