VIDEO: Wales Rally GB Amazing In-Car

It was an absolutely belting classic Wales Rally GB and massive congratulations to the organisers for re-vamping the event, which attracted HUGE crowds and saw some amazing rallying action – dominated, as throughout 2013, by VW in their inaugural WRC season, who rounded off their record-breaking, historic year with a 1-2 podium with Sebastian Ogier and Yari Matti-Latvala. Incredible. We will be publishing a Wales Rally GB special very soon in Road Magazine, with all the thrills, spills and rally aches – but meantime, why not enjoy one of the stars of 2013... the impossible cool Andreas Mikkelsen in his VW Polo R WRC on one of the best, fastest, most slippery an tricky gravel stages of the event – SS12, Gartheiniog. Nine minutes of flat out, ballsy rally driving to showcase just how amazing that Polo R is, and why Wales Rally GB is so special and unique! And rising star Andreas' raw talent and speed.

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: Wales Rally GB Entries Now Open With New 4, 3 & 2 Day Entries From £600!

Entries for the only-UK-based WRC round – Wales Rally GB 14-17th November – are now open, offering new full (four day), three day and two day entries, from its new North Wales base at Deeside – from £600! 

And, to further encourage more local faces to enter the stella event, and take on the WRC giants, there's a great chance for amateurs to compete in the FIA World Rally Championship, special discounts for local competitors, with all entries accepted on a first come, first served basis... so get involved!
As previously announced, rally crews are being offered three different options to pit their skills against the sport’s elite on this year’s revitalised Wales Rally GB (14-17 November) now based in north Wales:
1. More ambitious entrants can tackle the full four-day WRC event featuring 196-miles of timed sections starting in Snowdonia after dark on Thursday evening. To encourage local teams to gain World Championship experience in the legendary Welsh forests, the organisers are offering a significantly discounted entry fee reduced (£1500 from £2598) for crews where both driver and co-driver hold an MSA competition licence and a British passport.
And for those looking for a slightly shorter challenge, there’s a choice between two different National events. 

2. The three-day National Rally includes no fewer than 11 of the 13 Wales Rally GB stages starting on Friday with challenging tests in Hafren, Sweet Lamb and Myherin. 

3. And the shorter two-day National Rally commences on Saturday morning and shares the same route as the on-going three-day event – this includes the two exciting new RallyFest stages at Chirk Castle and Kinmel Park as well as the historic Great Orme. Adding to the high octane World Championship atmosphere and ambience, teams contesting the National Rallies will be based at the new WRC Service Park in Deeside and finishers will receive their trophies on the newly designed, high-profile WRC Start/Finish Podium in Llandudno on Sunday afternoon.
Wales Rally GB say: "As well as giving amateurs a fantastic opportunity to compete on the same classic stages as the top stars from the FIA World Rally Championship, the two National Rallies offer great value for money. The three-day event includes 114 miles of competitive stages for an entry fee of just £900 while the 72-mile, two-day alternative is priced at £600. Categories for historic and FIA classes are available all with their own awards. A generous Guest Pass package is provided that includes four guest passes that allow access to the whole event. Competitors are also being offered a dedicated low cost hospitality facility to entertain crew, family, friends and sponsors within the Deeside Service Park."
And reported Andrew Coe, Chief Executive of rally organiser International Motor Sports added: "The comprehensive changes we’ve made to Wales Rally GB have been met with widespread enthusiasm from competitors and fans, so we are expecting lots of interest from potential entrants. 

"There are not many sports where amateurs can compete alongside world champions – rallying is special in that respect and we are keen to encourage as many teams as possible to maximise this great opportunity to be part of the high-profile WRC show. What’s more all three alternatives being offered offer great value for money plus the chance to compete on some of the world’s best gravel stages.” 

There are a limited number of entries available for the two National Rallies and initial priority – on a first come first served basis – will be given to those entering the three-day event. The final closing date is Friday 1 November and competitors can enter on-line via the ‘competitors’ navigation on the official www.walesrallygb.com website.

Great value way to take on the likes of Yari-Mati, Mikko, Sebastian, Kris and all the top names, cars and teams in WRC... and make history, for great value entry fees. GO FOR IT!

 

NEWS: VW Motorsport WRC Dominance In Portugal

VW Motorsport have done it again – continuing their incredible inaugural WRC season in the new (Carlos Sainz developed) VW Polo R WRC – with a win on the tricky gravel of Portugal (WRC round four and the second gravel event), thanks to Sébastien Ogier and co-driver Julien Ingrassia's dominant 58-second victory.
Team mates, Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila also got onto the podium, coming in third (behind Citroen's Mikko Hirvonen). And Andreas Mikkelsen and Mikko Markkula completed the awesome team performance for Volkswagen – with sixth place on their competitive debut in the Polo R WRC. Sébastien Ogier has now extended his lead in the Drivers’ Championship, courtesy of his third win of the season, by over 50 points. And VW Motorsport are top of the manufacturers standings: Dream stuff.
Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg (Member of the Board of Management for the Volkswagen brand), said: "It was great to be present at such a magnificent success. I was very impressed by the manner in which the team earned this success, and how delighted they were by it. It is just fantastic to see how well the entire team is working together. This provides great backing for our drivers, who did an extraordinary job."
The second gravel rally of the season really put man and machine to the test. The conditions, with narrow, winding passages on rough, stony surfaces alternating with fast sections taken at full throttle, were the toughest encountered so far this season. Illness meant Sébastien Ogier was below strength going into the fourth rally of the year, but the Frenchman still held a slender lead at the end of day one. He extended his advantage at the top of the standings with four stage wins on Saturday, and retained his grip on the lead right through to the finish. The World Championship leader did have a bit of a shock at the start of the final day: the connector between the front and rear axles, which allows the handbrake to be used in tight hairpins, temporarily refused to close, causing him to lose time. A short service later, however, the number 8 Polo R WRC was back to full strength as it set off on the remaining stages.
Jari-Matti Latvala also had a worrying moment on Sunday: the driveshaft on the front-right of the car broke, forcing Latvala to tackle the 52.30-kilometre Almodovar stage – the longest on the rally – with just rear-wheel drive. Latvala consequently had to surrender second place overall, but superbly overcame the hindrance to hold off Evgeny Novikov (Ford) and earn his place on the podium.
A test of strategy: tyre selection secures victory on “Power Stage”
Even early on in the rally, Volkswagen’s top two drivers were already looking to save their tyres for the closing “Power Stage”. Additional points towards the Drivers’ Championship were up for grabs for those crews finishing first, second and third on the 52.30 kilometre special stage. And it proved to be a good decision. Starting on fresh Michelin tyres, the Volkswagen drivers were able to launch one last attack at the end of the rally: Sébastien Ogier picked up the three bonus points for clocking the fastest time on the “Power Stage”, while team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala earned one extra point for his third place.
A test of teamwork: Volkswagen service ensures podium finishes
The service played a key role at the Rally Portugal. The Volkswagen mechanics in the Service Park at the “Estádio Algarve” had a total of five time slots – of 15, 30 or 45 minutes – in which to repair the three Polo R WRCs. Given the tough conditions in Portugal, this barely gave the mechanics and engineers sufficient time, in which to replace worn parts and check the technology, which really took some punishment over the course of the four days. The 58-man Volkswagen team did an outstanding job, consistently sending the 315 hp four-wheel drive powerhouse from Wolfsburg back onto the stages in perfect condition.
A test for the newcomers: impressive start for Mikkelsen and Markkula
Andreas Mikkelsen and his co-driver Mikko Markkula, made a great start at the wheel of the third Polo R WRC, which was making its first outing of the season. Mikkelsen did exactly what the team had asked of him, gaining valuable experience in the World Rally Car under competitive conditions and crowning his reliability with sixth place overall and eighth World Championship points.
Quotes on day three of the Rally Portugal
Jari-Matti Latvala, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #7 said: "I am very happy and satisfied to stand on the podium for the first time for Volkswagen. We had a difficult start to the season, but our run of bad luck has finally come to an end. I feel really at home in the Polo R WRC now, and think that we will soon be able to do even better. The rally was a tough test for driver and car, as the route had suffered some serious erosion over the winter. The hard ground and many stones really put the car through its paces. Driver and co-driver had to be fully focussed and have perfect pace notes in order to get the car safely through the stages. Our mechanics did a perfect job of replacing the broken driveshaft on Sunday. As always, they were totally dependable – thank you. That all gives me a lot of encouragement ahead of the coming rallies, and I am already looking forward to Argentina in three weeks."
Sébastien Ogier, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #8 said: "Unbelievable. What a rollercoaster ride here in Portugal! I am overjoyed with the win. First the illness, then the brutal stages, which really push a rally car to the very limit. When we had the problem with the power transmission on this morning’s opening stage, I thought: ‘That’s it Séb. The rally is over.’ Fortunately we made it to the service and the guys did a fantastic job there. I think we really deserved the win. The rally was extremely demanding and difficult, for the car, the entire team, and particularly for me. When I arrived in Portugal on Monday evening, I was not certain whether I would be able to start. I was always tired and my energy reserves were completely empty. I was largely able to blank it out whilst I was driving, as the body is running on adrenalin then – but I certainly did not feel top fit. Fortunately my condition improved considerably over the last two days. I will now try to get as much rest and regain as much strength as possible in time for Argentina."
And Andreas Mikkelsen, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #9 said: "I learned something on every single metre of my first rally with the Polo R WRC. My goal was to gain as much experience as possible. I have come away with a lot of ideas as to how we can improve in the future. With the Polo R WRC, everything is a lot quicker than I am used to in Super-2000 cars. My pace notes were too detailed, particularly on fast sections. It was too much for Mikko to read them out, and for me to process them. We will work on that. The aerodynamics on the Polo R WRC are especially impressive. The cornering speeds are extremely high. As such, I am not yet using the full potential of the car in those corners we take in fourth, fifth or sixth gear. I just didn’t want to take any risks. All in all, however, I am very happy with my debut for Volkswagen. I received great support from the team, and would like to thank them for that.”
Jost Capito, Volkswagen Motorsport Director
“The Rally Portugal was a real test for the team, the Polo R WRC and the drivers. It was the first typical gravel rally of the season, and was also one of the most demanding on the calendar so far. We saw at the start of the rally that the Polo R WRC and its rivals at Ford and Citroën are on a par with each other. First, third and sixth is an outstanding team result, for which we have the class of our drivers to thank. A huge compliment goes to the engineers and mechanics, who did a magnificent job and secured our third victory, despite a few teething problems with this brand-new car. I am proud of the entire team. In terms of pace, we are among the front-runners and appear to be able to force our rivals to make mistakes, without making any ourselves. With that in mind, we might just have to change our goals for the season."
Quite an incredible, unstoppable start to the WRC season. Amazing stuff. We can't wait to see the VW fly at Wales Rally GB 14th November. You going?


Full results from Rally Portugal

1. Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (F/F), Volkswagen	4:07:38.7 hrs.
2. Mikko Hirvonen/Jarmo Lehtinen (FIN/FIN), Citroën	+ 58.2 sec.
3. Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila (FIN/FIN), Volkswagen	+ 4:04.5 min.
4. Evgeny Novikov/Ilka Minor (RUS/A), Ford	+ 5:27.7 min.
5. Nasser Al-Attiyah/Giovanni Bernacchini (Q/I), Ford	+ 7:43.5 min.
6. Andreas Mikkelsen/Mikko Markkula (N/FIN), Volkswagen	+ 9:39.8 min.
7. Martin Prokop/Michal Ernst (CZ/CZ), Ford	+ 15:04.2 min.
8. Mads Østberg/Jonas Andersson (N/S), Ford	+ 15:43.6 min.
9. Khalid Al Qassimi/Scott Martin (UAE/GB), Citroën	+ 15:56.9 min.
10. Esapekka Lappi/Janne Ferm (FIN/FIN), Škoda	+ 16:21.0 min.

VIDEO: Volkswagen Polo R WRC All Set For Rallye Monte Carlo WRC Debut

Finally, after years of development, months, 20,000 miles and 100 days of testing by the VW Motorsport team and dream team drivers, Jari-Matti Latvala and Sébastien Ogier (with seven WRC wins in total), the wait is almost over – the epic, historic Rallye Monte Carlo starts at 9am on Wednesday 16th January on the 45.27Km's of SS01, Le Moulinon. And we can not wait.  

Here's some footage of the car being tested in classic damp, cold, icy, snowy Monte conditions late last year, and it's looking good we reckon. Very good. Sure, both car and team have a lot to do and learn to catch up/keep up with the likes of Citroen and Ford, but we reckon the Dakar-victorious VW Motorsport team are set to make waves with their brand new Polo R WRC. Watch this space!
This epic rally will mark Volkswagen’s first ever season in the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) – in a brand new car with some 1,700 parts designed completely from scratch and 17 months of preparations, making its competitive debut. VW say: "The appearance of the Polo R WRC in the FIA World Rally Championship heralds a new era in motorsport for Volkswagen – and where better to make your debut than the legendary Rally Monte Carlo?"
"I cannot wait to finally getting going. The entire team at Volkswagen is looking forward to the WRC debut of the Polo WRC," says Volkswagen Motorsport Director Jost Capito. "World Championship rallies in the top WRC class are new territory for the team. Furthermore, the Polo R WRC has been developed from scratch, features a lot of innovativeideas, and will be making its competitive debut. The ‘Monte’ will give us our first indication of how we compare with the opposition – our rivals already have two years’ experience of the regulations that came into force in 2011, and have been driving in the WRC for many years. Our goal for the Rally Monte Carlo is to gain as much experience as possible and to finish with both cars."
Jari-Matti Latvala, Polo R WRC #7 driver said: "I can hardly wait for the season to get started. I may already have five years as a works driver in the World Rally Championship under my belt, but both the Volkswagen Motorsport team and the Polo R WRC are new to me. As such, I will be making my debut in two regards. The tests up to now have shown that the Polo R WRC is very reliable. This is probably the most important finding so far – and a good basis for future technical developments over the course of the season. I have already developed a good feeling for the car on asphalt and snow, which is a good sign ahead of the Rally Monte Carlo. It is greatfun driving the Polo R WRC. It is very stable and the driveability of the engine is also very good. I would like to get the season off to a good start at the ‘Monte’. The result is not the top priority yet, although I would obviously love to pick up some World Championship points."
Sébastien Ogier, Polo R WRC #8 driver, adds: "The ‘Monte’ is a very special rally. After all, it is my home rally. However, the season- opener near my home will be an extraordinary experience for the entire team, as it is the first rally with the new Polo R WRC. We have been working towards this moment with Volkswagen for over a year. We can hardly wait to finally get started. However, it is difficult to judge how we will compare to the opposition, as we have not yet raced against the other teams under competitive conditions. Making your debut in a world championship with a completely new car is a big challenge, particularly as the other manufacturers have several years more experience than we do. For this reason we must be patient and concentrate at first on reaching the finish without any problems. Experience shows that this is anything but simple at the Rally Monte Carlo, as anything can happen at this event."
Can VW Motorsport – responsible for wins on the epic Rally Dakar in 2009, 2010 and 2011 with the Race Touareg – make the Polo R WRC a winner from Wolfsburg?

Only time will tell. But we are really chuffed to see VW back in rallying and committed to WRC for the forseeable. It's great for the sport and sure to be good for the brand. We are hoping for a load of hot WRC-style road car spin-off specials to light up their range.
The Volkswagen Polo R WRC will compete in nine WRC rounds: Monte Carlo/France, Sweden, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Finland, Greece, France and Mexico. So, best of luck to all the VW Motorsport team in the Monte. Hear how they get on here and on their Facebook page.

Three questions for ... Jost Capito
1. If you could have chosen a rally for the Polo R WRC to make its debut at – would you have taken the Rally Monte Carlo?
"The Rally Monte Carlo is not only the most iconic rally on the World Championship calendar, but also the most difficult and complex. The surface alternates regularly between ice, snow, rain and dry asphalt, which can make the strategy difficult and tyre selection something of a lottery. We are obviously delighted that the Polo R WRC will make its debut at this highlight."

2. In Sébastien Ogier and Jari-Matti Latvala you have signed two very quick drivers. Who do you feel is the stronger?
"They are both equally strong. As a Scandinavian, Latvala grew up on gravel – however, he has made huge progress on asphalt in recent years. The same applies to Ogier, who also has what it takes to win on any surface. Both have seven WRC wins to their name. In the end it will come down to who performs best on the day to determine who is the quickest."

What goals does Volkswagen have for the 2013 season?
"We are aware that we will be up against strong opposition with decades of World Rally Championship experience. The Polo R WRC, on the other hand, is making its debut this year and the team also has a new look to it. As such, we have to set realistic goals. We want to make it onto the podium under our own steam in the second half of the year."

VIDEO: 2012 WRC Wales Rally GB Highlights

Here's all the action from Wales Rally GB this weekend. The 1604-kilometre, 19-stage (325kms) event, drier than usual thanks to its move out of Winter to the end of Summer on the WRC calendar, finally gave Finnish Yari-Matti Latvala a Rally GB win, in the Ford Fiesta RS WRC. He won eight from 19 special stages and completed the event in 3 hours 3 minutes 40.3 seconds, almost a whole half a minute quicker than second-placed Frenchman Sébastien Loeb's Citroen DS3 WRC. Latvala's Norwegian Ford team-mate Petter Solberg completed the podium after losing out to Loeb by the tiny margin of 0.9 seconds, in one of the closest dog fights on the event for years. Ace! See more news and special stage times at: www.walesrallygb.com

VIDEO: WRC 2012 Mexico Day 3 (Part 2/2)

The final video of the action in the heat and dust of Rally Mexico... and we'll let you watch it to see who wins between Loeb, Hirvonen and Solberg... great gravel rally. Tequilas all round! Shaping up to be a great season... don't you think?

VIDEO: WRC 2012 Mexico Day 3 (Part 1/2)

Sebastien Loeb, Mikko Hirvonen and Petter Solberg get stuck into the final day... but who will win Rally Mexico?

VIDEO: WRC 2012 Rally Guanajuato México: Day 2 Highlights

All the action from Day Two of WRC Mexico 2012. Some fabulous flat out, sixth gear stuff...

VIDEO: WRC 2012: Rally Guanajuato México Day 1 Highlights

First of four videos showing all the action from the first gravel round of WRC 2012... enjoy the dusty, big jump action...