Tag: WRC, Rally

The final round of the year also brought the curtain down on what has been a fairy-tale season for Volkswagen. A series of records went to the Wolfsburg-based manufacturer in 2014. The twelfth of a possible 13 wins saw Volkswagen eclipse the previous record of eleven, held by Citroën. Volkswagen also equalled the record eight one-twos in a season, set by Peugeot back in 2002. And there’s more: Volkswagen also wrapped up the title in the Manufacturers’ Championship at the earliest point of the season for 25 years, as well as becoming only the second manufacturer in WRC history to provide all of the top three drivers in the Drivers’ World Championship. Only Lancia had achieved this feat before them – in 1987 and 1988. Not only were Volkswagen’s achievements impressive, but also the manner in which they were achieved: in 2014, Ogier, Latvala and Mikkelsen added a further 197 of a possible 249 stage wins to the success story of the Polo R WRC. In total, 23 podiums went to Volkswagen over the course of the season’s 13 rallies. Since the Polo R WRC made its World Rally Championship debut in January 2013, the powerhouse has racked up 22 victories and 41 podiums in 26 rallies. The Volkswagen drivers clocked the fastest time on 345 of the 486 special stages over the last two seasons.

XXL mud pack: extremely difficult conditions in Wales

The Rally Great Britain is not only the “Rally of Legends”, but is a legend in its own right. The ubiquitous rain and menacing fog hanging over the forests make for perilous Welsh gravel stages, the likes of which are not experienced anywhere else on the WRC calendar. Smooth in places, mostly muddy, but always slippery, the 70th staging of this classic once again posed an extreme challenge to driver, co-driver and World Rally Car alike.

Disappointment for Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila

About halfway into the 305.64 kilometres against the clock, a mere 6.6 seconds separated the world champion* and the man who finished runner-up* in the World Championship – the rally in Wales was initially shaped by the same duel that had dominated the 2014 WRC season. The battle between Ogier and Latvala produced no fewer than three of the ten closest WRC finishes in World Championship history, with a fourth only prevented by a slight mistake. Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila fell victim to the perilous Welsh mud on Saturday morning, sliding into a ditch on the ninth stage of the rally – and lost over three minutes in the process. They fought back strongly on Sunday, however, winning four of the final day’s six special stages – including the closing Power Stage – to climb from tenth to eighth place.

Highs and lows: set-backs and stage wins for Mikkelsen and Fløene

The rally was to prove an emotional rollercoaster for Andreas Mikkelsen and Ola Fløene. Five stage wins and four second places on Saturday were unfortunately offset by crashes on Friday and Sunday. Mikkelsen and Fløene were always one of the cars first onto the route – no easy task at the Rally Great Britain. As such, a dream season ended in disappointment for Mikkelsen/Fløene. However, this does not detract from an otherwise impressive record: Andreas Mikkelsen made five appearances on the podium in 2014, including second places on three different surfaces: ice and snow (Sweden), gravel (Poland) and asphalt (France).

Power Stage: bonus points for Latvala

Volkswagen continues to dominate the Power Stage, in which extra points towards the Drivers’ and Co-Drivers’ Championship are awarded to the fastest three cars. For the eleventh time in the 2014 season the fastest time was set by a Volkswagen driver. In Great Britain it was the turn of Jari-Matti Latvala to pick up the three bonus points. A Volkswagen driver has picked up at least one extra point on 24 occasions this year. Volkswagen can point to a proud record since joining the championship in 2013: of the 25 Power Stages held in that time, the fastest man was at the wheel of a Polo R WRC on 19 occasions, while the Volkswagen drivers finished in the top three 44 times.

Three titles*, twelve wins – the conclusion of a demanding season

The Volkswagen team can look back on what was not only a successful, but also a demanding season, with the three World Championship titles* in the Drivers’, Co-drivers’ and Manufacturers’ competitions as a reward. The 2014 FIA World Rally Championship took team members from 20 nations to 13 rallies in 15 different countries. 4.2 million fans now follow the works team from Wolfsburg on social networks, 101,647 fans were delighted to get their hands on signed autographs of the Volkswagen drivers, while journalists were supplied with information via 703 pages of press releases and 322,488 text messages.

In extreme conditions, from sea level up to altitudes of 2781 metres, the temperatures on the special stages ranged from minus 12 to plus 34 degrees Celsius. The turbo chargers in the three 315-hp engines completed 1.3 billion revs between the Rally Monte Carlo and the Rally Great Britain. Sébastien Ogier, Jari-Matti Latvala and Andreas Mikkelsen changed gears in their Polo R WRCs 73,211 times. Using muscle power alone, the mechanics lifted a total of 265 tons moving the roughly 1,100 tyres used. The engineers evaluated about 17.9 gigabytes of data from the year’s 249 special stages – roughly the same as 3.2 million pages of pure text. The team members covered a total of 96,845.99 kilometres as the crow flies between the service parks and the team HQ in Hannover. The equipment for the overseas races travelled a further 46,202.62 kilometres by sea.

All with 100 percent team work.

Quotes after day three of the Rally Great Britain

Sébastien Ogier, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #1
“That is obviously the best way to end a season: with a win. We were under no pressure, as the World Championship was no longer at stake, and just wanted to enjoy the Rally Great Britain. We really had to go flat-out on Friday and had a close battle for the lead with my team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala. That allowed us to open up a big lead over the rest of our rivals. When Jari-Matti made a mistake on Saturday, it obviously completely changed the character of the rally for us. I just had to get the car to the finish line. However, that is anything but easy given the typical conditions here in Wales. All in all, it has been another magnificent season for Julien and me, with a fantastic team behind us. We now have a few tests and official parties before the Christmas holidays begin. A quick word on Mikko Hirvonen: I am delighted for him that he ended his final WRC rally on the podium. He has had a great career, and we will miss driving against him.”

Jari-Matti Latvala, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #2
“I can look back with great satisfaction on the 2014 season: I mounted my first serious challenge for the World Championship title, and kept the title race alive for a long time. I also won my first rally on asphalt, which was an important milestone for me. The duel with Sébastien Ogier was extremely exciting. I will carry on where I left off next season. The Rally Great Britain did not pan out as I had hoped. My goal was definitely to go for the win here in Wales. Apart from the slip-up, our pace was good. As such, I am already looking forward to next year.”

Andreas Mikkelsen, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #9
“Unfortunately that was not the end to the season I had hoped for. I would have liked to have given the team something better than two offs. However, the conditions were particularly difficult and mistakes happen quicker at the Rally Great Britain than anywhere else. I am disappointed, but I believe we matched the pace of our team-mates and could have challenged for the win. Despite this disappointment, we can still be proud of what we have achieved this season. With five podiums we have exceeded our own expectations. Third place in the Drivers’ Championship is the best result of my career. I am looking forward to a bit of a rest over the coming weeks, but also to the 2015 season. We are determined to be challenging for victories and podiums right from the word go. That is my goal.”

Jost Capito, Volkswagen Motorsport Director
“Twelve wins in one season – we really can look back on a successful year. We can be proud of what we have achieved, and enjoy every moment in the World Rally Championship. The Rally Great Britain has also been a great success, and Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia did everything right en route to their eighth win of the season. Respect to them. In contrast, Jari-Matti Latvala, Miikka Anttila, Andreas Mikkelsen and Ola Fløene did not end the season the way they had hoped. However, they can also be proud of what they have achieved. There is no chance of us resting on our laurels. The 2015 season gets underway with the Rally Monte Carlo in just 65 days, and we want to be as well prepared as possible again. Preparations have already been in full swing for a while now.”

And then there were …

… Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen. The two Finnish M-Sport Ford drivers were contesting their final WRC rally in Wales after a career spanning 13 years. Volkswagen would like to thank them for some exciting battles and two years of fair competition.

* Subject to the official publication of the results by the FIA.

 ends/A Volkswagen Motorsport release

All good things come in threes – especially when it comes to popping champagne corks: Volkswagen’s one-two-three at the Rally Australia was the first in the team’s history in the World Rally Championship. Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia claimed the 19th victory for the Polo R WRC in only its 23rd outing. Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila added podium number 35 to the 315-hp World Rally Car from Wolfsburg’s impressive record since making its debut at the 2013 Rally Monte Carlo. Andreas Mikkelsen/Ola Fløene secured podium number 36, for good measure.

The route to the historic success was anything but a stroll in the park: the Rally Australia put both man and machine to the test with its very technical, winding rollercoaster sections through the forests of New South Wales on the one hand, and high-speed passages over open land on the other. Constantly varying gravel surfaces – from rough, coarse grit to smooth, clayey, loamy ground – and the relentless switching between light and shadow made life difficult for the drivers and co-drivers. Over the course of the 20 special stages, the World Rally Cars completed 302.26 kilometres against the clock. The longest and most distinctive stage was “Nambucca”, which took the crews on a marathon 48.92-kilometre route through forests with steep uphill sections, across farmland and over small wooden bridges.

The Sign of Three: Successful title defence in record time
World Champion* after just three quarters of the season – only once in the history of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) has a manufacturer wrapped up the Manufacturers’ Championship sooner than Volkswagen in 2014. With nine of ten possible victories to its name – six of them one-twos – Volkswagen has already successfully defended its title. Ogier and Latvala also spearheaded the team that took the Manufacturers’ title to Wolfsburg in 2013 – with the biggest winning margin in the history of the WRC (145 points). Volkswagen goes into the remaining three rallies of the season – in France, Spain and Great Britain – with a lead of 194 points.

And then there were two: All-Volkswagen duel in the Drivers’ and Co-Drivers’ Championship
Even before the Rally Australia it was already certain that the battle for the title in the WRC Drivers’ Championship would be played out between the three Volkswagen drivers – Sébastien Ogier, Jari-Matti Latvala and Andreas Mikkelsen. After the result down under, the three-way battle has now been whittled down to a duel. Although Andreas Mikkelsen was able to significantly increase his advantage over fourth place, he can no longer have a say in the destination of the Drivers’ title. And so it is that the duel that has dominated the season will also determine who wins the World Championship: Sébastien Ogier vs. Jari-Matti Latvala. This duel has already produced three of the top ten closest finishes in the World Rally Championship. Ogier defeated Latvala by just 0.2 seconds in Jordan in 2011, while Latvala finished a mere 2.4 seconds ahead of Ogier in New Zealand in 2010. The closest finish since the two drivers have been in Volkswagen colours came at this year’s Rally Finland, when Latvala came home just 3.6 seconds ahead of Ogier to win his home event. In Australia, 6.8 seconds was all that separated the champion and his challenger.

Bonus points for the leading two on the Power Stage: Latvala ahead of Ogier
Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila won the Power Stage, on which bonus points are up for grabs for the first three crews, to pick up an extra three points towards the Drivers’ and Co-Drivers’ Championship. Second place, and with it two World Championship points, went to their Volkswagen team-mates Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia. Over the last two years in the World Championship, Volkswagen duos have won 16 of 22 Power Stages, bagging extra points on 39 occasions in total.

Facts and figures from the Rally Australia
20 special stages, 17 stage wins – Volkswagen enhanced the already impressive record of the Polo R WRC at the Rally Australia. Since the World Rally Car made its first competitive outing at the 2013 Rally Monte Carlo, the four-wheel drive powerhouse has won a remarkable 297 of 428 stages. It has also ended special stages in the top three on 679 occasions. The Rally Australia’s 20 special stages yielded a further 42 top-three results for the Volkswagen drivers.

Quotes after day three of the Rally Australia
Sébastien Ogier, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #1
“Absolutely fantastic. I am made up for our team! They really deserve this success so much. It is hard to put this feeling into words. The fact that we have wrapped up the World Championship title with the first ever all-Volkswagen podium is an incredible success. We can really be proud of ourselves today, here at the other end of the world. Julien and I tried to control our slender advantage over my team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala right through to the finish – and it worked out. I think we put on an exciting duel at the top for the fans. It is awesome that Andreas Mikkelsen and Ola Fløene rounded off this triumph for the team. A win would be enough for me to secure the Drivers’ title now. It would be magnificent to pull it off in France.”

Jari-Matti Latvala, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #2
“A fantastic success. I am delighted for the entire team. The Manufacturers’ title is a great recognition of the fact that everyone at Volkswagen has been utterly committed to being successful, and also shows that the Polo is the best rally car around. We also produced some first-class racing again – Miikka and I tried to put Sébastien and Julien under pressure right up until the finish, but they were unbeatable. Congratulations on a deserved win. I am very happy with my own performance. Unfortunately we lost crucial seconds with the wrong tyre selection, which probably cost us the win. In any case, it is phenomenal to stand here on the podium with all three Polos. There can be no better way to win a World Championship title.”

Andreas Mikkelsen, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #9
“What an incredible result for the entire team. World Champions, and with the team’s very first one-two-three to boot. I am delighted for all the mechanics, engineers and helpers who have made this possible, here in Australia and throughout the entire season. We had a huge lead over fourth place going into the final six special stages, but we could not do much in the way of catching the two cars ahead of us. Caught in no man’s land, our priority was to control our pace so that we did not make any mistakes and brought the result home. My goal ahead of the rally was to defend my advantage over fourth place in the World Championship. We have actually managed to increase it. I am absolutely delighted with my fourth podium of the year. Today is just a fantastic day.”

Jost Capito, Volkswagen Motorsport Director
“What a way to put the icing on the cake at the end of such an impressive season! Winning the Manufacturers’ title with a one-two-three – it doesn’t get any better. Last year we surpassed all expectations, particularly our own. Even then, everyone in the team consistently pushed themselves to their limits to win the World Championship. It is always more difficult to successfully defend the World Championship title than it is to win it in the first place. What the team has achieved this season, and the extent to which it has improved, demands my utmost respect. A chain is only ever as strong as its weakest link, as they say. With us, every link is as strong as the next. I would like to thank my colleagues. Volkswagen is proud of them. And this title is for everyone at Volkswagen around the world, whose support has been magnificent.”

* Subject to the official publication of the results by the FIA.

And then there was …
… the perfect parking place. To welcome the new champions, the Volkswagen mechanics unrolled brand-new service awnings for the three Polo R WRCs. At the closing service, ahead of the podium ceremony, the three World Rally Cars from Wolfsburg were parked in their own places as usual, where the sign above them read: “Champions Parking Only”.

FIA Rally World Championship (WRC), Rally Australia – Final Results
1.	Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (F/F), Volkswagen	2h 53m 18.0s
2.	Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila (FIN/FIN), Volkswagen	+ 6.8s
3.	Andreas Mikkelsen/Ola Fløene (N/N), Volkswagen	+ 1m 18.0s
4.	Kris Meeke/Paul Nagle (GB/IRL), Citroën	+ 1m 44.0s
5.	Mikko Hirvonen/Jarmo Lehtinen (FIN/FIN), Ford	+ 1m 53.6s
6.	Hayden Paddon/John Kennard (NZ/NZ), Hyundai	+ 2m 56.2s
7.	Thierry Neuville/Nicolas Gilsoul (B/B), Hyundai	+ 4m 28.2s
8.	Elfyn Evans/Daniel Barritt (GB/GB), Ford	+ 5m 10.0s
9.	Robert Kubica/Maciej Szczepaniak (PL/PL), Ford	+ 6m 39.8s
10.	Chris Atkinson/Stephane Prevot (AUS/B), Hyundai	+ 9m 29.4s
FIA Rally World Championship (WRC), Rally Australia – Power Stage Results
1.	Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila (FIN/FIN), Volkswagen	5m 20.7s
2.	Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (F/F), Volkswagen	+ 1.2s
3.	Kris Meeke/Paul Nagle (GB/IRL), Citroën	+ 3.8s
FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), Overall Standings Drivers’ Championship
		points
1.	Sébastien Ogier	214
2.	Jari-Matti Latvala	164
3.	Andreas Mikkelsen	125
4.	Mikko Hirvonen	83
5.	Thierry Neuville	79
6.	Mads Østberg	74
7.	Kris Meeke	67
8.	Elfyn Evans	61
9.	Martin Prokop	37
10.	Henning Solberg	26
11.	Juho Hänninen	20
12.	Bryan Bouffier	18
13.	Dani Sordo	18
14.	Hayden Paddon	16
15.	Robert Kubica	14
16.	Ott Tänak	11
17.	Benito Guerra	8
18.	Chris Atkinson	7
19.	Pontus Tidemand	6
20.	Jaroslav Melichárek	4
21.	Dennis Kuipers	4
22.	Nasser Al-Attiyah	3
23.	Lorenzo Bertelli	2
24.	Matteo Gamba	2
25.	Craig Breen	2
26.	Yuriy Protasov	2
27.	Jari Ketomaa	1
28.	Karl Kruuda	1
29.	Khalid Al-Qassimi	1
30.	Julien Maurin	0
Manufacturers’ Championship
		points
1.	Volkswagen Motorsport	348
2.	Citroën Total Abu Dhabi WRT	154
3.	M-Sport	146
4.	Hyundai Motorsport	141
5.	Volkswagen Motorsport II	109
6.	Jipocar Czech National Team	40
7.	RK M-Sport WRT	25
8.	Hyundai Motorsport N	22

Volkswagen remains on title course: in order to wrap up the Manufacturers’ Championship down under, with three rallies remaining, Sébastien Ogier and Jari-Matti Latvala must ensure that the team leave Australia at least 129 points ahead of their closest rivals. Coming into the rally, their commanding lead stood at 167 points.

Quotes after day two of the Rally Australia
Sébastien Ogier, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #1
“That was another good run for us. I made a few mistakes and lost a bit of time in the morning, but the afternoon was good again. Making the right tyre selection played more of a role than usual today in determining who led at the end of the leg. I did not get my selection spot on, but my decision was better than that of my team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala. That allowed Julien and me to open up a lead over our rivals on the 50-kilometre ‘Nambucca’ stage. However, we still have a long day with six special stages ahead of us. I obviously want to win, but, with one eye on the Drivers’ Championship, will not take any unnecessary risks.”

Jari-Matti Latvala, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #2
“We had a perfect morning. Miikka and I had a very good rhythm, really enjoyed the stages and moved into the lead. During the midday service we had to make our tyre selection for the afternoon – and unfortunately we got it wrong. It did not rain as expected. Instead it stayed dry. We had no chance of defending our lead on soft tyres that were overheating on the hard roads and no longer offered us any decent grip. But so be it, we have not lost yet and will push hard again on Sunday’s 89.62 kilometres of special stage.”

Andreas Mikkelsen, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #9
“As we predicted yesterday, we are having a really good and tight battle with Kris Meeke. Little mistakes could make all the difference between third and fourth place. We have not made a mistake all rally – with one small exception. We nearly span in a right-hander after a crest on stage twelve. I had to correct to avoid spinning and got the following left-hand bend a bit wrong. That cost two seconds. However, we regained the position we lost on the closing two spectator stages. Third place is obviously what I would prefer to see in front of my nametomorrow. However, we have a long way to go before then.”

Jost Capito, Volkswagen Motorsport Director
“We are well on course to achieve our goal of winning the title in the Manufacturers’ World Championship with rallies to spare here in Australia. First, second and third is a dream result at this stage of the rally. Although we have achieved a lot, we still haven’t won anything. That is why everyone in the team is fully focussed on doing a flawless job. Our drivers and the entire team deserve utmost respect – they have put this plan into action perfectly over the first two thirds of the Rally Australia. We now want to continue to do a perfect job for the rest of the rally.”

And then there were …
… Ed and Cal. Best friends in private, team-mates in the World Rally Championship, and bitter rivals as rugby fans. Edward Smith is a New Zealander, Callum Colquhoun an Australian. Kiwi Ed works on Jari-Matti Latvala’s Polo R WRC during WRC Rallies, while Cal, who comes from southern Australia, is part of the team responsible for Sébastien Ogier’s car.

And then there was also …
… a special surfboard. Sébastien Ogier’s fastest accumulated time over the four spectator stages in Coffs Harbour earned him more than just recognition. “Julien and I have already picked up a nice present here. I probably won’t try it out in Australia though – I have too much respect for the sharks.”