NEWS: VW Motorsport & Sébastien Ogier Make WRC History En France

In what was surely one of the most thrilling and close-fought WRC events in recent years, WRC Rally France secured local heroes Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia their first WRC championship title and has surely crowned the most successful WRC debut car ever – VW's Polo R WRC as victor, with an 80 point lead in the manufacturers' championship, with seven wins under their belt. Amazing season debut I think you will agree...?
It was clear Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia would be crowned the new World Champions in the Drivers’ and Co-Drivers’ Championships after the opening stage of the Rally France: Following the result of the Power Stage, in which bonus points are on offer to the first three cars, Ogier/Ingrassia could no longer be caught at the top of the overall standings by their last remaining rivals, Thierry Neuville/Nicolas Gilsoul (Ford). As such, Ogier/Ingrassia dethroned record World Champions Sébastien Loeb/Daniel Elena (Citroën) at their home rally to claim the title for the first time in their careers – with Loeb adding further insult to injury, crashing out of the event... after recording his 900th special stage win, stamping his imortaility on the sport forever.
Then event also threw up another first: never in the history of the WRC had a driver/co-driver pairing won the World Championship at the first attempt with a manufacturer making its debut in the World Rally Championship. VW has made history.
Volkswagen Board Member for Technical Development, Dr. Heinz-Jakob Neusser, and his predecessor Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, father of Volkswagen’s WRC project and Audi Board Member for Technical Development since July, were in Strasbourg to witness the moment the title was won. “This is an incredibly emotional moment for me,” said Dr. Neusser. “I am pleased to be here today to see Sébastien Ogier claim the first title for Volkswagen in our debut year in the World Rally Championship. I would like to thank the outstanding team, which has performed perfectly all year.”
“I am proud that our WRC project, which we launched over two years ago, has already yielded a title today,” said Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg. “I am particularly pleased that Volkswagen has become the first manufacturer in the history of the World Rally Championship to claim its maiden WRC title in its debut season. In my current role as Audi Board Member, I would also like to congratulate the entire Volkswagen team on behalf of Audi. With Audi winning the DTM on last weekend and the WRC title this weekend, this is the perfect end to what, for me personally, has been my most successful week in motorsport to date. I would like to thank the team behind this success from the bottom of my heart. They have done an outstanding job.”
With the Drivers’ Championship in the bag, Sébastien Ogier was given permission by Volkswagen to go all out to win his home rally. Day one as World Champions saw Ogier/Ingrassia take a cautious approach to the Rally France, coming home fifth overall at the end of the first 120.63 kilometres. However, Saturday was all about the World Champions: Ogier/Ingrassia won five of the seven special stages. In doing so, the Volkswagen pair climbed to within 1.5 seconds of their team-mates at the top of the overall standings, Latvala/Anttila. Going into the final day, four pairs – two for Volkswagen and two for Citroën – were separated by just five seconds. An ideal situation for both Volkswagen duos with regard to the Manufacturers’ Championship.
The big step towards the Manufacturers’ title followed on Sunday: first and third – Volkswagen scored 40 points towards the Manufacturers’ Championship, meaning they can now wrap up the title at the next round in Spain, regardless of what their opponents do.
Meanwhile, "Mr Reliable" Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila lined up at the eleventh WRC rally of the season charged with the task of securing as many points as possible towards the Manufacturers’ Championship. Right from the word go, the Finnish duo played their role perfectly: they led going into the final day of the rally, which had been made particularly difficult by heavy rain overnight. Steering clear of any risks, the pair went on to finish third overall. In total, Latvala/Anttila claimed top-three finishes on twelve of the 20 special stages.

Sébastien Ogier, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #8 said: “That is definitely the most amazing rally weekend of my career: first the World Championship title and now victory at my home rally – absolutely fantastic! What an extremely difficult final day. This morning was so incredibly slippery, but my gravel crew did a fantastic job. I obviously feel for Sébastien Loeb, but he was going all out to win, and that sort of thing can happen in such difficult conditions. It could have happened to anyone today. Today is the highlight of our season, and I am absolutely overjoyed. I would like to thank my guys. We  have done a great job all season. I am really proud of what we have achieved.”

Victory at the Rally France saw Sébastien Ogier bring an end to Citroën’s long winning run on asphalt. Citroën’s asphalt era began 2,961 days ago with success for Loeb/Elena at the 2005 Rally Germany. Before today, the last non-Citroën driver to win a purely asphalt round of the World Rally Championship was Markko Märtin (Ford) at the 2004 Rally Spain. Volkswagen so far has eight wins to its name in 2013: seven for Ogier/Ingrassia, and one for Latvala/Anttila.

And talented WRC newcomer, Andreas Mikkelsen/Paul Nagle (N/IRL) ended their asphalt debut with the Polo R WRC in seventh place. The Rally France was a learning process for both driver and co-driver. After a strong start, a shower cost the pair a better position on Friday. On Saturday, Mikkelsen/Nagle struggled with the set-up of their 315-hp World Rally Car. In particularly difficult conditions on Sunday, Mikkelsen/Nagle improved to seventh place. The pair finished in the top five on four special stages.
Jari-Matti Latvala, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #7 said: “Congratulations to Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia. They were the best this weekend and fully deserved both their win and the World Championship title. They have proven this season that they are outstanding in all conditions and on all surfaces. I am very happy with third place. We produced a flawless display and were consistently quick. That gives me a lot of confidence for the forthcoming rallies. We achieved our goal of scoring important points in the Manufacturers’ Championship. The title is now within touching distance for the team. The poor run over the last three rallies was difficult, and I am glad to have come out the other end. It is a shame for that Sébastien Loeb crashed out on his last rally. However, that in no way detracts from all his incredible performances in recent years.”
Andreas Mikkelsen, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #9 added: “The Rally France was my first asphalt rally with the Polo R WRC. We certainly could not assume that we would immediately be up there with the front-runners. However, I was expecting a little bit more. However, we now know what we have to work on in order to come back stronger in the future. I particularly learned a thing or two about the set-up of the car. We had to be patient, particularly on Saturday, in order to get the best of our material. In the end, it was all about gaining as much experience as possible in difficult conditions. Sunday was much better for us, when the road conditions were particularly hard to judge.”
Jost Capito, Volkswagen Motorsport Director added: “The Rally France was a great success. On the one hand for rallying in general, and on the other hand for Volkswagen. It does not get any more exciting than the last four days. Ahead of the final day, any one of four drivers could have won. In the end, the new World Champions* – Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia – came out on top. Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila scored valuable points towards the Manufacturers’ Championship.  Volkswagen now has every chance of winning this title too in Spain. As Volkswagen Motorsport Director, you cannot ask for more. This weekend we claimed the title in the Drivers’ and Co-Drivers’ Championships, won the rally, and took a big step forward. There will be some celebrating this evening.”

As a foot note, to highlight the Polo R WRC's immense achievement in its innaugural season, after Rally France finished and 200 WRC special stages had passed in the 2013 season, the Volkswagen Polo R WRC had 119 stage wins to its name. In achieving this outstanding record, Volkswagen showed a love of milestones: Sébastien Ogier won the World Rally Car from Wolfsburg’s 50th (Mexico) and 100^th (Greece) special stages, while the 150th (Germany) went to Jari-Matti Latvala. And the Finn narrowly missed out on another stage win by just 0.6 seconds on the Polo R WRC’s 200^th stage.

FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), Rally France – final results
1. Sébastien Ogier/Julian Ingrassia (F/F), Volkswagen	2h 53m 07.6s
2. Daniel Sordo/Carlos del Barrio (E/E), Citroën	+ 12.2s
3. Jari-Matti Latvala/Miika Anttila (FIN/FIN), Volkswagen	+ 19.5s
4. Thierry Neuville/Nicolas Gilsoul (B/B), Ford	+ 1m 14.1s
5. Evgeny Novikov/Ilka Minor (RUS/A), Ford	+ 3m 10.9s
6. Mikko Hirvonen/Jarmo Lehtinen (FIN/FIN), Citroën	+ 3m 37.7s
7. Andreas Mikkelesen/Paul Nagle (N/IRL), Volkswagen	+ 4m 04.2s
8. Mads Østberg/Jonas Andersson (N/S), Ford	+ 4m 35.2s
9. Robert Kubica/Maciej Baran (PL/PL), Citroën	+ 9m 31.4s
10. Romain Dumas/Denis Giraudet (F/F), Ford	+ 11m 55.8s
FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), Rally France – Power Stage results
1. Daniel Sordo/Carlos del Barrio (E/E), Citroën	3m 20.8s
2. Thierry Neuville/Nicolas Gilsoul (B/B), Ford	+ 0.7s
3. Sébastien Ogier/Julian Ingrassia (F/F), Volkswagen	+ 0.8s

FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), points standings*
Drivers’ classification
1. Sébastien Ogier, 238 points; 2. Thierry Neuville, 143; 3. Jari-Matti Latvala, 125;
4. Daniel Sordo, 117; 5. Mikko Hirvonen, 111; 6. Mads Østberg, 81; 6. Sébastien Loeb, 68; 8. Evgeny Novikov, 57; 9. Martin Prokop, 49; 10. Andreas Mikkelsen, 40.

Manufacturers’ classification
1. Volkswagen Motorsport, 339 points, 2. Citroën Total Abu Dhabi WRT, 259 Punkte;
3. Qatar WRT, 157; 4. Qatar M-Sport WRT, 156; 5. Abu Dhabi Citroën Total WRT, 59;
6. Jipocar Czech National Team, 51; 7. Volkswagen Motorsport II, 40; 8. Lotos WRC Team, 20.

Roll on Wales Rally GB, where we will be reporting live from the event.

NEWS: VW Motorsport Ready For Rally Sweden

After their amazing WRC debut in Monte Carlo last month, VW Motorsport head to Rally Sweden (7-10 February) this week, looking for another podium, on the only true snow rally of the year. Get your spiked tyres and snow boots ready folks!  

At the wheel of the all-new 315-hp (232 kW) Polo R WRC will once again be Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (F/F) and Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila (FIN/FIN) – the latter team looking to use those years of snow rallying expertise to take the home Scandinavian advantage. Only Sebastian Loeb ios the only no-Scandinavian to win the event, in 2006. 

The rally, with its headquarters in Karlstad and Service Park in Hagfors, represents a gruelling test for the drivers and the team’s technology: the rally cars are consistently pushed to their very limits, despite temperatures plummeting to between 10 and 20 degrees below freezing. The icy cold is no obstacle for the enthusiastic fans, however: armed with tents and camp fires, which they erect along the side of the route, they defy the conditions to cheer the wild drifts and huge jumps produced by their rally heroes. Another feature of the event is that the route for this iconic rally also takes the teams over the border from Sweden into Norway. 

"After a good start to the season, the entire team now heads to the next challenge, the Rally Sweden, fully motivated and full of confidence. However, everyone in the team is well aware that the good result achieved in Monte Carlo is not yet a true indication of where we lie compared to the opposition," said Volkswagen Motorsport Director Jost Capito. "The Rally Sweden is totally unique. The speed on the ice and snow is very high. This is only possible with extreme studded tyres, which are only used once a year. However, every rally is a test for the team. The processes in Monte Carlo recently were top-class. We want to follow on from this in Sweden and to continue developing from rally to rally."
Initial forecasts are predicting temperatures of –10° Celsius for the weekend of 7 to 10 February. This will provide a stern test for the team at the nine scheduled services, and will put man and material through its paces during the 338.91 timed kilometres awaiting the Polo R WRC.
After a spectator stage in Karlstad on Thursday, the rally heads into the Hagfors region on Friday, where Saturday’s special stages are held to the east of the city. Special stages along the border with Norway are scheduled for Saturday. The stages are all similar: largely lined by walls of snow, which the drivers “lean on” every so often, the route takes the competitors at high speeds through forests and past frozen lakes.
2012 winner, 2013 “powered by Volkswagen” Jari-Matti Latvala said: "I really like the Rally Sweden. The event requires a very quick and flowing driving style on Swedish forest roads. There is nothing to criticise about the event – with one exception: it can get very cold there, with temperatures reaching as low as minus 20 or even minus 30 degrees. Up to now I have driven 500 kilometres on snow in the Polo R WRC. However, we will slot in another test day on snow before the Rally Sweden. The car works very well in these conditions. I am already very happy with the way it feels to drive. I have fond memories of the Rally Sweden, such as my very first WRC victory in 2008 and, of course, my win there last year. My goal for this season is to finish in the top five."
Sébastien Ogier, Polo R WRC #8, who came second on his first rally with VW said: "The season could hardly have started better for us. Heading to Sweden with 18 points to our name is a very nice position to be in. This allows us to relax a little. However, we are now faced with a new rally. Let’s see what we are capable of on this surface. It is hard to predict what awaits us there. We will have to wait until after the first few special stages. I really like the Rally Sweden. If the snow conditions are good, it is really good fun driving there. The average speed is pretty high, and the grip on studded tyres is fantastic. I just love pulling off big drifts with a rally car on ice."

Did you know ...
... the Rally Sweden was first held in 1950 and will be staged for the 60th time in 2013? Since 1950, only three years have passed, in which the “Sweden” did not form part of the World Rally Championship: in 1974 it was cancelled due to the oil crisis, in 1990 due to poor weather, and in 2009 when the FIA rotation system meant it was not included on the calendar.
 

... the “poor weather” that prevented the 1990 Rally Sweden from taking place actually refers to it being too mild? Back then, there was too little snow to stage a real “Sweden”.

... the Rally Sweden is a real home event for Scandinavian drivers? Only once has the rally, which is the only race on the calendar that is always held on ice and snow, been won by a man from outside Sweden, Norway and Finland. In 2004, Sébastien Loeb and his co-driver Daniel Elena (F/MC, Citroën) were victorious.

... Volkswagen consultant Carlos Sainz boasts a remarkable successful record at the Rally Sweden, with just one thing missing: a win? “El Matador” finished runner-up in Sweden on four occasions between 1996 and 1999, and also stepped onto the podium after finishing third in 2001 and 2002.

... the Volkswagen team is excellently prepared for the icy temperatures at the Rally Sweden? Taking the approach that layers are the best way to combat the cold, the mandatory team attire includes an outdoor jacket with a fur hood, soft-shell jacket, thermal underlayer, pullover, and polo shirt or team shirt. The team’s shoes are also completely suitable for use in wintery conditions.

... the organisers of the Rally Sweden present the “Colin’s Crest Award” for the longest jump over a crest on the Vargåsen stage, in memory of Colin McRae? Previous winners since 2008: Khalid Al Qassimi (UAE), Marius Aasen (N), Ken Block (USA) and Ott Tänak (EST).

... Volkswagen is also the official car of the Rally Sweden?

... the Rally Sweden is the first event of the 2013 season to feature two spectator stages, known as Super Special Stages? The 1.9-kilometre “Färjestadstravet” stage in Karlstad will be held twice on a harness racing track.

The number for the Rally Sweden: 1,300: As at all the rounds of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), the Volkswagen engineers can expect to be faced with a lot of analysis work at the Rally Sweden. Each car will record about 1,300 megabytes of sensor data at the “Sweden”. For comparison: that is the equivalent of about 230,000 A4 pages of pure text.

Current FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), Standings
Drivers’ Championship
1. Sébastien Loeb, 25 points;
2. Sébastien Ogier, 18;
3. Dani Sordo, 15;
4. Mikko Hirvonen, 12;
5. Bryan Bouffier, 10;

2013 Manufacturers’ Championship
1. Citroën Total Abu Dhabi World Rally Team, 37;
2. Volkswagen Motorsport, 18;
3. Abu Dhabi Citroën Total World Rally Team, 15;
4. Qatar M-Sport World Rally Team, 10;
5. Lotos WRC Team, 8.