PoloDriver

He’s done it again. Sébastien Ogier and co-driver Julien Ingrassia took victory at the Rally Australia over the weekend. The Frenchmen scored maximum points, won 19 Special Stages, and came within in reach of the World Championship title. The sixth rally win of the season wasn’t without incident though; two of the pair’s competitors had punctures in the last 15km of the Power Stage, preventing the duo from claiming the championship title. One point away from taking the 2013 crown, Ogier and Ingrassia head into the next round, Rally France, 83 points ahead of their nearest rival, Belgian Thierry Neuville.

Impressively, given their supersonic pace at other rounds this year, Ogier and Ingrassia put in their best performance of the season so far in Australia, with only three best Special Stage times denied them. ‘Of course I’m pleased to have won here in Australia, but it’s disappointing to be on course to win the World Championship title and then lose it in the last kilometre. Apart from that, it was a fantastic rally for us. We won 19 of the 22 Special Stages and collected three points in the Power Stage, too. The Polo R WRC worked perfectly throughout the weekend, and the VW Motorsport team did a great job,’ said an elated Ogier.

Cars and drivers faced wide-ranging conditions in the southern hemisphere, with technical and narrow winding sections marking day one, while day two’s stages passed through open countryside. Day three was made up of fast sections through the rainforest. In Polo R WRC #8, Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila notched up important points for Volkswagen in the Manufacturers’ Championship by coming fourth, while Andreas Mikkelsen and replacement co-driver Paul Nagle finished sixth overall, after leading the event at the end of day one. Several small mistakes meant that the duo fell behind on day two, though, before they fought their way back in the overall standings on day three. On the final day Mikkelsen and Nagle cleverly defended their position.

‘We were aiming to collect as many points as possible for the Manufacturers’ Championship, and we succeeded. However, things didn’t go quite as smoothly as we would have liked – the car span and we had a puncture during the final stage. But all that matters ultimately is the result, and it was a good one for Volkswagen Motorsport. On another positive note, I found my Polo R WRC’s perfect set-up for fast gravel rallies in Australia, which will come in very handy for other rallies,’ enthused Latvala.

‘The Rally Australia became really dramatic in the last few kilometres. From the point of view of the Manufacturers’ Championship, everything that happened in the Power Stage was good for Volkswagen. Unfortunately, it also meant that Sébastien Ogier was unable to clinch the title early. He did a fantastic job, won more convincingly than at any other event this season, and did everything right. He would’ve deserved to go away as World Rally Champion today, but the decider will have to wait. The battle for the WRC Manufacturers’ Championship will enter its next phase in France. Thanks to Jari-Matti Latvala and Andreas Mikkelsen, we’re in a better position than we were before the Rally Australia. We’re really happy – even though the icing on the cake is missing,’ explained Jost Capito, Volkswagen Motorsport Director.

2013 FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP, AUSTRALIA: FINAL RESULTS

1 Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (F/F), Volkswagen: 3h 19m 55.0s

2 Thierry Neuville/Nicolas Gilsoul (B/B), Ford: +1m 32.1s

3 Mikko Hirvonen/Jarmo Lehtinen (FIN/FIN), Citroën: +2m 02.1s

4 Jari-Matti Latvala/Miika Anttila (FIN/FIN), Volkswagen: +2m 57.4s

5 Mäds Østberg/Jonas Andersson (N/S), Ford: +3m 17.2s

2013 FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP,


DRIVERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS


1 Sébastien Ogier, 212

2 Thierry Neuville, 129

3 Jari-Matti Latvala, 110

4 Mikko Hirvonen, 103
5 Dani Sordo, 96


2013 FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP,

MANUFACTURERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS

1 Volkswagen Motorsport, 299

2 Citroën Total Abu Dhabi WRT, 251
3 Qatar WRT, 145

4 Qatar M-Sport WRT, 142

5 Jipocar Czech National Team, 51

Engen Volkswagen Cup championship leader Kosie Weyers drove to a double victory at the Zwartkops round of the one-make series on 31 August. Weyers claimed two race wins on the day, the third time this year he has produced a double victory. Mark Silverwood drew pole position in both races, while Weyers started in second position in race two. Sliverwood led off the line, but Weyers made his intentions clear, getting to the front of the field in both races in a short amount of time. Race one saw him battle with Silverwood and Mathew Hodges, whose contact-laden tussle sent the pair off the track. Hodges recovered quickly to take third place, behind Jeffrey Kruger.

In the second race, Hodges too second spot on the podium, closely followed by Dewald Brummer in third. Tyrell Govindsamy was named Driver of the Day for the Zwartkops event, thanks to his performance on the weekend. In race one he progressed from 20th on the grid to finish in 16th and in race two finished 15th from 21st on the grid. The racing at Zwartkops was especially hard-fought, right from the qualifying session which saw the first 23 Polo Vivos separated by just one second. Of these, the top 16 cars were separated by just a half-second. In typical Engen Volkswagen Cup style, after each of the races there were bumpers, mirrors and other parts to be found at a variety of locations around the circuit, an indication of just how serious this championship is.

The penultimate round of the series takes place in Cape Town on Saturday, 5 October, where Weyers will undoubtedly be aiming to claim the championship title in front of his home crowd. The 2013 Engen Volkswagen Cup series is similar to the other racing Volkswagen Polo Cup single-make racing series championships run in China, Europe and India. Just as in those official Volkswagen series, the South African one-make format highlights new driving talent. In the Engen series, as many as 35 drivers regularly race in technically identical, 2.0-litre 234bhp Volkswagen Polo Vivo racing cars. For 2013, the Engen Volkswagen Cup cars are powered by the new Engen Primax fuel.

RACE RESULTS

Race 1

1 Kosie Weyers (5: Engen Primax)
2 Jeffrey Kruger (7: IndyOil)
3 Mathew Hodges (12: ITR Africa/959 Panelbeaters)

Race 2
1 Kosie Weyers (5: Engen Primax)
2 Mathew Hodges (12: ITR Africa/959 Panelbeaters)
3 Dewald Brummer (22: MAD Racing/UMP/Horne Hydraulics)

It was heartache for Volkswagen Motorsport at the recent Rally Germany, which took place in and around the vineyards of the Trier region of Germany, near Cologne from 22-25 August. The team missed out on a podium place, and suffered repeated runs of bad luck on its ‘home’ event. The first time the Polo R WRCs haven’t scored a place in the top three finishers, both Sébastien Ogier and Jari-Matti Latvala were unlucky in the vine-lined tracks and surrounding countryside. Third driver Andreas Mikkelsen didn’t even start the event, as his co-driver Mikko Markkula was unable to compete in the rally due to two injured vertebrae. However, eight of the fifteen stages held were won by the Polo R WRC at this purely asphalt-based rally. Moreover, at least one Volkswagen driver finished every stage in the top three.

It started well for Ogier and his co-driver Julien Ingrassia, leading the event after two stage wins on day one. Entering day two as overall leaders, the French duo then skidded on a slippery corner, with Ogier missing his braking point, damaging their Polo R WRC’s front suspension. After trying to continue at a much slower speed, they were forced to sit out the rest of the day’s action, the stricken Polo sitting bonnet first in a row of vines. However, all was not lost – under Rally 2 regulations, the pair were allowed to resume on day three, and recorded three fastest stage times from a possible five. Day four’s fastest time on the rally’s final stage of softened the blow, with the Frenchmen adding the Power Stage’s three points to their tally in the drivers’ championship, which keeps them at the top of the pile.

‘Of course, that is not how we hoped the weekend would pan out, but we were still able to make the best of it. The win in the Power Stage at the end was a nice success and may still prove to be important in the shake-up for the World Championship. I’m sorry for the team that we were not able to win our home rally. I’m really happy for Dani Sordo, because he has had a tough season so far and a first World Championship win is always something special. I’m now looking forward to Australia, and both Julien and I will be trying to edge ever closer to that 2013 World Championship title,’ said a disappointed but wistful Ogier.

Following Ogier and Ingrassia’s retirement, Latvala and co-driver Miikka Anttila took the lead and the Finnish pair continued to build on their advantage until the eleventh stage. Their best asphalt performance to date, Polo R WRC no 7 clipped a ‘Hinkelsteine’ concrete block on the ‘Arena Panzerplatte’ stage, damaging the passenger door. Anttila then had to hold and relay pace notes in his left hand and stop the door from flying open on every corner with his right hand. The resulting slight delay in communication between co-driver and driver saw them slide from the track after damaging the rear suspension, forcing their retirement. But, like Ogier and Ingrassia, the Finns resumed under Rally 2 regulations, and collected valuable drivers’ and manufacturers’ championship points with a third place Power Stage finish.

‘Let’s start with the positive: I have improved on my performances on asphalt from the past. I had never led an asphalt-based rally before and the times show that I am getting better on this surface. There is still room for improvement, but I’m happy that I was able to pick up some more points for the team in the constructors’ championship after yesterday’s disappointment, even though the result was anything but perfect for me personally. Nevertheless, I’ll be going into the upcoming rallies with confidence and will do everything I can to give my team the best chance in the fight for the Constructors’ Championship. I’m happy for Dani Sordo, who is celebrating his first ever World Championship rally win here in Germany,’ commented Latvala.

Jost Capito, Director of Volkswagen Motorsport was reflective: ‘To win eight of the fifteen stages is a good sign and matches the amount we have been achieving prior to the Rally Germany. The Polo R WRC is also competitive on asphalt. However, our home race did not go as we had imagined or hoped it would. And that’s disappointing for us. Both Sébastien Ogier and Jari-Matti Latvala led the rally at some stage, but were forced to retire. We were close to victory, but missed out. In sport, you can’t plan success, and nor take anything for granted.

‘This is especially the case in the WRC, where it’s about every detail and no mistakes can be made. And it is exactly this which makes our sport so fascinating. We will now work hard to be successful at Rally Australia. We send our congratulations to Dani Sordo for his deserved maiden victory in the WRC, which was overdue.’ Spaniard Sordo’s Rally Germany win means Citroën remain undefeated on asphalt for almost ten years. Latvala/Anttila finished the ninth race of the season in seventh, while Ogier/Ingrassia were 16th.

2013 FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP, GERMANY: FINAL RESULTS

1 Daniel Sordo/Carlos del Barrio (E/E), Citroën: 3h 15m 19.4s

2 Thierry Neuville/Nicolas Gilsoul (B/B), Ford: +53.0s

3 Mikko Hirvonen/Jarmo Lehtinen (FIN/FIN), Citroën: +2m 36.1s
4 Martin Prokop/Michal Ernst (CZ/CZ), Ford: +8m 00.8s

5 Robert Kubica/Maciek Baran (PL/PL), Citroën: +9m 1.3s

2013 FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP,

DRIVERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS

1 Sébastien Ogier, 184
2 Thierry Neuville, 109
3 Jari-Matti Latvala, 98
4 Dani Sordo, 96
5 Mikko Hirvonen, 88

2013 FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP,

MANUFACTURERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS
1 Volkswagen Motorsport, 262
2 Citroën Total Abu Dhabi WRT, 236
3 Qatar M-Sport WRT, 129
4 Qatar WRT, 124
5 Jipocar Czech National Team, 51

The Ford Dealer Rally which took place over 16-17 August saw the Manitou group Polo R2 take it’s first podium placing. Paul Franken and Henry Kohne kicked off the second half of the South African National Rally Championship in a higher gear. Heading into the event, knowing that they have the equipment and pace to be competitive, they looked forward to putting their bad luck behind them and score a good result. Preparing for the event, the Manitou team knew that day one was going to be tough and that they first had to survive it before they could think of a final result.

Franken and Kohne had a clean run through day one and found themselves second in class with a near 10 seconds separating the class top five on Friday afternoon. They knew that it would be difficult to keep their position through out the rest of the event, but were nonetheless up for the challenge.

The second day of the event presented many changes, and the Manitou duo were in a fierce battle with rivals for third position, which eventually became the battle for second place. With the duel heading right up to the final stage, pushing really hard for the top position, their luck paid off, and the team were presented with their first national stage win on the final stage of the event. Franken and Kohne finished the event in third place, 0.8 seconds adrift of second. Franken and Kohne are supported by Manitou Group, Volkswagen Motorsport South Africa, SASOL, and F3Racing.

It was celebrations in the Volkswagen Sasolracing team camp on 17 August, as Henk Lategan and Barry White claimed their first podium finish at the Ford Rally in Gauteng, South Africa. The pair were second fastest on the event, posting strong times during the rally to finish one minute and 16.9 seconds behind the rally winner. ‘The Volkswagen Sasolracing Polo S2000 was very good but a puncture three kilometres into stage five on Friday as well as a penalty cost us 55 seconds,’ said Lategan. ‘Deciding not to change the tyre actually meant we lost less time and we pushed where possible during the event.’

Lategan and White slipped down to fifth place over night due to the 20 seconds incurred to the puncture, despite having claimed two stage wins. Running in fourth place on day two, their pace kept the competition on their toes. At no point on day two were Lategan and White posting times lower than third fastest and they claimed three further stage wins. The second place finish is the best result the duo have achieved this season, and the pair have been the centre of attention both locally and abroad as they compete in the South African National Rally Championship and also miscellaneous rally events in Europe.

Lategan and White’s team-mates Enzo Kuun and Douglas Judd also put in a strong performance, finishing sixth. Hergen Fekken and Pierre Arries in another Polo S2000 unfortunately retired early, when their car struck a wooden post in stage two, damaging the steering. It was similarly bad news for defending S2000 Challenge champions Gugu Zulu and Carl Peskin. Day one saw them finish in 12th position overall, and fifth in their class overnight. But, they had to retire in stage seven, unable to finish the event.

In other classes, the Beurden Construction VW Polo R2 of Chad van Beurden and Nico Swartz came in second in the two-wheel drive S1600 class – Beurden’s best result in his first year of rallying. Third were Paul Franken and Henry Kohne (Manitou Group VW Polo R2) in their best result of the season, who were just eight tenths of a second behind after more than two hours and 160 kilometres of gravel road racing. The next round of the championship is the Toyota Cape Dealer Rally in the Western Cape on September 13 and 14.