Tijdens de officiële persintroductie van de nieuwe Polo GTI op Mallorca onthulde Volkswagen de Polo GTI R5. Deze rally-GTI is ontwikkeld op basis van ervaring en kennis die Volkswagen heeft opgedaan in het WRC. Het merk won de titel vier keer achter elkaar, van 2013 tot en met 2016.

De Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 is sinds begin van dit jaar in ontwikkeling. De eerste testritten op asfalt en gravel werden half november in het Franse Fontjoncouse verreden en worden deze maand voortgezet in Groot-Brittannië. In de zomer van 2018 wordt de Polo GTI R5 gehomologeerd. Daarna levert Volkswagen de eerste exemplaren af aan privéteams.

Naar verwachting rijdt de Polo GTI R5 in de tweede helft van volgend jaar zijn eerste rally’s. Net als de nieuwe Polo GTI heeft de Polo GTI R5 een krachtige viercilinder turbomotor met directe injectie. Zijn cilinderinhoud is teruggebracht tot 1,6 liter om aan de reglementen te voldoen, maar dat is nog steeds genoeg voor een vermogen van 200 kW/272 pk en een maximum koppel van 400 Nm. Die aandrijfkrachten gaan via een sequentiële racetransmissie met vijf versnellingen naar alle vier wielen. De 1.320 kg wegende rally-GTI sprint van stilstand naar 100 km/h in slechts 4,1 seconden.

Zijn straatlegale broer doet daar precies 6,7 seconden over. De nieuwe Polo GTI haalt 147 kW/ 200 pk en 320 Nm uit een 2,0 liter turbomotor en met een topsnelheid van 237 km/h. Hij is standaard uitgerust met een zestraps DSG-transmissie met dubbele koppeling. Volgend jaar komt de Polo GTI ook met een handgeschakelde transmissie op de markt.

De informatie in dit nieuwsbericht was actueel op de datum van publicatie. Wijzigingen in modellen, uitvoeringen, prijzen, technische specificaties, afbeeldingen, of andere informatie zijn te allen tijde voorbehouden. Aan de inhoud van dit nieuwsbericht kunnen geen rechten worden ontleend.

Met de Polo GTI R5 maakt Volkswagen zijn rentree in de rallysport. In de tweede helft van 2018 gaat Volkswagen de 270 pk sterke rallyversie van de Polo GTI leveren aan professionele klantenteams en aspirant coureurs voor wereldwijde inzet in uitlopende rallyklassen, inclusief het FIA World Rally Championship (WRC).

“Met de Polo GTI R5 hopen we het succes van vier WRC-titels op succesvolle wijze door te vertalen naar klantenteams en introduceren we een rallyauto die zowel inzetbaar is in nationale rallykampioenschappen als in de internationale koningsklasse van de rallysport, het WRC,” verklaart Volkswagen Motorsport Director Sven Smeets.

Nederlandse inbreng Polo GTI R5
Volkswagen Motorsport Technical Director François-Xavier ‘FX’ Demaison heeft de leiding over de ontwikkeling van de Polo GTI R5. De Nederlander Gerard-Jan de Jongh – voorheen de race engineer van viervoudig WRC-kampioen Sébastien Ogier – is als senior project engineer aan de ontwikkeling van de auto verbonden. Net als het Polo GTI productiemodel – dat later dit jaar wordt geïntroduceerd – krijgt de Polo GTI R5 rallyauto een krachtige viercilinder turbo benzinemotor met directe inspuiting. Andere highlights zijn vierwielaandrijving, een sequentiële vijftraps raceversnellingsbak en een omvangrijk FIA-spec veiligheidspakket.

Voor Volkswagen Motorsport markeert de ontwikkeling van de Polo GTI R5 opnieuw een mijlpaal, na de succesvolle introductie van de Golf GTI TCR in 2016, die inmiddels al vele overwinningen en titels op zak heeft.

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.

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.

FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), Overall Standings*
Drivers’ Championship
1. Sébastien Ogier, 268 points; 2. Thierry Neuville, 160; 3. Andreas Mikkelsen, 154; 4. Hayden Paddon, 138; 5. Dani Sordo, 130; 6. Jari-Matti Latvala, 112; 7. Mads Østberg, 102; 8. Ott Tänak, 88; 9. Kris Meeke, 64; 10. Craig Breen, 36

Manufacturers’ Championship
1. Volkswagen Motorsport, 377 points; 2. Hyundai Motorsport, 312; 3. Volkswagen Motorsport II, 163; 4. M-Sport, 162; 5. Hyundai Motorsport N, 146; 6. DMACK, 98; 7. Jipocar Czech National Team, 18; 8. Yazeed Racing, 4

* Provisional.

Wolfsburg (30 October 2016). 12 titles in four years - four Drivers’, four Co-Drivers’ and four Manufacturers’ titles: Volkswagen put the icing on the cake at the end of an impressive season in the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) with victory at the Rally Great Britain in Wales. Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (F/F) won round 12 of 13 with the Polo R WRC. This latest victory gives Volkswagen an unassailable lead in the Manufacturers’ Championship. Ogier/Ingrassia ensured the Wolfsburg-based carmaker claimed its fourth Manufacturers’ title since 2013 with the French pair’s sixth win of the season, their fourth in a row. Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila (FIN/FIN) and Andreas Mikkelsen/Anders Jæger (N/N) have both won one race so far this year. Volkswagen joins rival Citroën as only the second manufacturer in the history of the World Rally Championship to win all three world titles four years in a row.

“A great success for Volkswagen,” said a delighted Dr. Frank Welsch, Member of the Board of Management of the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand with responsibility for "Development", who received the Manufacturers’ trophy for the victory in Wales. “The Polo R WRC and the Volkswagen Motorsport team have made motorsport history with their fourth title in a row. Given the strength of the opposition, this success has only been possible with a committed team effort, with every single member giving his best for the course. Congratulations and thank you to the whole team.”

Team spirit rewarded with Manufacturers’ title before end of season for fourth time in a row
Eight wins in 12 rallies - the latest of these not only crowned a successful season for Volkswagen, but a run of four very special years. 42 wins in 51 rallies since making its debut at the 2013 Rally Monte Carlo make the Polo R WRC the most successful car in WRC history. The world rally car from Wolfsburg has 85 podium finishes to its name. All this has been made possible by an extraordinary team effort from everyone involved, whether on site at the rallies and at Motorsport GmbH in Hannover, or in cooperation with the Technical Development department in Wolfsburg.

Ogier/Ingrassia style: 12 titles celebrated from the top step of the podium
The sign of four: Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia were victorious again at the Rally Great Britain in 2016, having previously triumphed in 2013, 2014 and 2015. The latest victory marked the first time in their successful careers that they have won the same round of the World Rally Championship four times in a row. The champions elect* also secured the fourth Manufacturers’ title for Volkswagen. Volkswagen was also able to celebrate the title from the top step of the podium for a fourth time - the fourth time with Ogier/Ingrassia, incidentally. Victory for Ogier/Ingrassia at the Rally Spain in 2013 saw Volkswagen crowned champion manufacturer for the first time. In 2014 and 2015, Volkswagen wrapped up the Manufacturers’ title before the end of the season with victories for Ogier/Ingrassia in Australia. This year’s success at the Rally Great Britain was also the fourth win in a row for Ogier, Ingrassia and Volkswagen, following victories in Germany, France and Spain. 

Fog, rain, mud and sludge - the challenges faced at the Rally Great Britain
Two weeks earlier than usual on the calendar, the Rally Great Britain in Wales had some familiar aspects, and some less familiar. The morning fog and muddy gravel roads were familiar. The little rain, the appearance of the sun at times, and temperatures above 10° Celsius were less familiar. The conditions on the 22 special stages were extremely slippery and demanding, as you would expect in Wales. Ogier/Ingrassia led from the opening stage and took full advantage of the slight benefit that came with opening the route as the championship leaders. However, victory was far from stroll in the park: Ott Tänak/Raigo Mōlder (EST/EST, M-Sport-Ford) emerged as their toughest rivals. The battle between the Michelin race tyres, which Volkswagen uses, and the D-Mack tyres was once again won by Michelin. The French tyre maker claimed its 301st success in the World Rally Championship.

Mikkelsen/Jæger and Latvala/Anttila fight back strongly after losing time
In contrast, Andreas Mikkelsen/Anders Jæger and Jari-Matti Latvala/Mikka Anttila lost significant amounts of time on Friday due to damaged drive shafts. The Volkswagen engineers came up with a solution on the very same evening: the cause was a new seal, which had been tested successfully ahead of the rally, but which did not work in the unique conditions in Wales. The Polo R WRC was as reliable as ever on the remaining 16 special stages, and Mikkelsen/Jæger and Latvala/Anttila were on top form. Latvala/Anttila fought back to make up over a minute on their closest rivals and ultimately climb into sixth place overall to help Volkswagen secure the Manufacturers’ title. 

50th Power Stage with the Polo R WRC – two points for Mikkelsen
Volkswagen contested its 50th Power Stage with the Polo R WRC at the Rally Great Britain. Andreas Mikkelsen and Anders Jæger finished second on the final special stage of the rally to claim two bonus points. This was the 91st time that a Volkswagen driver had picked up extra points in the Drivers’ and Co-Drivers’ competition. The stage win has gone to Wolfsburg on a remarkable 38 occasions. Since 2013, Volkswagen has scored 194 points on the Power Stage - that is the equivalent of just short of eight race wins.

And then there was ...
... “Bertie the Beetle”. Bob Beales, Mark Murphy, Mark Walters and Co. run a 58-year-old Volkswagen classic in the national championship, which is held at the same time as round 12 of the world championship in Great Britain. However, “Bertie”, as the Beetle is affectionately known by his team, suffered a technical issue on Saturday evening. A ball joint on the track rod had broken. Volkswagen Motorsport did not have the right spare part for “Team Colorado”, but Gerard Jan de Jongh and Richard Browne, whose regular positions are race engineer for Sébastien Ogier and Andreas Mikkelsen, were able to help out with their engineering know-how and the right tool. “Bertie” returned to action at the Rally Great Britain on Sunday.

FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), Overall Standings*
Drivers’ Championship
1. Sébastien Ogier, 247 points; 2. Thierry Neuville, 143; 3. Andreas Mikkelsen, 129; 4. Hayden Paddon, 126; 5. Dani Sordo, 119; 6. Jari-Matti Latvala, 110; 7. Mads Østberg, 94; 8. Ott Tänak, 82; 9. Kris Meeke, 64; 10. Craig Breen, 36

Manufacturers’ Championship
1. Volkswagen Motorsport, 355 points; 2. Hyundai Motorsport, 285; 3. M-Sport, 154; 4. Volkswagen Motorsport II, 138; 5. Hyundai Motorsport N, 136; 6. DMACK, 92; 7. Jipocar Czech National Team, 18; 8. Yazeed Racing, 4

* Provisional.

• 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.

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), Rally Spain – final result
01. Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (F/F), Volkswagen, 3h 13m 03.6s
02. Dani Sordo/Marc Martí (E/E), Hyundai, + 15.6s
03. Thierry Neuville/Nicolas Gilsoul (B/B), Hyundai, + 1m 15.0s
04. Hayden Paddon/John Kennard (NZ/NZ), Hyundai, + 1m 27.8s
05. Mads Østberg/Ola Fløene (N/N), Ford, + 3m 24.4s
06. Ott Tänak/Raigo Mõlder (EST/EST), Ford, + 5m 24.9s
07. Kevin Abbring/Sebastian Marshall (NL/GB), Hyundai, + 7m 31.3s
08. Jan Kopecký/Pavel Dresler (CZ/CZ), Škoda, + 9m 05.1s
09. Pontus Tidemand/Jonas Andersson (S/S), Škoda, + 9m 20.4s
10. Craig Breen/Scott Martin (IRL/GB), Citroën, + 9m 57.1s
…
14. Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila (FIN/FIN), Volkswagen, + 21m 34.4s

FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), Overall Standings*
Drivers’ Championship
1. Sébastien Ogier, 222 points; 2. Andreas Mikkelsen, 127; 3. Thierry Neuville, 127; 4. Hayden Paddon, 114; 5. Dani Sordo, 111; 6. Jari-Matti Latvala, 104; 7. Mads Østberg, 90; 8. Ott Tänak, 60; 9. Kris Meeke, 54; 10. Craig Breen, 36

Manufacturers’ Championship
1. Volkswagen Motorsport, 322 points; 2. Hyundai Motorsport, 260; 3. M-Sport, 144; 4. Volkswagen Motorsport II, 136; 5. Hyundai Motorsport N, 124; 6. DMACK, 74; 7. Jipocar Czech National Team, 18; 8. Yazeed Racing, 4

* Provisional.

• 40th victory for the Volkswagen Polo R WRC, first match point in the Manufacturers’ Championship

• Fourth win of the season for Ogier/Ingrassia, 36th of their career

• Podium for third-placed Mikkelsen/Jæger, fourth place for Latvala/Anttila

A home win worth its weight in gold: Volkswagen duo Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (F/F) took a crucial step towards the title in the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) with the 36th win of their career. The three-time champions dominated the Rally France on Corsica from the word go, leaving runners-up Thierry Neuville/Nicolas Gilsoul (B/B, Hyundai) and their Volkswagen team-mates Andreas Mikkelsen/Anders Jæger (N/N) to fight it out for the minor places. Ogier/Ingrassia won five of the ten special stages, including a clean sweep on day one of the rally. Their fourth victory of the season, the 40th in 49 rallies for the Polo R WRC, sees them extend their lead in the Driver and Co-Driver Championship to 68 points. Mikkelsen/Jæger and Neuville/Gilsoul are now their only remaining rivals in the title race. The third Volkswagen duo, Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila (FIN/FIN), ended the Rally France into fourth place, but are no longer in contention for the title.

Match point on their own serve: Ogier vs. Mikkelsen at the Rally Spain
Victory in Corsica saw Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia take a big step towards the world championship title. Third place and a point on the Power Stage next time out at the rally in Spain would see them crowned champions for the fourth time, regardless of other results. The only men who could still deny them are Andreas Mikkelsen/Anders Jæger and Neuville/Gilsoul, who trail the championship leaders by 68 and 83 points respectively.

Early dominance followed by intelligence – a performance worthy of world champions
Victory on every stage on the opening day of the rally - Ogier/Ingrassia became the first men to achieve this feat since Volkswagen entered the fray at the 2013 Rally Monte Carlo. This also proved vital to their success: the three-time world champions kept a cool head to maintain their early lead right through to the finish - almost to the second. Conditions played a key role on Saturday and Sunday: rain and special stages that were dry in places and damp in others made tyre selection particularly tricky. Ogier/Ingrassia and their team-mates Mikkelsen/Jæger and Latvala/Anttila consistently chose the right mixture of the Michelin race tyres.

66 points clear – Volkswagen could win the Manufacturers’ World Championship at the next round of the WRC
Volkswagen also has its first match point in the battle for the Manufacturers’ Championship at the coming rally in Spain. To win the title there, the Wolfsburg-based carmaker must score 20 points more than its closest rival Hyundai. This would secure them their fourth back-to-back title in the most prestigious world championship in motorsports outside Formula 1. The two drivers nominated by a manufacturer – Sébastien Ogier and Jari-Matti Latvala at Volkswagen – can score a maximum 43 points.

19th podium: Andreas Mikkelsen impresses on his 75th appearance in the world championship
Andreas Mikkelsen also made a fine impression at the Rally France. The Norwegian Volkswagen driver claimed the 19th podium of his career, all of which have come with the Polo R WRC. He and co-driver Anders Jæger drove a controlled rally and kept the pressure firmly on second-placed Thierry Neuville – one of their rivals in the battle for second place in the Driver and Co-Driver World Championship – right down to the finish. This was the fifth podium finish of the year for Mikkelsen/Jæger.

Two lots of bonus points – Power Stage points for Mikkelsen and Ogier
Mikkelsen/Jæger finished second on the Power Stage to score valuable points in the fight for second place in the world championship, and to keep the title race alive. Not only did the Norwegian duo score two bonus points, but rally winners Ogier/Ingrassia also picked up one extra point for finishing third on the closing Power Stage. The driver/co-driver duos have now finished in the points on the Power Stage on 88 occasions, with a total 187 Power Stage points going to Wolfsburg. That is the equivalent of more than seven rally wins.

Heading to the 50th rally on the back of the 40th win – Polo R WRC reaches further milestones
The coming Rally Spain marks the Polo R WRC's 50th appearance in the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC). The Volkswagen team will travel to Catalonia full of the confidence that comes with 40 wins with the world rally car, and the works team from Wolfsburg has also picked up a total of 83 podium results. The Polo is the fourth model to enter the 40s club: the Lancia Delta and the Subaru Impreza (46 each) and the Ford Focus (44) are the only other models to have 40 wins or more to their name.Of the 894 special stages since the Polo R WRC made its debut, 600 have been won by the Wolfsburg-based carmaker. 

FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), Rally France – Final Results*
01. Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (F/F), Volkswagen, 4h 07m 17.0s
02. Thierry Neuville/Nicolas Gilsoul (B/B), Hyundai, + 46.4s
03. Andreas Mikkelsen/Anders Jæger (N/N), Volkswagen, + 1m 10.0s
04. Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila (FIN/FIN), Volkswagen, + 1m 35.6s
05. Craig Breen/Scott Martin (IRL/GB), Citroën, + 2m 18.6s
06. Hayden Paddon/John Kennard (NZ/NZ), Hyundai, + 2m 36.1s
07. Dani Sordo/Marc Martí (E/E), Hyundai, + 3m 06.9s
08. Eric Camilli/Benjamin Veillas (F/F), Ford, + 4m 53.9s
09. Mads Østberg/Ola Fløene (N/N), Ford, + 5m 37.7s
10. Ott Tänak/Raigo Mõlder (EST/EST), Ford, + 6m 26.6s

FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), Overall Standings*Drivers’ Championship
1. Sébastien Ogier, 195 points;
2. Andreas Mikkelsen, 127;
3. Thierry Neuville, 112;
4. Hayden Paddon, 102;
5. Jari-Matti Latvala, 101;
6. Dani Sordo, 92;
7. Mads Østberg, 80;
8. Kris Meeke, 54;
9. Ott Tänak, 52;
10. Craig Breen, 35

Manufacturers’ Championship
1. Volkswagen Motorsport, 293 points;
2. Hyundai Motorsport, 227;
3. Volkswagen Motorsport II, 136;
4. M-Sport, 132;
5. Hyundai Motorsport N, 106;
6. DMACK, 66;
7. Jipocar Czech National Team, 18;
8. Yazeed Racing, 4

* Provisional.

De tentoonstelling heeft veel dynamische en interactieve onderdelen, zodat bezoekers het fascinerende aan vijf decennia autosport kunnen meebeleven via audio, video en foto-installaties. De schijnwerpers staan gericht op de unieke modellen uit de historie van Volkswagen Motorsport: van de Golf die het Groep A-rallykampioenschap in 1986 won via de Touareg die zoveel succes boekte in de Dakar Rally tot de huidige Polo die de wereldtitels aan elkaar rijgt in het WRC.

Naast deze rallykanonnen zijn er ook circuitauto’s te zien, zoals de Formule Vee-eenzitter die in de jaren zestig de autosporthistorie van Volkswagen een vliegende start gaf. Maar ook de Golf GTI TCR die nu veel succes boekt als klantenauto in de TCR-kampioenschappen. Interactieve kijkjes achter de schermen bij het teamwork, de technologie, het avontuur én het succes maken de fascinatie voor autosport voelbaar voor het publiek.

Van 1966 tot nu
Volkswagen Motorsport werd op 11 juli 1966 opgericht in München. De geschiedenis start bij de toen populaire Formule Vee en Formule Super Vee raceklassen, waarin wereldkampioenen als Keke Rosberg en Niki Lauda en huidig Red Bull-adviseur Helmut Marko hun carrière begonnen. Daarna was Volkswagen actief in de Formule 3 met als latere grote namen recordkampioen Formule 1 Michael Schumacher, recordwinnaar Le Mans Tom Kristensen en recordkampioen in de DTM Bernd Schneider. Vervolgens ging Volkswagen zich mengen op het hoogste niveau in de rallysport: eerst zegevierde het driemaal op rij in de Dakar Rally (2009-2011), nu is het drievoudig winnaar bij de coureurs én de constructeurs in het Wereldkampioenschap Rally met de Polo R WRC (2013-2015). Ook die laatste auto is te zien op de expositie.

Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (F/F) are back on the winning track – and it is asphalted: victory at the Rally Germany went to Volkswagen for the second year in a row. As they did last year, Ogier/Ingrassia won round nine of this season’s FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) with the Polo R WRC, making full use of the slight advantage that came with opening the route on the first all-asphalt race of the year. Extremely difficult conditions, ranging from dry asphalt to wet concrete, made tyre selection a real challenge all weekend. Ogier/Ingrassia produced a display worthy of world champions to extend their lead in the Drivers’ and Co-Drivers’ Championship by 14 points to 59. Their closest rival, Andreas Mikkelsen/Anders Jæger (N/N) just failed to take second place in a thrilling finale and ultimately had to settle for fourth. Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila (FIN/FIN), in the third Polo R WRC, recovered from a damaged gearbox on Friday to score two bonus points on the closing Power Stage. They also fought back to finish eighth in the WRC class and contribute to Volkswagen taking a big step towards defending its title in the Manufacturers’ Championship.

“Winning the ADAC Rally Germany again is a great success for Volkswagen and an important step towards defending the title in the World Rally Championship,” said Dr. Frank Welsch, Member of the Board of Management of the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand with responsibility for “Development”, who visited the works team in Trier alongside Christian Eisenlohr, General Secretary Volkswagen Passenger Cars. “The Rally Germany once again lived up to its reputation as being particularly challenging. Our entire team did an outstanding job in front of our home fans, and I would like to thank them for that,” said Welsch.

Gripping finale for second place – Mikkelsen/Jæger narrowly beaten in fourth place
Thrilling down to the finish: Andreas Mikkelsen/Anders Jæger (N/N) once again found themselves embroiled in a gripping three-way battle for second place on the final day at the Rally Germany. In light of the looming rain, they opted for three soft and three hard Michelin competition tyres for the showdown on the closing three special stages. And thereby for one more replacement tyre than their rivals at Hyundai – but with the option of having more wet tyres in the damp conditions. The rain never came, but Mikkelsen/Jæger tried everything to seize second place, however, they were forced to pay the price of the extra weight of around 20 kilograms and overheating brakes: Fourth place, despite an immensely strong performance on all rally days.

The duo in second place in the championship staged a gripping duel with their Volkswagen team-mates Ogier/Ingrassia for the lead on Friday and Saturday, which went in favour of the three-time World Champion on the legendary “Panzerplatte”.

Fantastic atmosphere at the first asphalt event of the year
Thousands of fans at the "Panzerplatte" and along the special stages in the vineyards: The first asphalt event of the year presented not only a great driving and technical challenge, but also a mesmerising atmosphere. The WRC completed three days of classified stages around Trier, and there were completely different characteristics of asphalt stages on three occasions. The preliminary decision in favour of Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia came on the "Panzerplatte", which with wide sections of track on concrete, bordered by the menhirs, characterised the rally Saturday. On the narrow asphalt routes through the vineyards, a gripping duel for the lead developed between Mikkelsen/Jæger and Ogier/Ingrassia on Friday. The stages "Drohntal" and "Sauertal", which were held as a Power Stage for the first time, hosted spectacular rally action with a mix of fast sections and serpentines in the vineyards on Sunday.

WRC lead extended: Ogier/Ingrassia 59 points ahead of Mikkelsen/Jæger
An important step in the world championship for Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia in the drivers’ and co-drivers’ standings, and for Volkswagen in the manufacturers’ standings: With the fifth win of the season for the brand, the third for Ogier/Ingrassia, the team came a little closer to defending the titles in all three standings. Ogier/Ingrassia now have 169 points to their name, 59 more than Mikkelsen/Jæger in second place in the overall standings. Latvala/Anttila are in fifth place with a deficit of 80 points. In the manufacturers’ standings, Volkswagen defended a lead of 55 points.

This means that Ogier and Ingrassia could successfully defend their titles in the drivers’ and co-drivers’ standings already if they were to win the next event, the Rally France on Corsica.

Power Stage: Two bonus points for Latvala, one for Ogier
The Rally Germany came to a conciliatory end for Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila. They were forced to retire their Polo R WRC with gearbox damage after just a few kilometres on Friday, but came back strongly under Rally 2 regulations on Saturday and Sunday and secured themselves two bonus points for the second-fastest time on the Power Stage. The final point on the Power Stage only just went to Ogier/Ingrassia, who beat Dani Sordo/Marc Martí (E/E, Hyundai) by one thousandth of a second. That corresponds to three centimetres.

Quotes, day 03 Rally Germany

Sébastien Ogier, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #1
“A fantastic feeling to be back at the top of the podium after this long dry spell. I am over the moon to have repeated last year’s success at the Rally Germany. The home win is extremely important to our team, Julien and I made great progress in the direction of the title in the championship standings – and naturally we are proud to have given our boss Jost Capito a worthy leaving present. It was wonderful having him as team boss and I wish him the same success in Formula 1 that he had with Volkswagen in the WRC. The weekend wasn’t easy for me since I really wanted to win here and then it is easy to be a little bit too motivated going into the race. Then there was the weather, which changed constantly and was extremely difficult to predict. In the end, I waited patiently for my opportunity, and with the times on the Panzerplatte in particular, built up the crucial lead over my rivals.”

Jari-Matti Latvala, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #2
“Congratulations to my team-mate Sébastien Ogier. He picked up valuable points for Volkswagen in the championship this weekend. Unfortunately, this rally was over far too soon for Miikka Anttila and me. After the damage to the gearbox on Friday, we couldn’t do better than eighth place in the manufacturers’ standings. Two points on the Power Stage were only a slight consolation at the end, but at least they were something. Naturally I am disappointed, we had definitely aimed for more, but motorsport can be like that at times. Next up on the schedule is the Rally France. We won there last year and we will try to finish on the podium again there.”

Andreas Mikkelsen, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #9
Overall I am very pleased with our performance, but the result could have been better with a little more luck. The entire weekend was dominated by the difficult tyre selection and every service ended with a decision being made at the last second. We opted for a totally different strategy on several occasions – this made things interesting, but it wasn’t always the right decision. We went on full attack again on Sunday, since we were competing against two very fast Hyundai in the three-way battle for second place. We wanted to give Jost Capito another rally that was as successful as possible one last time. He will leave the team at the end of August – and we have had an excellent time these past years. Anders and I have a great deal to thank Jost for. So we were definitely going to give it our all once again. Unfortunately, in doing so the brakes overheated and this took me out of the running. It’s a shame, but fourth place is a small consolation in view of the championship.”

Jost Capito, Volkswagen Motorsport Director
“A very emotional moment for me. Today was my last outing at a rally for Volkswagen before I move to my new job in September,” said Volkswagen Motorsport Director Jost Capito. “That makes it all the sweeter that we have something to celebrate, thanks to the victory for Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia. They drove a magnificent rally and I am particularly pleased to see the pair of them back on the top step of the podium after something of a barren spell. As much as they have had to suffer on gravel tracks as a result of the rules requiring them to open the route, thereby meaning they have no chance of winning, they used the slight advantage that this starting order has on asphalt. But it wasn’t easy here: Changeable conditions made it tricky to select tyres and left no room for errors. And I am just as proud of the performance of Andreas Mikkelsen and Anders Jæger, who showed themselves to be worthy rivals at the start of the rally. Unfortunately, this wasn’t quite enough for second place in the end, although they both invested everything they could. JariMatti Latvala was unlucky this time, his gearbox damage prevented him from showing what he can do here. I think that he will return even stronger at the Rally France. But I will be watching that from a distance.”

And then there was ...
... the revenge of the cake. Jost Capito “presented” Jari-Matti Latvala with a cake at the 2014 Rally Sweden. In celebration of 300 stage best times, the cake ended up in the Finn’s face back then. After the Rally Germany came the rematch from Latvala’s perspective: As a farewell, a gateau landed on the face of departing Motorsport Director Capito, “launched” by the 2014 and 2015 runner-up in the world championship.

FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), Rally Germany – Final Results*
01. Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (F/F), Volkswagen, 3h 00m 26.7s
02. Dani Sordo/Marc Martí (E/E), Hyundai, + 20.3s
03. Thierry Neuville/Nicolas Gilsoul (B/B), Hyundai, + 20.4s
04. Andreas Mikkelsen/Anders Jæger (N/N), Volkswagen, + 27.2s
05. Hayden Paddon/John Kennard (NZ/NZ), Hyundai, + 3m 34.8s
06. Mads Østberg/Ola Fløene (N/N), Ford, + 4m 31.2s
07. Esapekka Lappi/Janne Ferm (FIN/FIN), Škoda, + 8m 36.8s
08. Pontus Tidemand/Jonas Andersson (S/S), Škoda, + 8m 52.5s
09. Jan Kopecký/Pavel Dresler (CZ/CZ), Škoda, + 9m 44.2s
10. Armin Kremer/Pirmin Winklhofer (D/D), Škoda, + 10m 10.6s
…
48. Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila (FIN/FIN), Volkswagen, + 36m 33.3s

FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), Rally Germany – Power Stage Results
01. Thierry Neuville/Nicolas Gilsoul (B/B), Hyundai 7m 54.9s
02. Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila (FIN/FIN), Volkswagen + 2.5s
03. Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (F/F), Volkswagen + 2.6s

FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), Overall Standings*
Drivers’ Championship
1. Sébastien Ogier, 169 points; 2. Andreas Mikkelsen, 110; 3. Hayden Paddon, 94; 4. Thierry Neuville, 94; 5. Jari-Matti Latvala, 89; 6. Dani Sordo, 86; 7. Mads Østberg, 78; 8. Ott Tänak, 52; 9. Kris Meeke, 51; 10. Craig Breen, 25

Co-drivers’ Championship
1. Julien Ingrassia, 169 points; 2. Anders Jæger, 110; 3. John Kennard, 94; 4. Nicolas Gilsoul, 94; 5. Miikka Anttila, 89; 6. Marc Martí, 86; 7. Ola Fløene, 78; 8. Raigo Mõlder, 52; 9. Paul Nagle, 51; 10. Scott Martin, 25

Manufacturers’ Championship
1. Volkswagen Motorsport, 256 points; 2. Hyundai Motorsport, 201; 3. M-Sport, 122; 4. Volkswagen Motorsport II, 121; 5. Hyundai Motorsport N, 96; 6. DMACK, 64; 7. Jipocar Czech National Team, 18; 8. Yazeed Racing, 4

* Provisional.

Wolfsburg (31 July 2016). Well fought, well rewarded: Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila (FIN/FIN) finished second at their home race in Finland to climb into third place in the Driver and Co-Driver competitions in the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC). Only Kris Meeke/Paul Nagle (GB/IRL, Citroën) finished ahead of the Volkswagen duo at the eighth round of the season, which featured 333.60 kilometres against the clock. This was their third podium finish in a row at the Rally Finland, having won on home soil in 2014 and 2015. Andreas Mikkelsen/Anders Jæger (N/N) finished seventh at the 66th staging of this classic rally to make up ground on three-time World Champions and current leaders Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia in the World Rally Championship. The French pair leave Finland empty-handed after coming off the road on Friday. However, they still hold a dominant lead in the World Championship with 143 points, followed by team-mates Mikkelsen/Jæger (98) and Latvala/Anttila (87). 

Fan favourite Latvala claims 80th podium for the Polo R WRC at his home rally
Jari-Matti Latvala was the national hero in 2014 and 2015, when he took victory at the Rally Finland with the Polo R WRC. This time, the crowd favourite had to “settle” for the second step on the rostrum – the 80th podium finish for the Polo R WRC. Having lost valuable time with a puncture early on in the rally, Latvala fought his way back into contention before securing what was ultimately a comfortable second place. The Drivers’ Championship now makes far better viewing for the man who finished runner-up in last year’s World Championship: the 19 points in Finland – Latvala also picked up a bonus point for finishing third on the Power Stage – have propelled the Finn into third place overall. Latvala’s assault on the top of the table starts here. 

The world champion gives it his all, leaves empty-handed, but is still happy
This doesn’t happen very often to Sébastien Ogier: when the 32-year-old Frenchman crosses the finish line in his Polo R WRC at the end of a WRC rally, he virtually always leaves with valuable points to his name. In Finland, he left empty-handed for only the fifth time as a Volkswagen driver when crossing the finish line. The reason: he cut a little too much off a hairpin on stage ten, “Surkee2”, and skidded into the ditch. The crew did manage to get the car back on the road, thanks to the efforts of the energetic Finnish fans, but only after losing a disastrous 16 minutes. Despite this, Ogier’s mood will be lifted by a glance at the remaining WRC rallies. The next three rounds – Germany, China and France – are asphalt rallies, at which Ogier must no longer open the route on gravel.

From podium contender to road sweeper: learning experience in Finland for Mikkelsen
Having secured victory last time out in Poland, Andreas Mikkelsen was full of confidence ahead of his outing in Finland – a rally, at which the Norwegian’s outstanding driving ability was yet to be rewarded with a top-three finish. Running third, the 27-year-old from Oslo had his sights set firmly on the podium right up to the 13th special stage – the iconic “Ouninpohja”. From that point on, he had to take over the dreaded role of road sweeper from Ogier, who had slipped down the starting order after arriving too late at a check-in after making necessary repairs on a liaison stage. Mikkelsen continued to drive well and fought hard to end the rally in seventh place – a result that sees him gain valuable ground on world championship leader Ogier.

The Finnish Grand Prix – fastest rally ever
The Rally Finland is traditionally one of the fastest rallies on the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) calendar. Last year, Jari-Matti Latvala set a new record with the Polo R WRC, clocking an average speed of 125.44 km/h. He must now surrender this title. The new record holder: Kris Meeke with 126.61 km/h. Revenge is on the menu in 2017. 

Quotes after day three of the Rally Finland
Sébastien Ogier, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #1
“The best news of the day for Julien and me is that we are now spared the role of road sweeper for a while. I have had to do this for half a year now, and it is extremely tiring mentally to constantly having to battle with the difficult route conditions. I am now looking forward to the Rally Germany, where the conditions will hopefully be good for everyone and we will hopefully be involved in a nice battle for the win. Apart from the mistake, I was very happy with our pace. We could have been looking at third place. Congratulations to Kris Meeke and his team. It goes without saying that he was able to drive without any pressure and benefitted from his starting position. However, he also produced an absolutely flawless and very impressive performance.”

Jari-Matti Latvala, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #2
“I am happy with my performance this weekend, even though I came up just short of a hat-trick of wins at the Rally Finland. Second place and a point on the Power Stage is a very good haul. I also climbed a place in the overall standings. All in all, we could not have done any more against Kris Meeke this weekend. I would like to say another big thank you to all the many fans who supported me. It is always very special to drive here on home soil. We now move on to the asphalt season, which was remarkably good to me last year. We must now back up this weekend’s performance in Germany.”

Andreas Mikkelsen, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #9
“All in all, Anders and I can be happy with seventh place. We could not have done any more this weekend. Driving on these fantastic routes is an awesome feeling. Another positive is the fact that we made up a few points on Sébastien. His lead is obviously still a big one, but we are still in touch. It was difficult once we suddenly had to open the route on Saturday. We did our very best, but starting first really did not make life easy. I was driving on the very limit all the time on some of the stages, but my times were still slow.” 

Jost Capito, Volkswagen Motorsport Director
“We are delighted with second place for Jari-Matti and Miikka. They produced another top-class performance at their home rally. They could not have done any more, and this result sees them take their place among the front-runners in the overall standings. The rally certainly did not pan out as hoped for Sébastien and Julien, but you just have to put their costly slip-up down as a small error with a big consequence – after all, even world champions are only human. Andreas Mikkelsen and Anders Jæger also produced a very strong display, which was not reflected in the result. On course for a podium finish, they were then forced to open the route, which was a major disadvantage. All in all, it was an intense Rally Finland, after which we have all three crews in the top three places in the overall standings, and continue to hold a clear lead in the Manufacturers’ Championship. As such, we are really looking forward to our home rally in Germany. Last but not least: congratulations to Kris Meeke and Paul Nagle. They produced a strong, flawless performance here in Finland and are worthy winners.”

And then there was ...
... Martin Hassenpflug. The Chief Mechanic for world champion Sébastien Ogier made his WRC debut with the Volkswagen team here in Finland exactly six years ago – with the Skoda Fabia S2000 that Volkswagen was running at the time. The 35-year-old is the only member of the team to have contested all 63 rallies since that first outing in 2011. 

FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), Rally Finland – Final Results*
01. Kris Meeke/Paul Nagle (GB/IRL), Citroën, 2h 38m 05.8s
02. Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila (FIN/FIN), Volkswagen, + 29.1s
03. Craig Breen/Scott Martin (IRL/GB), Citroën, + 1m 41.3s
04. Thierry Neuville/Nicolas Gilsoul (B/B), Hyundai, + 1m 45.9s
05. Hayden Paddon/John Kennard (NZ/NZ), Hyundai, + 1m 48.2s
06. Mads Østberg/Ola Fløene (N/N), Ford, + 2m 04.6s
07. Andreas Mikkelsen/Anders Jæger (N/N), Volkswagen, + 2m 22.4s
08. Esapekka Lappi/Janne Ferm (FIN/FIN), Škoda, + 4m 53.8s
09. Kevin Abbring/Sebastian Marshall (NL/GB), Hyundai, + 5m 22.4s
10. Teemu Suninen/Mikko Markkula (FIN/FIN), Škoda, + 5m 35.5s
…
24. Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (F/F), Volkswagen, + 19m 50.6s

Thrilling right down to the wire, with fortune favouring the brave: Andreas Mikkelsen/Anders Jæger (N/N) produced an outstanding display in Poland to take their second victory in the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC). The duo in the Volkswagen Polo R WRC finished just ahead of runners-up Ott Tänak/Raigo Mõlder (EST/EST, M-Sport-Ford) in an exciting finale, in which they benefitted from Tänak’s last-minute misfortune, as the long-time leader lost time due to a puncture. Victory sees Mikkelsen/Jæger close the gap to fellow Volkswagen pair Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (F/F), who finished sixth, in the race for the world championship. As the season reaches the halfway point after seven of 14 rounds, Ogier/Ingrassia and Volkswagen head to the coming rally in Finland (28.–31.07.2016) on top of the overall standings. Mikkelsen/Jæger are second, 51 points behind the three-time world champions. Volkswagen maintained a lead of 61 points over its closest rival Hyundai in Poland. Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila (FIN/FIN) ended the Rally Poland in fifth place in the third Polo R WRC.

Win number two for Mikkelsen, number 38 for the Polo R WRC

It was thanks to a large portion of courage at the Rally Poland that Andreas Mikkelsen claimed his second victory in the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), following his maiden win at the 2015 Rally Spain. He and co-driver Anders Jæger have featured on the podium four times this season, but this is their first appearance on the very top step. The win was made possible by a spirited drive. Mikkelsen/Jæger were the third duo onto the route for the first two days of the rally, meaning they had to contend with the disadvantage of having to sweep the roads clear of loose gravel for the subsequent world rally cars. They finished in the top three on 15 of the 21 special stages and were embroiled in a thrilling duel with Ott Tänak/Raigo Mõlder (EST/EST, M-Sport-Ford) throughout the entire race. They kept the pressure on the Estonian duo on Sunday morning, and were in the right place at the right time to take advantage when Tänak/Mõlder lost time due to a puncture on the penultimate special stage.

Halfway lead: Ogier, Ingrassia and Volkswagen lead the World Rally Championship after seven rounds

51 points lead – Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia lead the World Rally Championship going into the second half of the season. Their closest rivals are team-mates Andreas Mikkelsen/Anders Jæger, whose victory at the Rally Poland saw them climb into second place in the Driver and Co-Driver competitions. Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila have moved up into fourth place, 75 points behind the leaders. Volkswagen has opened a nice gap in the Manufacturers’ Championship: at the end of the first half of the season, the Wolfsburg-based car maker leads Hyundai by 61 points. 25 points are awarded for a win.

Sun followed by rain – the Rally Poland alternates between dust and mud

Fist searing heat, then torrential rain – these were the two faces of the 2016 Rally Poland. With high temperatures, dust and loose gravel, the two opening days – Friday and Saturday – were a huge challenge, particularly for the first crews onto the route. In contrast, the competitors were greeted with a soggy route on Sunday morning, after overnight rain completely changed the character of the Rally Poland. In both cases, accurate pace notes were the key to success.

Speed, speed and more speed – part one of the high-speed festival

The Rally Poland is one of the fastest rallies on the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) calendar and formed the start of the high-speed phase of the series, which continues with the Rally Finland (28.–31.07.2016). In 2016, the average speed was 106.16 kilometres per hour. And that despite the traditionally slow spectator stages and raining stages on Sunday significantly lowering the average speed of the rally.

Power stage: Bonus points for Ogier and Latvala

The 37th Power Stage win for Volkswagen, and the 31st for Sébastien Ogier: the closing stage of the Rally Poland was once again a huge success for the car maker from Wolfsburg. Thanks to the stage win for Ogier/Ingrassia and second place for Latvala/Anttila, Volkswagen has now picked up extra points on 83 occasions – and that in only the 45th Power Stage since the manufacturer joined the World Rally Championship at the 2013 Rally Monte Carlo.

Quotes after day three of the Rally

PolandSébastien Ogier, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #1
“Congratulations to Andreas and Anders, who did a good job all rally. But respect also to the performance of Ott Tänak. As always in Poland, he was really quick. At the end of the Power Stage I tried to console him a little. It really hurts when you come so close to your first win in the World Rally Championship. It was a tough weekend for Julien and me, so I am glad that we at least managed to pick up a few points towards the overall standings. The conditions were really slippery today, the toughest they’ve been for a long time. It was all about getting the Polo home in one piece. I am now looking forward to returning home to my wife and son. I have received so many presents for Tim that I might have to buy an extra suitcase.”

Jari-Matti Latvala, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #2
“First of all, congratulations to my team-mate Andreas Mikkelsen. He drove a fantastic rally. It is obviously bitter for Ott Tänak to lose first place with so little of the rally remaining, but that is the ruthless nature of our sport. For me, today was the best day of the Rally Poland. Unfortunately, I found my rhythm far too late. Despite this, the good times on the special stages and second place on the Power Stage are a decent way to finish the rally and earned some valuable points in the Manufacturers’ Championship. Next up is the Rally Finland – my home race and the highlight of the year. I am really looking forward to it and will prepare as well as possibly for it.”

Andreas Mikkelsen, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #9
“What a fantastic end to a crazy rally. We gave it everything we could, right from the word go. That was the only way we could compensate for having to take to the route so early. We knew that we could still get another chance to challenge for the win in today’s unpredictable conditions. When that chance came along, we took it. To win the rally is simply fantastic, as it is the first win together with my co-driver Anders Jæger. We are friends and have been through so much together. This here is very special. However, I feel for Ott Tänak and Raigo Mõlder, who were denied victory by a puncture so close to the finish. I experienced similar in Sweden last year.”

Jost Capito, Volkswagen Motorsport Director
“Andreas Mikkelsen and Anders Jæger can be proud of their performance. They fought courageously, never gave up, and deserved to win. The late set-back is obviously a great shame for Ott Tänak and Raigo Mõlder. They would also have fully deserved to win. We have great respect for their effort – I am sure that their time will come in the World Rally Championship. Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia also performed brilliantly, although this was not reflected in the result due to the expected time loss they suffered as the first car on the road. They were far better than their result suggests. Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila battled back after a disappointing start to the rally. All in all, we are happy with the performance of the entire team. The whole troop worked flawlessly and fought for every millimetre.”

FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), Rally Poland – Final Results
01. Andreas Mikkelsen/Anders Jæger (N/N), Volkswagen, 2h 37m 34.4s
02. Ott Tänak/Raigo Mõlder (EST/EST), Ford, + 26.2s
03. Hayden Paddon/John Kennard (NZ/NZ), Hyundai, + 28.5s
04. Thierry Neuville/Nicolas Gilsoul (B/B), Hyundai, + 29.3s
05. Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila (FIN/FIN), Volkswagen, + 33.8s
06. Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (F/F), Volkswagen, + 40.3s

FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), Overall Standings*Drivers’ Championship
1. Sébastien Ogier, 143 points;
2. Andreas Mikkelsen, 92;
3. Hayden Paddon, 72;
4. Jari-Matti Latvala, 68;
5. Dani Sordo, 68;

Manufacturers’ Championship
1. Volkswagen Motorsport, 196 points;
2. Hyundai Motorsport, 135;
3. M-Sport, 100;
4. Volkswagen Motorsport II, 99;
5. Hyundai Motorsport N, 78;

Het Goodwood Festival of Speed: één van de mooiste evenementen voor klassieke auto’s en racewagens van alle tijden. De 2016-editie (23 t/m 26 juni) is inmiddels gestart, met ditmaal een hoofdrol voor een Volkswagen-icoon: de Golf GTI, die dit jaar 40 is geworden. Een jubileum dat op Goodwood gesymboliseerd wordt door de Golf Mk1 GTI raceauto en de nieuwe Golf GTI Clubsport S. Eveneens present is de Polo R WRC. Beide auto’s gaan deelnemen aan de legendarische heuvelklim, met coureurs Strietzel Stuck en Jari-Matti Latvala aan het stuur.

In 1976 bracht Volkswagen de allereerste Golf GTI uit, oorspronkelijk in een oplage van slechts 5.000 exemplaren. De rest is historie, want sindsdien kozen meer dan 2 miljoen automobilisten wereldwijd voor een Golf GTI.

Met 228 kW/310 pk is de nieuwe ‘Clubsport S’ de krachtigste GTI ooit. Qua vermogen is hij nagenoeg gelijkwaardig aan de 232 kW/315 pk sterke Polo R WRC, waarmee Volkswagen het WK Rally in 2013, 2014 en 2015 won en inmiddels ook op koers ligt voor de 2016-titel. Jari-Matti Latvala (31) is één van de vaste coureurs. Tijdens de climax van het Goodwood Festival of Speed – de heuvelklim – jaagt de snelle Fin de Polo R WRC de Zuid-Engelse heuvels op. Ook Hans-Joachim Stuck (65) – de bekende voormalig Formule 1-, DTM- en Le Mans-coureur – neemt deel aan de race, in een historische, 222 pk sterke Golf Mk1 GTI racer.

Jari-Matti Latvala would be one of the first to admit that the Rally Italy has so far been something of a double-edged sword with Volkswagen. Puncture in 2013, puncture in 2014, puncture in 2015 – so read the Finn’s record on Sardinia coming into this year’s event. However, Latvala had always picked up points whenever he appeared on the Mediterranean island with the Volkswagen Polo R WRC, and had actually finished third on two occasions. This year, JML was spared any major mishaps, and the result was his best finish on Sardinia with the Polo R WRC.

A flawless rally and a podium were the Finn’s own goals coming into the rally, and Latvala delivered. Throughout the entire rally, he was in contention for the win, producing a thrilling duel with eventual winner Thierry Neuville (Hyundai) on the opening two days, and battling to overcome the tough conditions caused by the surface and the weather. The reward: second place, and with it the best result on Sardinia since he joined Volkswagen.

A clear statement in the overall classification: having been deserted by Lady Luck of late, he bounced back emphatically and is right back in the middle of the battle for second place in the Drivers’ Championship.

Sébastien Ogier also had cause to be happy with his weekend’s work – in two regards. By his own admission, he was unable to challenge for victory due to his starting position. As such, he focussed on his lead in the World Championship standings – mission accomplished, and more besides. Andreas Mikkelsen, Hayden Paddon (Hyundai) and Mads Østberg (Ford) – Ogier’s closest rivals – all suffered set-backs on Sardinia. The world champion did not and collected also three point by winning the Power Stage.

The 2016 season is now six rallies old – and the Frenchman has finished on the podium at each event. There is absolutely no need to pose the question of whether there could be a more worthy championship leader. Having arrived on Sardinia with a 47-point lead over his closest rivals, Ogier leaves the island with a 64-point advantage over Dani Sordo (Hyundai), who is currently second overall.

The world champion also won his second, and probably more important for Ogier, race against time. In the run-up to the rally, he announced his desire to leave the Sardinia early should his wife go into labour. The dad-to-be won this race and can now look forward to and focus on the birth of his first child on the back of a profitable trip to Italy.

Mikkelsen’s quest to finish on the podium ended on Saturday. Up until stage 14, the Norwegian had been embroiled in an exciting battle for third place, before unluckily hitting a stone in the middle of the road and damaging his suspension – with serious consequences.

Although a third Volkswagen win in a row on Sardinia was not to be, the standings in both the Drivers’ and Manufacturers’ World Championship send a clear signal – the 2016 Rally Italy was a good one for both Latvala and the Wolfsburg-based car maker. Volkswagen leads the Manufacturers’ Championship by 70 points. As for the Flying Finn, well he will be determined to go one better on Sardinia in 2017.

“We will push hard again in Poland!”

Sébastien Ogier, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #1
“Going into the rally, I knew that third place would be the best possible result Julien and I could hope for without others slipping up. As such, I am very happy to be on the podium. After the extremely long and tiring day yesterday, today was more of a relaxing cruise. Given the big gap to the front-runners and to those behind us, our priority was simply to get to the finish in one piece. The Power Stage was like driving on the beach – it was that sandy. We have once again significantly increased our lead in the world championship. With that in mind, it has been an ideal weekend. I would like to say a special thank you to my wife Andrea for waiting to give birth to our first child. I cannot wait to get home. The next few days will certainly be more exciting for me than any rally!”

Jari-Matti Latvala, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #2
“A successful weekend for us. As a team, we were able to stretch our lead in the Manufacturers’ Championship. We would obviously have liked to be stood on the top step of the podium, but, after my disappointing performance here in recent years, second place is a great success. Plus, we closed the gap to the front-runners in the Drivers’ Championship. Congratulations to Thierry Neuville. He did a great job all weekend and deserved to win. We will push hard again in Poland!”

Andreas Mikkelsen, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #9
“That is certainly not how I imagined the Rally Italy ending. On Saturday, on the penultimate stage of the day, we hit a rock at almost full speed after a long right-hander. Even with the best will in the world we could not avoid it. The big impact broke the suspension there and then. That was just unlucky, but is part and parcel of rallying. Sunday offered us the opportunity to test a few set-up variants on the Polo R WRC for the coming rallies. We hope we will benefit from that in Poland. We have always done well there in recent years – and that is obviously our goal again this year. We deliberately did not attack on the Power Stage, in order to start third instead of second at the next round. This will significantly increase our chance of winning. It is not nice for the spectators to see us ease up, but those are the rules we have to work with in order to achieve our goals come the end of the year.”

Jost Capito, Volkswagen Motorsport Director
“Volkswagen significantly extended its lead in the Manufacturers’ Championship and took an important step towards defending its titles. As such, we can be very happy with the Rally Italy. Congratulations to Hyundai and Thierry Neuville, who produced a great performance and were better than us this time. Jari-Matti Latvala bounced back with second place – respect. Sébastien Ogier got the absolute maximum from his starting position. As first onto the route on this extremely loose gravel on Sardinia, he simply had no chance to compete for the win with those starting later on. Despite this, his performance was outstanding – even if the result does not quite reflect it. Andreas Mikkelsen was unlucky this time and, despite a good performance, was denied a possible podium finish. I think this will make him even more of a force to be reckoned with at the coming rally in Poland.”

FINAL CLASSIFICATION AFTER 19 STAGES

• Volkswagen significantly extends lead in all WRC competitions
• Mikkelsen/Jæger clinch second place in final spurt, Ogier/Ingrassia third
• Latvala/Anttila score important points in the Manufacturers’ Championship

Wolfsburg (22 May 2016). Excitement right down to the wire, Mikkelsen beats Ogier, lucrative points haul – Volkswagen took an important step towards the defence of its titles at the Rally Portugal. Andreas Mikkelsen/Anders Jæger (N/N) finished runners-up for the works team from Wolfsburg, ahead of Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (F/F) in third. In doing so, they claimed podium finishes number 75 and 76 in the Polo R WRC’s 44th rally. This result sees Mikkelsen/Jæger climb into second place in the Drivers’ and Co-Drivers’ Championship, while Ogier/Ingrassia once again extended their lead at the top of the standings. Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila (FIN/FIN) finished sixth in the third Polo R WRC to help Volkswagen extend its lead in the Manufacturers’ Championship. Victory at the Rally Portugal went to Kris Meeke/Paul Nagle (GB/IRL, Citroën).

Ogier/Ingrassia vs. Mikkelsen/Jæger – captivating battle for second place 
An all-Volkswagen duel in virtually identical conditions – Andreas Mikkelsen/Anders Jæger produced an extremely impressive display at the Rally Portugal. After a controlled start, they increased the pressure from the halfway point of the rally. From fourth place they leapfrogged ahead of Dani Sordo/Marc Martí (E/E, Hyundai) into third and set about gradually eating into Ogier/Ingrassia’s lead of 20 seconds. They moved ahead of Ogier/Ingrassia on the Sunday’s opening stage, as the world champions struggled with a puncture, before coming home 4.8 seconds ahead of the French duo.

Passionate fans drive Volkswagen to top performances 
Roughly 100,000 fans on the iconic Fafe stage, and thousands more along the entire rally route – the Rally Portugal was once again enough to give anyone goosebumps. The three Volkswagen duos were spurred into outstanding performances by the Portuguese crowds, who are always both passionate and fair. Volkswagen reached another milestone at the Rally Portugal: on the 803rd special stage since 2013 with the Polo R WRC, the three Volkswagen duos finished first, second and third for the 102nd time. This also marked the 562nd stage win for the Wolfsburg-based car maker – that is 70 per cent of all the stages the successful World Rally Car has contested. Volkswagen won every stage from Saturday lunchtime onwards in Portugal.

Remarkable effort from Latvala/Anttila helps extend world championship lead 
Despite suffering a set-back, Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila produced a fighting display for the Volkswagen team and played a major role in helping extend the lead in the Manufacturers’ Championship. The Finnish duo hit a hole in the road on Friday’s extremely demanding fifth stage, “Ponte de Lima”, resulting in a loss of power steering and a direct time loss of 45.6 seconds. What followed was a true feat of strength, which allowed Latvala/Anttila to end the day in the top ten. The pair fought their way back to sixth place overall on Saturday. Volkswagen, with the team consisting of Ogier/Ingrassia and Latvala/Anttila, extended its lead over Hyundai in the Manufacturers’ Championship by 13 points to 49.

The first WRC event on European gravel proved to be a test for man and machine in equal measures – and the Rally Portugal lived up to its reputation as being particularly tough on the cars. With a loose layer of gravel covering the stages on the first loop, and sharp stones on the second, the drivers really had to be on the ball at all times – and they once again proved to be up to the task.

The Power Stage remains Volkswagen territory – bonus points for Ogier, Latvala and Mikkelsen 
A one-two-three on the Power Stage – Volkswagen picked up a full haul of bonus points towards the Drivers’ and Co-Drivers’ World Championship at the Rally Portugal. Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia set the fastest time to score three extra points, Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila earned two for finishing second on the Power Stage, and Andreas Mikkelsen/Anders Jæger one for the third-fastest time. This was the 35th Power Stage victory for Volkswagen with the Polo R WRC in 43 attempts, and the 74th, 75th and 76th time that one of the works duos from Wolfsburg had scored bonus points. The Volkswagen drivers have amassed 171 extra points since 2013. After five of this season’s 14 WRC rallies, Ogier/Ingrassia top the Drivers’ Championship with 114 points, 47 points clear of Mikkelsen/Jæger in second place. Latvala/Anttila have 37 points to their name.

Portuguese president visits the Volkswagen team
The Volkswagen team enjoyed a special highlight on Saturday evening, when Portuguese president Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa not only met the Volkswagen drivers and co-drivers, but also shook hands with the Portuguese members of the team. President de Sousa was welcomed by Dr. Herbert Diess and Jost Capito.

FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), Rally Portugal – Final Results*
01. Kris Meeke/Paul Nagle (GB/IRL), Citroën, 3h 59m 01.0s
02. Andreas Mikkelsen/Anders Jæger (N/N), Volkswagen, + 29.7s
03. Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (F/F), Volkswagen, + 34.5s
04. Dani Sordo/Marc Martí (E/E), Hyundai, + 1m 37.1s
05. Eric Camilli/Benjamin Veillas (F/F), Ford, + 4m 01.6s
06. Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila (FIN/FIN), Volkswagen, + 4m 06.9s
07. Mads Østberg/Ola Fløene (N/N), Ford, + 6m 53.6s
08. Martin Prokop/Jan Tománek (CZ/CZ), Ford, + 10m 24.1s
09. Pontus Tidemand/Jonas Andersson (S/S), Škoda, + 11m 45.2s
10. Nicolás Fuchs/Fernando Mussano (PE/RA), Škoda, + 13m 14.0s

FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), Rally Portugal – Power Stage Results
01. Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (F/F), Volkswagen 6m 44.3s
02. Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila (FIN/FIN), Volkswagen + 1.2s
03. Andreas Mikkelsen/Anders Jæger (N/N), Volkswagen + 2.0s

FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), Overall Standings*
Drivers’ Championship
1. Sébastien Ogier, 114 points; 2. Andreas Mikkelsen, 67; 3. Mads Østberg, 58; 4. Hayden Paddon, 57; 5. Dani Sordo, 56; 6. Jari-Matti Latvala, 37; 7. Kris Meeke, 26; 8. Ott Tänak, 24; 9. Thierry Neuville, 23; 10. Eric Camilli, 14

Co-drivers’ Championship
1. Julien Ingrassia, 114 points; 2. Anders Jæger, 67; 3. Ola Fløene, 58; 4. John Kennard, 57; 5. Marc Martí, 56; 6. Miikka Anttila, 37; 7. Paul Nagle, 26; 8. Raigo Mõlder, 24; 9. Nicolas Gilsoul, 23; 10. Benjamin Veillas, 14

Manufacturers’ Championship
1. Volkswagen Motorsport, 145 points; 2. Hyundai Motorsport, 96; 3. M-Sport, 82; 4. Volkswagen Motorsport II, 70; 5. Hyundai Motorsport N, 55; 6. DMACK, 30; 7. Jipocar Czech National Team, 6; 8. Yazeed Racing, 0


* Provisional.

Na een zinderende finale legde het Volkswagen-team Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia, drievoudige wereldkampioenen en leiders in het WRC 2016, met hun Volkswagen Polo R WRC beslag op de tweede plaats in de Rally van Argentinië, waardoor zij hun voorsprong in het Wereldkampioenschap Rally konden vergroten. Teamgenoten Andreas Mikkelsen en/Anders Jæger, ook in een Polo R WRC, werden als derde geklasseerd. Door de tweede en derde plaats kwam een einde aan een periode van 335 dagen van twaalf opeenvolgende overwinningen.Ogier en Ingrassia hebben hun voorsprong in het WK uitgebreid tot 39 punten, terwijl de stand voor constructeurs door Volkswagen wordt aangevoerd met een voorsprong van 36 punten.

Een opmerkelijke prestatie leverden de monteurs van Volkswagen Motorsport. De Polo van Latvala raakte op dag 2 zwaar beschadigd na enkele koprollen, maar het team wist de auto in een paar uur bijna volledig te herstellen.

“Mooier en spannender dan deze rally kunnen WRC-rally’s niet worden,” zegt Volkswagen Motorsport Director Jost Capito. “De Rally Argentinië was een fantastische reclame voor de rallysport.”

‘‘The 2017 WRC regulations include many spectacular technical innovations for the World Rally Championship,’’ said Volkswagen Motorsport Director Jost Capito. ‘‘The World Rally Cars of the future will incorporate all the experience that teams have gained in recent years. They will be considerably more dynamic, whilst at the same time being safer. As usual, we are working painstakingly on the development of the next generation of the Polo R WRC. The key between now and the start of next season is to achieve the best possible prerequisites to allow the 2017 Polo R WRC to be as successful as its two predecessors.‘‘

An even greater spectacle for the fans: the new generation of World Rally Cars
About 50 millimetres wider, 25 kilograms lighter, and roughly 380 hp/280 kW more powerful --- that is the key data for the 2017 rally Polo. The increase in performance of about 60 hp/45 kW is achieved by widening the air restrictor from 33 millimetres, as it is at present, to 36 millimetres. Furthermore, electronic centre differential can now be used for the power transmission. The most visually striking changes are the larger rear wing and broader front spoiler. The minimum length of the car is now 3,900 millimetres, whilst the minimum weight is reduced from 1,200 to 1,175 kilograms.

Although the new technical components have already been applied in numerous tests, the appearance of the Polo R WRC will still change significantly by the start of the season at the Rally Monte Carlo in January 2017. Whilst the final phase of development of the Polo R WRC is already underway, Volkswagen currently tops the standings in all of the classifications in this year’s world championship, having won the first three rallies of the season. The team from Wolfsburg’s next outing is the fourth WRC round of the year --- the Rally Argentina (21--- 24 April 2016).

Back in business, and making history for Volkswagen in the process – Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila (FIN/FIN) claimed an important victory at the Rally Mexico. The Volkswagen duo enjoyed an emphatic return to form, dominating the rally to triumph ahead of team-mates Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (F/F) and fight their way back into the title race. They also presented the Polo R WRC with its twelfth win in a row, equalling the longest winning run in the history of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC). The latest success sees Volkswagen draw level with its own record of a dozen successive victories, meaning the Wolfsburg-based car maker can set a new record at the coming rally in Argentina. The win also marked Latvala/Anttila’s first at the Rally Mexico, and the 16th of their careers.

From Portugal to Mexico – Winning run equals longest in WRC history
From the 2015 Rally Portugal to the 2016 Rally Mexico – Volkswagen has equalled its own record. Twelve wins in a row marks the second time the manufacturer has achieved the longest winning run in the history of the World Rally Championship. Volkswagen had previously completed a dozen back-to-back victories with the Polo R WRC between the 2013 Rally Australia and the 2014 Rally Finland. The third longest winning run is held by Citroën, who managed eight successive wins in 2011.
With 37 wins from 42 rallies, the Polo R WRC also remains the car with the highest win ration in WRC history. The World Rally Car from Wolfsburg has now overtaken the Citroën C4 WRC in terms of the sheer number of wins, and is now fourth in the all-time list, behind the Subaru Impreza, Lancia Delta and Ford Focus – although it has contested far fewer rallies.

Battle for podium ends in early retirement for Mikkelsen/Jæger
A fightback that went unrewarded: Andreas Mikkelsen/Anders Jæger (N/N), in the third Polo R WRC, suffered a set-back in the battle for the Drivers‘ and Co-Drivers‘ World Championship. Running fourth, they launched an assault on third-placed Dani Sordo/Marc Martí (E/E, Hyundai) and had successfully brought the gap down before they went wide in a left-hander 32 kilometres into the “Otates” stage on Saturday. They hit a buttress and consequently had to retire from the rally. The Polo R WRC could not be repaired on-site in the Service Park. However, it is now being prepared as planned for the Rally Portugal.

¡Viva México! Ogier three times, Latvala once
Volkswagen remains unbeaten in Mexico, courtesy of Latvala/Anttila’s win. Sébastien Ogier’s victory in 2013 was the Polo R WRC’s first success on gravel, and was followed by a further two wins for the three-time world champion in 2014 and 2015. Victory for Latvala and Anttila brings to an end a winning run for French drivers that dated back to 2006.

Longest stage of the season, highest point on the WRC calendar
The Rally Mexico is not only littered with superlatives on paper, but also represents an enormous challenge for man and machine. The competitors reached the highest point of the season on the “El Chocolate” stage – 2,746 metres above sea level. The fact that air pressure and oxygen content drop with altitude presents the engine engineers with a huge task. It is also extremely physically demanding for the drivers and co-drivers. Fitness was put to test on the longest stage of the year – “Guanajuato”, which is exactly 80 kilometres long. The last time the WRC featured a longer stage was back in 1986, at the Rally France on Corsica.

The rally fiesta of the year – passionate spectators give an extra boost of motivation
The Mexican rally fans deserve a special mention. They carried the competitors through the weekend on a wave of euphoria, not only at the traditionally emotional start to the third round of the season in Guanajuato, but also on the special stages and in the Service Park. This gave Latvala, Ogier, Mikkelsen and the Volkswagen team an extra boost of motivation. The enthusiasm of the rally fans in Mexico knows no bounds and is the icing on the cake at a perfectly organised rally. Volkswagen Mexico’s temporary exhibition area in the Service Park was also well-attended, attracting thousands of fans over the course of the four-day event. 80,000 fans flocked to Guanajuato to watch the start live, whilst a total of 300,000 spectators lined the special stages.

Cherry on the cake to finish: Power Stage points for Ogier and Latvala
Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia clocked the fastest time on the Power Stage to score three bonus points in the Drivers’ and Co-Drivers’ World Championship. In doing so, they extended their lead to 38 points. Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila picked up an extra two points courtesy of second place on the Power Stage. With 27 points to their name, they are now sixth in the overall standings – 50 points behind leaders Ogier/Ingrassia. Andreas Mikkelsen and Anders Jæger left Mexico empty-handed, but are still third in the world championship with 33 points.
Volkswagen increased its advantage in the manufacturers’ standings by 28 points and now leads closest rival Hyundai by 33 points.

Quotes after day three of the Rally MexicoSébastien Ogier, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #1
“All in all, second place for Julien and I was the best-possible result this weekend. Thanks to victory on the Power Stage, we picked up 21 important points in the championship standings, which is what counts overall. Naturally, I would have hoped to stage a more exciting duel with Jari-Matti for the many fans. But there was no way that was possible; our road conditions on the first two days were far too different. That's not taking anything away from his performance, Jari-Matti thoroughly deserved the win and my congrats go to him and Miikka. I'd like to say a special thanks to the thousands of fans here in Mexico: For Julien and I, it is a highlight to come here every year. The enthusiasm and friendliness of the people is fantastic, and on top of that the stages we drive through are beautiful. Until next year, ¡Viva Mexico!”

Jari-Matti Latvala, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #2
“I am very happy and satisfied. This is a fantastic result, not just for me, but for the whole team. After the disappointing results in the first two events, it was important to finally pick up points. I managed that with the win. Naturally, I had a good basis with my starting position this weekend, but the longest rally of the season still had to be mastered. We found a good set-up and also chose the right tactics. My thanks go to my engineer Fabrice van Ertvelde and my mechanics in particular. However, we will by no means be resting on our laurels, rather we will take the momentum with us to Argentina.“

Andreas Mikkelsen, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #9
“Unfortunately, the Rally Mexico was over for us far too early, although we were doing well. We reduced our deficit to Dani Sordo on Saturday morning and wanted to continue to attack third place. But on the second pass of 'Otates' we came over a crest a little too quickly then came out wide and hit a buttress at the front right. We spun around and came off the road. There was no way we could keep driving since we were stuck in a ditch. Naturally, that is more than disappointing since I had planned on much more. My mechanics tried to get the car ready to restart under Rally 2 regulations, but unfortunately it wasn't possible. We are now looking ahead to Argentina and are focussed on making amends for leaving here empty-handed.“

Jost Capito, Volkswagen Motorsport Director
“The Rally Mexico was a total success for Volkswagen – especially as winning here is far from a matter of course. At no other rally do we hit the same heights as here – a Herculean task for the engine department, for whom the thin air poses a tricky problem when it comes to engine management. The rally also features the longest special stage on the calendar. That is also a big challenge for the chassis department and our tyre partner Michelin. We did a top-class job of overcoming these challenges as a team. Our drivers and co-drivers, in particular, deserve the utmost respect. Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila made the most of their starting position and intelligently took advantage of being one of the last World Rally Cars onto the route. On the other side of the coin, Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia superbly overcame the disadvantage of opening the route. All in all, this one-two is a huge effort, and one that we at Volkswagen are very proud of.”

And then there was ...
... the most successful Facebook post in the history of Volkswagen Motorsport – and with it, probably the most famous family of cows in Mexico. They achieved true VIP status on social networks thanks to a brilliant evasive manoeuvre by Sébastien Ogier. So far, the video, which shows the three-time world champion skilfully swerve to avoid the livestock at full speed, has been viewed by more than 5.2 million users.

FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), Rally Mexico – Final Results
01. Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila (FIN/FIN), Volkswagen, 4h 25m 57.4s
02. Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (F/F), Volkswagen, + 1m 05.0s
03. Dani Sordo/Marc Martí (E/E), Hyundai, + 3m 37.9s
04. Mads Østberg/Ola Fløene (N/N), Ford, + 5m 36.4s
05. Hayden Paddon/John Kennard (NZ/NZ), Hyundai, + 6m 22.6s
06. Ott Tänak/Raigo Mõlder (EST/EST), Ford, + 9m 59.5s
07. Martin Prokop/Jan Tománek (CZ/CZ), Ford, + 12m 58.5s
08. Lorenzo Bertelli/Simone Scattolin (I/I), Ford, + 14m 09.6s
09. Teemu Suninen/Mikko Markkula (FIN/FIN), Škoda, + 18m 01.8s
10. Valery Gorban/Volodymyr Korsia (UA/UA), Mini, + 32m 37.3s

FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), Rally Mexico – Power Stage Results
01. Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (F/F), Volkswagen 9m 57.1s
02. Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila (FIN/FIN), Volkswagen + 5.4s
03. Hayden Paddon/John Kennard (NZ/NZ), Hyundai + 10.4s

FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), Overall Standings*Drivers’ Championship
1. Sébastien Ogier, 77 points;
2. Mads Østberg, 39;
3. Andreas Mikkelsen, 33;
4. Dani Sordo, 33;
5. Hayden Paddon, 29;
6. Jari-Matti Latvala, 27;
7. Ott Tänak, 24;
8. Thierry Neuville, 15;
9. Stéphane Lefebvre, 10;
10. Martin Prokop, 6

Co-drivers’ Championship
1. Julien Ingrassia, 77 points;
2. Ola Fløene, 39;
3. Anders Jæger, 33;
4. Marc Martí, 33;
5. John Kennard, 29;
6. Miikka Anttila, 27;
7. Raigo Mõlder, 24;
8. Nicolas Gilsoul, 15;
9. Gabin Moreau, 10;
10. Jan Tománek, 6

Manufacturers’ Championship
1. Volkswagen Motorsport, 97 points;
2. Hyundai Motorsport, 64;
3. M-Sport, 45;
4. Volkswagen Motorsport II, 30;
5. DMACK, 26;
6. Hyundai Motorsport N, 24;
7. Yazeed Racing, 0

* Provisional.

Volkswagen bedankt iedereen met onderstaande video.

Enkele wetenswaardigheden:

• Het WRC-seizoen bestaat uit 13 rally’s: 10 in Europa en de resterende drie in Mexico, Argentinie en Australie.
• Voor de overzeese rally’s verscheept Volkswagen 7 zeecontainers die in totaal 79 ton wegen. In de containers de service-units, het kantoor, de keuken, de trainingsauto’s en de reserve-onderdelen
• In Europa verplaatst Volkswagen Motorsport al haar materiaal in 7 vrachtauto’s. Daarnaast drie trailers voor het onderkomen van het team en de media-unit. De laatste truck vis voor de sanitaire support.
• Het team legt het hele seizoen een afstand van ruim 100.000 kilometer af over de weg, en bijna 50.000 kilometer over zee.

Polo R WRC meest succesvolle rally-auto in geschiedenis WRC
31 overwinningen in 36 rally’s betekenen een score van 86% voor de Volkswagen Polo waarmee het de meest succesvolle auto is in de geschiedenis van het WRC. Maar de statistieken vertonen nog meer mijlpalen: sinds januari 2013 was de 318 pk sterke, vierwielaangedreven Polo R WRC 467 keer de snelste op 668 klassementsproeven. In 2013 en 2014 won de Polo twaalf achtereenvolgende rally’s, een record in het WRC. Ook het aantal overwinningen, eveneens twaalf, is een record.

Jost Capito, Volkswagen Motorsport Director
“Een fantastische rally en een droomresultaat,” zei Capito aan de finish in Australië. “Een uitstekend teamresultaat om zo vroeg in het seizoen al de drie titels naar Wolfsburg te halen. Ik ben heel erg trots op het hele Volkswagen-team. Het verdedigen van een titel is altijd moeilijker dan die voor de eerste keer te winnen.”

Rally Australia – Eindrangschikking

1. Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia Volkswagen 2u 59m 16.4s
2. Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila Volkswagen + 12.3s
3. Kris Meeke/Paul Nagle Citroën + 32.6s
4. Andreas Mikkelsen/Ola Fløene Volkswagen + 38.5s
5. Hayden Paddon/John Kennard Hyundai + 55.1s

Stand Kampioenschap Rijders

1. Sébastien Ogier 235
2. Jari-Matti Latvala 134
3. Andreas Mikkelsen 111
4. Mads Østberg 90
5. Thierry Neuville 86

Stand Kampioenschap Constructeurs

1. Volkswagen Motorsport 343
2. Hyundai Motorsport 177
3. Citroën Total Abu Dhabi 164
4. M-Sport 148
5. Volkswagen Motorsport II 76
6. Hyundai Motorsport N 49

A one-two-three on home soil – a one-two-three for the history books: Volkswagen dominated the Rally Germany from the word go, and went on to secure victory for the first time. Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (F/F) are the first duo to win the rally in a German car in the WRC era. The Wolfsburg-based manufacturer also finished second and third with Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila (FIN/FIN) and Andreas Mikkelsen/Ola Fløene (N/N). Following the best-possible result, and the sweetest success – until today, the home event had been the only rally that Volkswagen was yet to win – one thing is now certain: this year’s world rally champion will once again be at the wheel of a Polo R WRC. Rally fans may have to wait no longer than the next round of the world championship in Australia to discover which of the three works duos comes out on top. Having claimed victory number 30 of their career, Ogier/Ingrassia now have a realistic chance of wrapping up their third Drivers’ and Co-Drivers’ championships in a row with rallies still to come – as do Volkswagen in the Manufacturers’ Championship.

“The one-two-three at the Rally Germany is a fantastic success for Volkswagen,” said Dr. Heinz-Jakob Neußer, Volkswagen Board Member for Technical Development, who received the trophy on behalf of the victorious manufacturer at the Porta Nigra in Trier. “Ideal preparation, maximum concentration and a huge amount of team spirit are what made this triumph possible. The Polo R WRC proved once again that it is the fastest car on asphalt too, and mastered the demanding routes in Germany perfectly. I would like to thank wholeheartedly all those who were involved with this important victory. I would also like to compliment the organisers: the ADAC and its thousands of volunteers put on a top-class event, with the support of the Bundeswehr. This is also underlined by the huge crowds of over 225,000.”

Volkswagen’s most global car, and the most successful in the history of the World Rally Championship: the Polo R WRC
Sweden, Mexico, Portugal, Greece, Italy, Finland, Australia, France, Spain, Great Britain, Monte Carlo, Argentina, Poland … and now: Germany. The one-two-three on the roads around Trier saw Volkswagen fill a small but important gap in the CV of the Polo R WRC. At the start of the week, the Rally Germany was the only rally that the World Rally Car from Wolfsburg had not yet won. Lady Luck had previously deserted the Volkswagen drivers at their home race. The manufacturer has now made its peace with the event in Germany, with the most global car in its fleet. And in true Volkswagen style: whenever Motorsport Director Jost Capito’s team has been under any kind of pressure, it has responded with a one-two-three: after the defeat at the 2014 Rally Germany, it bounced back with the first one-two-three in the manufacturer’s history in the WRC. The disappointment of Argentina this season was followed by the most successful rally with the Polo R WRC in Portugal. Volkswagen has now upped the ante with its fourth one-two-three, and the third of the season. And it achieved this feat in front of over 225,000 thrilled spectators over the course of the weekend.

30 wins – Ogier pulls level with Grönholm in list of all-time winners
The number 30 played a key role for Volkswagen at its home race. Not only did the Polo R WRC claim its 30th victory in 35 rallies, but it was also the 30th win of Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia’s careers. This win earned them a special place in the annals of the World Rally Championship. They have drawn level with Marcus Grönholm in the list of drivers with the most wins to their name, and are now tied with the Finn in second place. French drivers have now pulled ahead in their the ongoing battle with the Finns: France now has 175 wins to its name – one more than Finland with 174. Volkswagen drivers Sébastien Ogier and Jari-Matti Latvala are the only regular drivers from their countries in the World Rally Championship.

Nobody does it better: Latvala and Mikkelsen complete all-Volkswagen podium
For one it was a familiar feeling, for the other new territory: Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila and Andreas Mikkelsen/Ola Fløene produced outstanding performances to join the Volkswagen party on the podium. All three Volkswagen duos were in a league of their own at their home rally. Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila pushed Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia extremely hard in Germany and were always in touch with their fellow Volkswagen duo until the iconic “Panzerplatte” on the Baumholder military training ground made all the difference. Here, Ogier/Ingrassia left everyone in their wake – even their team-mates. This was podium number 19 with Volkswagen for Latvala/Anttila and the eleventh time on the rostrum for Mikkelsen/Fløene. In total, Volkswagen has now achieved 59 top-three results in 35 rallies.

Consolation: bonus points for Latvala/Anttila on the Power Stage
Never have bonus points for Volkswagen drivers been as overshadowed as at the 2015 Rally Germany. The goal of winning Volkswagen’s home event outweighed the efforts to score bonus points towards the Drivers’ and Co-Drivers’ championships on the final stage of the rally. Despite this, Jari-Matti Latvala won the Power Stage to claim three extra points.

Three match points Down Under – Volkswagen on the brink of securing the title in all three competitions
Volkswagen has set up three match points in the race for the WRC titles thanks to the dream result in Germany. With a maximum 112 points still up for grabs in the Drivers’ and Co-Drivers’ championships, one thing is now certain: only a Volkswagen duo can be crowned world rally champion in 2015. Should Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia emerge from the Rally Australia with 84 of their current 93-point lead over their fellow Volkswagen crews of Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila and Andreas Mikkelsen/Ola Fløene intact, the defending champions will claim their third title in a row. Volkswagen can also wrap up the Manufacturers title Down Under, regardless of other manufacturers’ results. Ogier/Ingrassia and Latvala/Anttila must defend 129 of their current 139-point lead in order to win a third championship in a row.

Sébastien Ogier, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #1: “I am absolutely delighted with this win! The fact that Julien and I are finally able to present our fantastic team with the long-awaited home win makes both of us extremely proud. Everyone in the team does so much to ensure that we drivers and co-drivers can challenge for victories. This win at the Rally Germany is our way of saying thank you – and it goes without saying that this success would not have been possible without that Volkswagen team spirit. Before the start of the rally, our team principal Jost Capito reminded us again of the promise we made to Chairman of the Board of Directors, Professor Winterkorn, at the final ceremony last year. We did not need any more motivation than that. On the final day, it was just a matter of managing the lead and brining the Polo home in one piece. Now we have finally done it, with a one-two-three. An incredibly emotional moment!”

Jari-Matti Latvala, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #2: “It is a great day for Volkswagen and the entire team! A one-two-three is obviously the right way to bounce back from the results of the past two years. Everyone coped well with the pressure and worked hard to make this success possible. They all deserve a huge compliment from my side. Personally, I am very happy with my second place. After all, it is still an asphalt rally, which means it is not exactly a Finn’s favourite surface. I would obviously have liked to have repeated my success from Finland, but my team-mate Sébastien Ogier was simply too good this weekend. You just have to acknowledge that. I was able to extend my advantage over third place in the World Championship. That has to remain my goal. Whatever happens, I will push hard in the final third of the season.”

Andreas Mikkelsen, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #9: “What an absolutely fantastic result for Volkswagen, and how nice to see so many happy faces back at the service park. Nowhere was the desire to win shown by everyone in the team as great as here. It was important to us to make amends for recent years with such a phenomenal result. It feels fantastic to have been a part of it. After the good start we made on Friday, we were in a relatively safe third place – with big gaps both in front and behind us. The last two days were all about maintaining this position without taking any uncalculated risks. We managed that, but it was not particularly exciting. However, that is exactly what we wanted: an uneventful Rally Germany.”

Jost Capito, Volkswagen Motorsport Director: “A one-two-three at your home rally is certainly very special. However, given our history at this round of the World Championship, which was the only rally we had not won before today, it is more emotional than all the other victories we have celebrated. As always, every single person in the team was totally motivated and consciously did their bit to make this magnificent success possible. However, they actually managed to raise the bar even higher. The entire team – whether mechanic, engineer, logistician, chef, physio, doctor, management, or marketing and PR – has invested so much sweat and tears in this victory. That is what makes it so special. However, I would like to reserve my biggest compliment for our drivers and co-drivers: they withstood huge pressure, lived up to the enormous expectations and did an absolutely outstanding job. I think everyone at Volkswagen is incredibly proud of what we have achieved. I know I certainly am.”

And then there was ... the icing on the cake. And it was digital: At 3:03 a.m. on Sunday, the Volkswagen Motorsport Facebook page exceeded the 5 million user mark, just in time to celebrate the perfect rally day. Since 1 January 2013, when Volkswagen entered the WRC with the Polo R WRC, the brand has not only multiplied its fan community a hundredfold, but has also reached more than 300 million contacts since then. In two and a half WRC seasons, the Volkswagen brand's most successful Facebook presence has also achieved more than 60 million direct interactions via this channel.

And then there was also… “novice driver” Andreas Mikkelsen. Last year's third-placed driver in the WRC faced an unusually difficult obstacle when trying to register a car in his chosen home of Monaco. Since it was the first time that Mikkelsen had attempted to register a car, his insurance company asked for a letter of recommendation – Mikkelsen is regarded as a novice driver in Monaco. So the Norwegian asked his employer, Jost Capito, whether he would attest to his “driving ability”. And what was the Motorsport Director's humorous response? It was already settled, he had even enclosed a photo of Mikkelsen's accident in Finland...

And, last but not least, there was… a thank you to the Volkswagen lucky charms. The footballers from VfL Wolfsburg – Klaus Allofs, Dieter Hecking, Maximilian Arnold and Christian Träsch – and the rockers from “Revolverheld” were on site to keep their fingers crossed for the Volkswagen team. See you soon!

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FIA Rally World Championship (WRC), Rally Germany – Final Results

1. Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (F/F), Volkswagen 3h 35m 49.5s

2. Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila (FIN/FIN), Volkswagen + 23.0s

3. Andreas Mikkelsen/Ola Fløene (N/N), Volkswagen + 1m 56.6s

4. Dani Sordo/Marc Martí (E/E), Hyundai + 2m 09.3s

5. Thierry Neuville/Nicolas Gilsoul (B/B), Hyundai + 2m 33.8s

6. Elfyn Evans/Daniel Barritt (GB/GB), Ford + 2m 52.1s

7. Mads Østberg/Jonas Andersson (N/S), Citroën + 3m 12.5s

8. Ott Tänak/Raigo Mõlder (EST/EST), Ford + 4m 26.6s

9. Hayden Paddon/John Kennard (NZ/NZ), Hyundai + 4m 46.8s

10. Stéphane Lefebvre/Stéphane Prévot (F/B), Citroën + 4m 54.5s

FIA Rally World Championship (WRC), Rally Germany – Power Stage Results

1. Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila (FIN/FIN), Volkswagen 9m 07.4s

2. Kris Meeke/Paul Nagle (GB/IRL), Citroën + 1.2s

3. Dani Sordo/Marc Martí (E/E), Hyundai + 1.7s

FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), Overall Standings Drivers' Championship points

1. Sébastien Ogier 207

2. Jari-Matti Latvala 114

3. Andreas Mikkelsen 98

4. Mads Østberg 90

5. Thierry Neuville 80

6. Elfyn Evans 61

7. Kris Meeke 56

8. Ott Tänak 54

9. Dani Sordo 52

10. Hayden Paddon 46

Manufacturers' Championship points

1. Volkswagen Motorsport 300

2. Hyundai Motorsport 161

3. Citroën Total Abu Dhabi WRT 148

4. M-Sport 138

5. Volkswagen Motorsport II 64

6. Hyundai Motorsport N 45

7. Jipocar Czech National Team 43

8. FWRT 9

Na alle WRC-rally’s ter wereld al een of meerdere keren gewonnen te hebben staat vreemd genoeg de Rallye Deutschland nog niet vermeld op het lijstje van Volkswagen. Daar willen de drie coureurs Sébastien Ogier, Jari-Matti Latvala en Andreas Mikkelsen bij de komende editie van 20 tot en met 23 augustus 2015 verandering in brengen. De Rally Germany, de negende ronde in het FIA World Rally Championship 2015, is tot op heden de enige rally uit het WRC die nog is gewonnen door de 318 pk sterke World Rally Car van Volkswagen. De drie teams zijn er dan ook op gebrand dit keer de beker mee te nemen naar Wolfsburg. De opdracht is echter niet eenvoudig want de Deutschland Rallye is ongemeen zwaar en kent ieder jaar veel drama’s.

Volkswagen Motorsport Director Jost Capito. “Er is geen enkele andere WRC-rally die wij zo graag willen winnen als deze. We hadden dat de afgelopen twee jaar al kunnen doen maar moesten de overwinning uit handen geven terwijl Sébastien Ogier (2013) en Jari-Matti Latvala (2014) op kop lagen. Sébastien Ogier en Jari-Matti Latvala hebben al eerder asfaltrally’s gewonnen en Andreas Mikkelsen is meer dan klaar voor zijn eerste zege. Hij wordt iedere rally sneller. Ook het team achter onze rijders zal zijn uiterste best doen om de overwinning in de wacht te slepen. De verwachtingen zijn dan ook hooggespannen.”

Voor de Rallye Deutschland zal Volkswagen Motorsport vertrouwen op de auto’s die al zijn ingezet in de Monte Carlo Rally, de Rally van Mexico, de Rally van Portugal en de Rally van Polen. Om optimaal voorbereid te zijn op de condities in Duitsland heeft het team uitgebreid getest op Corsica en in Duitsland.

Vier passages over de Baumholder PanzerplatteAlle klassementsproeven van de Rally Germany zijn bekend voor de deelnemers. De beroemde Panzerplatte van het militaire trainingsgebied Baumholder met de verraderlijke ‘hinkelsteinen’, staat maar liefst vier keer op het programma. Dit gebied wordt slechts één keer per jaar opengesteld voor publiek en ieder jaar worden meerdere deelnemers slachtoffer van de grote rotsblokken langs het parcours die bedoeld zijn om tanks tegen te houden. De langste KP op Baumholder is maar liefst 45,61 kilometer lang. De hoogtepunten van de rally zijn echter de twee speciale klassementsproeven op zondag, ‘Stein & Wein’ en ‘Drohntal’, tussen de wijnranken langs de Moezel. De laatste KP, de tweede doorgang van ‘Drohntal’ is tevens de Power Stage voor extra punten.

Eerste match punt point voor Ogier

Sébastien Ogier moet winnen om kans te maken op de wereldtitel, en dan moet teamgenoot Latvala niet hoger eindigen dan zevende. Ogier: “Ik heb gemengde gevoelens. Ik ben in Duitsland altijd snel geweest, maar heb ook wel wat kleine foutjes gemaakt op die smalle weggetjes. We hebben de remmen extra getest want die zijn hier van groot belang. Het op topsnelheid rijden over de smalle, bochtige weggetjes tussen de wijnranken is met de Polo een en al plezier. Ik zal tijdens de rally niet aan de wereldtitel denken maar het zou mooi zijn als we op de hoogste trede van het podium zouden finishen.”

​Wolfsburg (02 August 2015). “Kings of Speed”: Jari-Matti Latvala and his co-driver Miikka Anttila won the fastest WRC rally of all time with Volkswagen. On home soil for the Rally Finland, the eighth round of the season in the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), the Finnish pair finished 13.7 seconds ahead of team-mates Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (F/F), thanks to an average speed of 125.44 km/h, to climb into second place in the overall standings. Ogier/Ingrassia are also among the main beneficiaries of Volkswagen’s 13th one-two since the manufacturer joined the series with the Polo R WRC: the next round in Germany presents them with their first opportunity to secure a third World Rally Championship title in a row. In the Manufacturers’ Championship, Volkswagen – under the watchful eye of Dr. Heinz-Jakob Neußer, Volkswagen Board Member for Technical Development – extended its lead to 116 points, giving the Wolfsburg-based manufacturer a comfortable advantage going into the final five rounds in Germany, Australia, France, Spain and Great Britain.

However, Volkswagen did suffer one set-back in Finland: Andreas Mikkelsen/Volkswagen Ola Fløene (N/N) came off the road and rolled their car several times at high speed on the fifth of 20 special stages. They emerged from the Polo R WRC unhurt, but the damage to the car was too severed to be able to repair the car on-site and rejoin the race under Rally 2 regulations. The safety cage withstood the enormous force of the crash undamaged, and the chassis is already being prepared for the Rally Australia.

Victory.
Win number two of the season for Latvala/Anttila, their third together at the Rally Finland, was a victory for pure willpower. After a disappointing start to the 2015 season, the duo produced its strongest performance of the year, setting the fastest time on half of the 20 special stages to finish ahead of their team-mates by what is a relatively large lead for the Rally Finland. Following the 14th victory of their career, Latvala/Anttila can confidently call themselves high-speed specialists: in 2015 they won the fastest gravel rally ever in Finland, whilst victory was also theirs at the fastest asphalt rally of all time in France in 2014. The WRC round in Finland marked co-driver Miikka Anttila’s 162nd start. This saw him pass his idol Luis Moya, who is also part of the Volkswagen team and has 161 WRC starts to his name.

Superlative.
125.44 kilometres per hour – the highest average speed ever in the history of the World Rally Championship. This remarkable figure saw the Rally Finland smash its own previous record from 2012, when an average speed of 122.89 km/h was achieved. The Rally Finland now occupies nine places in the list of the top ten fastest rallies of all time – including the top four.Car.The Polo R WRC is not only “Das Auto” of the past two and a half seasons, but also “Das Auto” for high speeds. The World Rally Car from Wolfsburg has so far claimed 29 of a possible 34 victories and 56 of a possible 97 podium finishes. The 318-hp four-wheel drive powerhouse remains unbeaten at the high-speed events in Poland and Finland. The success of the Polo R WRC is not only down to excellent driving and the efforts of the engineers in the engine department, but also the guys in the chassis department. With all the long and high jumps at the Rally Finland, the driver must be perfectly in tune with all the specialist areas.

“Ouninpohja”.
It is one of the iconic stages in the World Rally Championship: “Ouninpohja”. In the world of circuit racing, the Nürburgring-Nordschleife is regarded as the greatest test of man and machine. The rallying equivalent is this flat-out stage through the Finnish forests around Jyväskylä. Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anntila took a big step towards victory on this stage in 2015. The 400th stage win of his career saw “JML” move into the lead. He also clocked the fastest speed of 132.18 km/h on the 2015 variant of this famous stage.

“Myhinpää”.
The fastest power stage of all time: Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia won “Myhinpää” with an average speed of 135.25 km/h to claim the 123rd, 124th and 125th bonus points for Volkswagen drivers since 2013. Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila added a further two points, taking Volkswagen’s tally to 127 points – more than any other manufacturer. This was the 23rd power stage success for Ogier/Ingrassia, and the 26th for the Volkswagen team.

Championship.
As well as Latvala/Anttila, the big winners at the Rally Finland were World Championship leaders Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia. The double world champions now hold an 89-point lead going into Volkswagen’s home event in Germany, giving them their first ‘match point’ in Trier. Only eight driver/co-driver pairs could still mathematically prevent them from winning a third title. The best-placed of these are the new second-place duo in the World Championship, Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila, third-placed Mads Østberg/Jonas Andersson (N/S, Citroën, 98 points back), fourth-placed Andreas Mikkelsen/Ola Fløene (99 points back) and fifth-placed Thierry Neuville/Nicolas Gilsoul (B/B, Hyundai, 112 points back).

Quotes after day three of the Rally FinlandSébastien Ogier, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #1
“It was an incredible duel. I think we put on a great show for the fans. Congratulations to Jari-Matti and Miikka. They were really strong all weekend. I said before the rally that Jari-Matti would be the man to beat at his home rally. As always Julien and I did our best, but, like last year, the two of them were just too good here in Finland. Despite this I am more than happy with second place, as we have extended our lead in the overall standings. Even without the fine second place, the Rally Finland was once again a fantastic experience. As a driver, you don’t feel any happier or any more adrenalin than on the super-fast stages through the Finnish forests.”

Jari-Matti Latvala, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #2
“I cannot express how happy I am! My motivation coming into this rally and my desire to win were immense. After all the ups and downs I’ve been through this season, this victory means a huge amount. I would like to thank the entire team for its great work. They have always believed in me, even in times when things have not run so smoothly. As expected, today was a real rollercoaster and a perfect finale to the 2015 Rally Finland. Thank you very much to the fans for the support in the service park and along the route. I just want to enjoy the moment now!”

Andreas Mikkelsen, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #9
“We had set our sights very high for the Rally Finland. Above all, we wanted to defend second place in the World Championship – and to extend our advantage if possible. Unfortunately, however, today was not our day and we crashed out. My pace notes were a little too optimistic on the fifth stage. I lifted in a long left-hander with a slight crest, which can be taken flat-out in perfect conditions. However, that did not prove to be enough. We ran out of road and rolled several times. Fortunately the Polo R WRC is a very solid car and nothing serious happened to us. We are obviously very disappointed that the damage was too great to be able to repair it on-site. We will now look ahead and turn our full attention to Volkswagen’s home round in Germany.”

Jost Capito, Volkswagen Motorsport Director
“What a fantastic rally from Jari-Matti Latvala, Miikka Anttila, Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia. They were in a class of their own. Jari-Matti and Miikka are without any doubt the ‘Kings of Speed’, as nobody has ever been as fast as them on either asphalt or gravel. Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia have their first opportunity to wrap up the World Championship at the coming round in Germany. Anyone who knows them will also know that they do not like finishing second, and will be doing everything in their power to finish on top again in Germany. Although Andreas Mikkelsen and Ola Fløene had to retire following their crash on Friday, we are still extremely happy. We remain undefeated in Finland – the fastest rally on the calendar.”

And then there was ...
... a meeting of Dakar winners. The Kamaz team – winners of the Truck class at the desert rally for the 15th time in 2015 – paid Volkswagen a visit at the Rally Finland, where they spent an evening with Motorsport Director Jost Capito, who was also successful in the Truck competition at the Dakar alongside his father in 1985.