PoloDriver

With two previous Rally Sweden victories under his belt, Jari-Matti Latavala was aiming for a hat-trick at the Scandinavian round of the 2014 World Rally Championship, run from 5-8 February. And with his second victory for Volkswagen Motorsport, he got it.

Fighting an exciting duel with team-mate Andreas Mikkelsen saw the Finn emerge victorious, while his Norweigan foe took second. The Swedish forests weren’t kind to world champion Sébastien Ogier, though, who after suffering an off into a snow bank, finished sixth.

Volkswagen’s second one-two of the season came in difficult conditions, with milder than expected weather thawing out the snow-covered tracks, making grip difficult. The Polo R WRC proved it mettle once again, though, taking the top 43 of 69 possible top three times, 18 of which were stage wins.

There were even moments when all three Volkswagen driver pairings were in the top three of the Rally Sweden leaderboard, wiping the floor with their competitors. Latvala’s victory also propelled him to the top of the Drivers’ Championship table (for the first time), five points ahead of Ogier.

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The 2014 World Rally Championship (WRC) season got off to a magical start for Volkswagen Motorsport last weekend, as reigning champions Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia took victory at Rallye Monte Carlo. The opening round win was the second Monte triumph for the French pair in Polo R WRC chassis no 17, their 17th in the WRC, and their 10th with Volkswagen Motorsport.

It was good news for the other two Volkswagen Motorsport crews, too, with Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila finishing fifth in Polo R WRC chassis no 18, while Andreas Mikkelsen and Mikko Markkula took chassis no 15 to seventh place in the final classification.

Behind Ogier and Ingrassia (also fastest in the pre-event shakedown test ahead of the first day), Ford Fiesta driver Bryan Bouffier finished second, while Irishman Kris Meeke of Citroën filled the last place on the podium.

Rallye Monte Carlo didn’t start well, with Ogier and Ingrassia down in ninth place on the first day, due to ever-changing weather conditions. The onset of winter in the French Maritime Alps saw snow and heavy rain in the valleys.

Based on weather data available at the time, the Polo R WRC drivers opted for tread-free slicks for the first three stages, leaving them struggling for grip on the slippery surfaces.

It was then the fightback began. Posting top-three fastest times from stage five onwards, Ogier and Ingrassia then won seven special stages. By the mid-point of the event, they were back in the lead, passing Bouffier.

With the action moving to the legendary Col de Turini on day three, heavy snow and blizzard conditions meant that stage 14 had to be cancelled by the time the second loop was due to commence.

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Spot the differences. They are there, honest. Volkswagen Motorsport has unveiled the 2014 Polo R WRC rally car and, somewhat suprisingly, there are changes to the livery, as well as under the bonnet.

The current reigning world champion has made detailed improvements to the 315bhp motorsport Polo, to defend its title for the coming season. New grey and blue stripes mark out the 2014 car, which although subtle, make a big difference. It looks somehow meaner as a result.

Volkswagen Motorsport claims the four-wheel drive Polo R WRC is ‘more dynamic than ever’, thanks to last-minute mechanical developments. The rally-winning Polo claimed 10 of 2013’s 13 rallies, ensuring all three World Champions’ titles headed to VW.

A whole host of detailed improvements ahead of the season’s opener – the Rally Monte Carlo from 14-19 January – ensure the car, which carries so many hopes, is fighting fit for the tough tests ahead.

After last season, the team played 10 ‘jokers’, which allowed it to alter individual components when compared to the homologation documents submitted previously. Besides optimising various chassis components and new set-up variants for the car’s drivetrain, the priority for the engineers was to improve the stability of the super-Polo.

Volkswagen Motorsport used one ‘joker’ to install a new software version for the on-board electronics. Reliability was a key Polo R WRC strength during 2013. Three cars were campaigned, and while none suffered engine damage, only an electrical connection was deemed a technical fault.

‘If you don’t go forwards in motorsport, you go backwards,’ said Volkswagen Motorsport Director Jost Capito. ‘When it comes to technical development, you simply cannot afford to let up for a single second.

‘Although we won some laurels in 2013, we have certainly not rested on them. The manufacturers in the World Rally Championship agreed not to homologate any new World Rally Cars for the 2014 season. Despite this, we tried to take full advantage of the options still available to us.

‘Many detailed aspects of the 2014 Polo R WRC have been further developed since we made our debut twelve months ago. Every single member of the team cannot wait to find out where we stand compared to the strong competition we will face from Citroën and Ford, as well as our new opposition at Hyundai.’

Ahead of Rally Monte Carlo, the FIA has announced changes for the 2014 World Rally Championship. The previous qualifying procedure at gravel rallies is omitted. Instead, the starting order will be based on the current World Championship standings.

Detailed amendments have also been made to the rules allowing competitors to return under Rally 2 regulations. The itineraries for the rounds of the World Rally Championship will be standardised, too, with all rallies beginning with the start ceremony on Thursday and end with Sunday’s final stage.

The final special stage will always form the ‘Power Stage’, in which bonus points are up for grabs in the Drivers’ and Co-Drivers’ Championship for the first three cars through.

Volkswagen Motorsport launched its 2014 World Rally Championship campaign yesterday, ahead of the first round of the series, Rally Monte Carlo, which takes place from 14-19 January.

At a presentation in Wolfsburg, it was revealed that the 315bhp Polo R WRC which defending champions Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia will pilot will wear the number 1, rather than the number eight of last season.

Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG, Prof Dr Martin Winterkorn, and Volkswagen Board Member for Technical Development, Dr Heinz-Jakob Neußer, sent the Volkswagen Motorsport team on its way to the south of France event, the first of 13 tests which make up the 2014 calendar.

Launching ‘Project Title Defence’, Dr Winterkorn said: ‘The entire Volkswagen team performed magnificently in 2013 and won all three titles in the WRC. The key now is to follow on from this success. That means no arrogance or complacency, but maximum concentration and the desire to win once again.

‘If the team is able to heed this advice, we could do even better this year. That will obviously not be easy. Winning the titles was a milestone for the Volkswagen brand. Motorsport is not an end in itself for us – we compete to demonstrate the outstanding quality and innovation of our brand and our cars.

‘The Polo R WRC is, after all, based on a production chassis that is manufactured in Pamplona.’

Jost Capito, Volkswagen Motorsport Director agreed: ‘It goes without saying that preparations for the WRC season started well before today. We are as well prepared as possible for the Rally Monte Carlo and have further developed many details on the Polo R WRC.

‘This season’s World Rally Championship offers many new aspects, which will make the project to defend our titles demanding. We have a new opponent in Hyundai, while Ford and Citroën have new driving line-ups this season.

‘In Poland, a country full of rally enthusiasts returns to the WRC calendar. Everyone is looking forward to doing their best. It was thanks to our extraordinary team spirit that we achieved such great things during 2013.’

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It’s been another exciting year for the Polo. Of course, the big news of 2013 has been that the small Volkswagen won its first World Rally Championship title in its debut season, but there have been other, smaller victories, both in sales and awards this year. Other Polo motorsport series have also continued around the world, with the car competing as both a rally and track machine. Here, we round up the Polo’s biggest achievements in 2013. (Bold entries are illustrated by the picture above that particular month.)

January
– Polo ends 2012 as the eighth best-selling car in the UK
– Polo R WRC takes second place on 2013 Rallye Monte Carlo, its debut event
– Polo Vivo is best-selling car in South Africa; Polo 6R is runner-up
– Polo is the eighth best-selling car in the UK.

February
– Volkswagen Polo S2000 and Sasol 2013 South African National Rally Championship partnership announced
– Auto Bild and Auto Express magazines test the Polo R WRC road car
– Polo TDI launched in Nepal
– Vento (Polo 6R saloon) launched in Algeria
– Polo SR announced for India
– Sébastien Ogier scores maiden Polo R WRC win at Rally Sweden
– Polo Vivo Maxx launched in South Africa
– PoloDriver tests the Polo R-Line
– Jeffrey Kruger and Kosie Weyers win South African 2013 Engen Volkswagen Cup opening rounds at Kyalami
– Polo Vivo maintains its best-seller position in South African new car market
– Polo is the seventh best-selling car in the UK.

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