Volkswagen bids farewell to the World Rally Championship as champions with win number 43
A force down under: Mikkelsen claims third WRC win after battle with Ogier
Wolfsburg, 20 Nov 2016: The story of Volkswagen in the WRC ended with an exclamation mark: Andreas Mikkelsen/Anders Jæger (N/N) gave the most successful car in the history of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) a worthy send-off with another win at the Rally Australia. Victory in the Polo R WRC’s 52nd rally was both spectacular and hard-fought – and featured a close battle with Volkswagen team-mates Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (F/F), who celebrated four titles in the Driver’s and Co-Drivers’ Championship with the world rally car from Wolfsburg. The French pair also won the Manufacturers’ Championship four times with fellow Volkswagen duo Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila (FIN/FIN). The final hurrah down under developed into a real thriller, in which Mikkelsen/Jæger held his nerve to come out on top thanks to a magnificent performance. After four years at the top of the pinnacle of rallying, Volkswagen bids farewell to the most prestigious automobile world championship outside Formula 1 with an impressive record.
The best rally car ever made – the Polo R WRC
958 special stages, 640 stage wins. 52 rallies, 87 podium finishes, including 43 victories. 51 Power Stages, bonus points on 92 occasions. As far as the success rate is concerned, the Volkswagen Polo R WRC is by far the most successful WRC car ever. Between the moment that Jari-Matti Latvala set off on the world rally car from Wolfsburg’s first special stage – at 09:07 on 16 January 2013 – and Andreas Mikkelsen crossing the finish line for the final time in the Polo R WRC at 13:47 and 51 seconds local time, the Volkswagen drivers have completed 48,723.52 kilometres of special stage. That is almost exactly three times the distance between Ikarusallee 7a in Hannover and the Volkswagen service area in Coffs Harbour. There is a strong team behind this success: as well as the team at the rallies and the 200 employees in Hannover, the technical development department in Wolfsburg and the partners of Volkswagen Motorsport have also contributed to the historic success.
Milestone, not melancholy: hard-earned victory for Mikkelsen after battle with Ogier
Extreme dust, the task of sweeping clear a thick layer of loose gravel, and the intelligent management of the race tyres – the crews at the 2016 Rally Australia faced a wide range of challenges. Andreas Mikkelsen/Anders Jæger led the field of world rally cars for 94.1 per cent of the 283.36 kilometres against the clock. Their duel with four-time world champions* Ogier/Ingrassia was one of the finest seen in rallying in recent years. What made it all the more remarkable was the fact that neither of the two Volkswagen duos had favourable starting positions.
One goal achieved, one narrowly missed – Mikkelsen/Jæger finish third in the world championship
Victory in the final rally of the year saw Mikkelsen/Jæger do all they could to finish second in the World Rally Championship. However, their rivals for the runner-up spot, Thierry Neuville/Nicolas Gilsoul (B/B, Hyundai), were in no mood to give up second place. The Belgians claimed the third spot on the podium behind Mikkelsen/Jæger and Ogier/Ingrassia. Mikkelsen/Jæger did finish third in the Manufacturers’ Championship – as the best one-car team in the World Rally Championship.
Latvala/Anttila in the points at the final round of the season
Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila (FIN/FIN) in the third Polo R WRC were denied a happy ending at the final rally of the year. They damaged their suspension when they brushed a barrier on a bridge at the very start of the rally. Despite losing over seven minutes, last year’s runners-up in the World Rally Championship fought their way back into the points and ended the Rally Australia in ninth place.
Icing on the cake in a Volkswagen domain: Ogier wins the Power Stage
Volkswagen once again dominated the Power Stage, on which bonus points are awarded to the top three drivers and co-drivers. The stage win in Australia went to a Volkswagen duo – Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia – for the 39th time. In total, extra points have gone to Wolfsburg on 92 occasions. For Ogier/Ingrassia, this was the 33rd Power Stage win of their career.
Quotes after day three of the Rally Australia Sébastien Ogier, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #1
“I was a bit wide exiting a left-hander at the end of the ‘Wedding Bells’ stage, and spun. In the huge dust cloud, it took me a few moments to work out where the road was. We lost almost 20 seconds as a result. However, I have no regrets. Julien and I were really going for it all weekend, and had had a great battle with Andreas up to that point. He deserved the win. The most important thing is that our fantastic team bids farewell to the World Rally Championship with a victory. This is a very emotional moment for me. I have so much to thank the team for. Volkswagen Motorsport has been like a family to Julien and me. I have made a lot of friends and will never forget the wonderful moments we have had together over the past few years. A fantastic journey is coming to an end, and I am proud to have been a part of it.”
Jari-Matti Latvala, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #2
“I enjoyed the final few kilometres in the Polo R WRC on today’s Power Stage. We had some good special stages today and yesterday, and made good progress through the field. We can be happy with our performance over the past few days. Unfortunately, we made light contact with a wall on a bridge on the opening stage, and destroyed the rear suspension in the process. We lost a lot of time as a result, and had no chance of challenging for either the podium or the win. I would have liked to have done that – primarily to give our team a fitting leaving present. Our team-mates Andreas Mikkelsen and Sébastien Ogier claimed a deserved one-two. Congratulations to them both. We will celebrate as a team again this evening, before our time together in the World Rally Championship comes to an end. It is sure to be very emotional.”
Andreas Mikkelsen, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #9
“What a fantastic weekend, and what a wonderful result at the end of our season. Today has been a very special day, as it was our last appearance as a team. I was so desperate to win this rally for Volkswagen. It is fantastic to have achieved that. Volkswagen is the team that gave me the opportunity to step up into the top class of the WRC. They put a lot of faith in me and made so much possible for me. They will always have a special place in my heart. Everything came together at the final rally. Everything, absolutely everything, worked perfectly – it was simply the optimum of what we have achieved together in four years in the World Rally Championship. On the one hand, it is a bit of a shame that we just missed out on second place in the championship. On the other hand, that is not so important. If I had been given the choice of winning our final rally together or finishing runner-up in the world championship, I would always have chosen the win.”
Sven Smeets, Volkswagen Motorsport Director
“Today is a very successful day for Volkswagen on the one hand, and an emotional goodbye to the world rally championship on the other. To bid farewell with a one-two is simply fantastic. Despite the difficult situation, the entire team gave their all and was thoroughly professional right down to the final metre. I am incredibly proud of our performance here at the Rally Australia – and over the past few years. I would like to thank everyone in Hannover, Wolfsburg and at the rallies, as well as our partners, who have all contributed to our success. We have achieved a lot and head into our future in motorsport full of confidence.”
And then there was …
… Julien Ingrassia’s selfie marathon. As Volkswagen’s WRC programme drew to a close, the four-time world champion co-driver set about taking a selfie of himself and every single member of the team at the rally, as a lasting reminder of the four years together.
And then there was also …
… one driver who had been a part of Volkswagen’s WRC project from the word go: Andreas Mikkelsen. His first start for the team came in Finland in 2011 when, as a young driver looking to stake his claim for a works seat, he took part in the first test for Volkswagen Motorsport in a car from group brand Škoda.
*subject to confirmation from the FIA. FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), Rally Australia – Final Results*
01. Andreas Mikkelsen/Anders Jæger (N/N), Volkswagen, 2h 46m 05.7s
02. Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (F/F), Volkswagen, + 14.9s
03. Thierry Neuville/Nicolas Gilsoul (B/B), Hyundai, + 1m 12.6s
04. Hayden Paddon/John Kennard (NZ/NZ), Hyundai, + 1m 26.7s
05. Dani Sordo/Marc Martí (E/E), Hyundai, + 1m 28.3s
06. Mads Østberg/Ola Fløene (N/N), Ford, + 1m 41.5s
07. Ott Tänak/Raigo Mõlder (EST/EST), Ford, + 3m 04.3s
08. Esapekka Lappi/Janne Ferm (FIN/FIN), Škoda, + 7m 32.3s
09. Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila (FIN/FIN), Volkswagen, + 7m 56.9s
10. Lorenzo Bertelli/Simone Scattolin (I/I), Ford, + 8m 00.1s
FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), Rally Australia – Power Stage Results
01. Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (F/F), Volkswagen 3m 36.8s
02. Thierry Neuville/Nicolas Gilsoul (B/B), Hyundai + 1.2s
03. Dani Sordo/Marc Martí (E/E), Hyundai + 2.7s
Johor Bahur, 30 October 2016: Gaurav Gill of Team MRF scripted a momentous chapter in the history of Indian motorsport by sealing the 2016 FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship title with a round to spare as he won the Malaysian Rally here on Sunday. It was Gill’s second APRC crown following his success in 2013.
Having won the previous four rounds of the APRC this season, Delhi-based Gill went into the Malaysian Rally with a 42-point advantage over team-mate Fabian Kreim whose retirement yesterday due to gearbox problems effectively ended the championship battle between the two.
The 34-year old Gill, driving the MRF Skoda Fabia R5, took no chances and comfortably won the event sparing 31 minutes, 35.7 seconds to compatriot Sanjay Takale (Cusco Racing) while Kreim, who rejoined for Leg-2, finished a distant third after Michael Young who was placed second overnight crashed out.
The victory took Gill’s tally to 184 as against Kreim’s 126 for an insurmountable lead. The APRC season concludes with the India Rally in Chikkamagaluru (December 3-5).
Team MRF also clinched the APRC team championship in the wake of Gill’s clean sweep which also helped Skoda to annex the manufacturers’ title.
“While every win is special, the second title is even more so. I had no clue at the start of the season. There were so many variables, like a new car (Skoda Fabia R5) that I had not driven before and with Fabian who last week won the German championship and had more miles in the R5, as team-mate.
“Luckily, I had a perfect car and the MRF tyres worked well. Overall, I put in consistent performances through the season and I now look forward to the last round in Chikkamagaluru in December where I will be driving in front of home crowd,” said Gill who opined that he had improved tremendously over the past few years.
“Like wine, Rally drivers get better with age. Today, I am much quicker than I was in 2013, but there is more finesse to my driving,” he commented.
Mr Arun Mammen, Managing Director, MRF Ltd, said: “Congratulations to Gaurav Gill on winning the APRC title for the second time. It has been a tremendous APRC season for Team MRF and our success is another testimony to the high quality of our tyres. Overall, it has been a great team effort.”
Gill felt that the season turned decisively in his favour when he won the fourth round in Japan with a new co-driver. Belgian Stephane Prevot came in for regular co-driver Glenn Macneall who skipped the round.
“I had never sat with Stephane and that we still managed to win in Japan was a huge boost for me. I think, that was the highlight this season as far as winning the championship was concerned,” Gill said.
On his performance in the Malaysian Rally, Gill attributed his success to mature driving that saw him dominate the first day before easing off today as the terrain turned slushy and slippery following heavy overnight rains.
“Just five minutes before I left the Service Park for the Special Stages today, I asked the team to slap on full wet tyres instead of the half-cut rubber the car was fitted with. It was a gut feeling and it proved to the correct choice as the conditions were pretty tough because of overnight rains. I knew that Fabian was pushing hard, but I drove pretty conservatively since I had huge overnight lead,” Gill said.
Sébastien Ogier (F) WRC Rally Great Britain 2016 Photo: Bodo Kräling
Wales, 29 Oct 2016: Reigning FIA World Rally Champion Sébastien Ogier continues to head the Wales Rally GB leaderboard, the Frenchman losing only one second to second-placed Ott Tanak after Saturday’s first three stages. Thierry Neuville leads the challenge for Hyundai, the Belgian with one stage win this morning and now 42.1 seconds adrift of his Estonian rival.
Saturday’s leg is an unusual challenge for the crews in that there is 100 kilometres of competition, not only without a midday service but also a tyre fitting zone. So, when crews chose their tyres early this morning, they were committed to them for the duration of the day. Once again, drizzly rain and mist greeted them as they headed southwest of the rally base in Deeside for two loops of three stages, then with a single run through another two stages before returning to the main service late afternoon.
Ogier started the day with a 37.3 second lead over Tanak, who immediately set the pace in his DMACK-shod Fiesta RS WRC. Both have run without problems and while Tanak is happy with his pace, the Estonian admitted there is no way to catch Ogier on speed alone. Neuville won the third stage but lost time in the previous one when he hit a bank and thought he’d damaged the i20 WRC. He is third and ahead of team-mate Hayden Paddon who is once again struggling with set up and the road conditions not suiting his driving style. He is just 7.3 seconds behind and with more than 20 seconds in hand to Kris Meeke. The Northern Irish driver feels he cannot do more to challenge, his road position further down the field hampering his charge. Plus, he has had two slow punctures this morning and, with another five stages to run and no more spare tyres, Meeke will need to manage this situation carefully.
Dani Sordo, sixth at the mid-leg regroup in Corris, is not entirely comfortable with the set up and when he tried to push harder he went off the road in the second stage. A lack of confidence in the changeable conditions continues to unsettle the Spaniard. Mads Østberg is seventh, the Norwegian picking up a 10 second penalty at first service when the team had to make last minute repairs to the Fiesta before he headed out to the stages. Like Meeke, Jari-Matti Latvala is finding the road conditions difficult further down the field, this coupled with his own driving contributing to time loss. Stephane Lefebvre is ninth and Eric Camilli has moved into the top 10 this morning.
The FIA WRC 2 Championship continues to be led by Esapekka Lappi but he has lost time to a charging Teemu Suninen, both Finns on a mission for maximum points to keep their championship hopes alive. Suninen has won two of the three stages and is now 34.3 seconds adrift of Lappi. The FIA WRC 3 Championship continues to be led by Martin Koci, the Slovakian driver racking up a trio of stage wins to head Simone Tempestini by 46 seconds.
eom/FIA press release
Johor Bahru, 30 October 2016: Gaurav Gill of Team MRF took a giant stride towards regaining the coveted FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship title as he completed Leg-1 of the Malaysian Rally with a seven-minute lead even as team-mate and his closest challenger Fabian Kreim retired with a gearbox problem here today.
While the rains stayed away, Gill (co-driver Glenn Macneall) drove his MRF Skoda Fabia R5 with great maturity to survive some tough moments and looked set to win his fifth consecutive APRC round this season which will ensure him the title that he last won in 2013.
Delhi-based Gill tempered his aggressive driving style to suit the conditions as he nursed the car to the finish after surviving turbo and overheating problems due to grass clogging the radiator grill for a seven-minute advantage over second-placed Michael Young (Malcolm Read) of Cusco Racing.
“I am very lucky to be at the finish. It was a tough day. We had issues with overheating of the turbo leading to lack of boost after grass blocked the radiator grill in the very first Stage. The water temperature went through the roof. So, I had to nurse the car all the way through. We had a better run in the second half of the day when it was cooler.
“It was not just about competing against others but also driving according to the conditions. Like I said, I am happy to be here at the finish. Hopefully, I will be able to finish the rally tomorrow without any problems,” said a relieved Gill.
Despite the problems with the car, Gill was still far quicker than the rest of the field that included World Rally Championship driver Jari Ketoma from Finland who drove a Mitsubishi Mirage.
“I am happy to finish four minutes ahead of Ketoma in the overall classification. Ketoma is one of the finest rally drivers in the World, but the weather conditions, hot and humid, so typical of Malaysian Rally, proved too much for him,” Gill said.
Meanwhile, German champion Kreim (co-driver Frank Christian), trailing Gill by 42 points in the APRC stakes, pushed his MRF Skoda Fabia R5 to the limit in a bid to stay with the Indian. In the process, he went off the road into a ditch on SS-6, and while trying to reverse the car, broke the gearbox.
“That is the nature of the sport. I was pushing hard, but we went into a ditch in SS-6. I engaged the reverse gear trying to get back on the road, and it damaged the gearbox,” said Kreim who will rejoin the Rally tomorrow in a bid to garner crucial leg points.
The Rally ends tomorrow when the remaining six of the 14 Special Stages will be run.
Provisional classifications (After Leg-1):
Asia Pacific Rally Championship: 1. Gaurav Gill / Glenn Macneall (Team MRF) (01hour, 38mins, 59.6secs); 2. Michael Young / Malcolm Read (Cusco Racing) (01:46:20.09); 3. Sanjay Takale (Cusco Racing) (01:54:19.6).
Asia Cup: 1. Gill / Macneall (01:38.59.6); 2. Young / Read (01:46:20.09); Yuya Sumiyama / Takahiro Yasui (Cusco Racing) (01:49:18.2).
Overall: 1. Gill / Macneall (01:38.59.6); 2. Jari Ketoma / Mikko Luka (Pvt) (01:43:16.5); Young / Read (01:46:20.09).
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.
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.
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
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.”
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
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.
