Wednesday 16 January sees Volkswagen Motorsport’s development of the Polo R WRC take on a much more critical role – the 300bhp, four-wheel drive rally weapon finally has its competitive debut on the ‘mother of all rallies’, the Rallye Monte Carlo. With over 20,000km of testing under their belts the engineers and drivers can develop the car no more – we’ll finally see what it’s made of. First Volkswagen Motorsport signings Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia will be in car number 8, while Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila will be in car number 7.
‘I cannot wait to finally getting going. The entire team at Volkswagen is looking forward to the WRC debut of the Polo WRC,’ said Volkswagen Motorsport Director Jost Capito. ‘World Championship rallies in the top WRC class are new territory for the team. Furthermore, the Polo R WRC has been developed from scratch and features a lot of innovative ideas. The “Monte” will give us our first indication of how we compare with the opposition – our rivals already have two years’ experience of the regulations that came into force in 2011. Our goal for the Rallye Monte Carlo is to gain as much experience as possible and also to finish with both cars.’
The Rallye Monte Carlo was first held in 1911 and has legendary status. Run through the narrow-tracked mountain roads in the French Maritime Alps to the north of the prinicipality of Monaco, drivers are often faced with black ice and snow on the many mountain passes they are required to negotiate. This makes it essential to select the right tyre – and makes the ‘Monte’ one of the most difficult and complex rallies on the World Championship calendar. We’ll be reporting on the event next week, so be sure to come back and read how the first event and the beginning of a new chapter in the Polo’s motorsport career unfolds.
The recently-unveiled Volkswagen Polo R WRC rally car made an appearance at the 2012 Race of Champions (ROC) event in Bangkok yesterday, as one of its drivers, Sébastien Ogier, failed in his bid to keep the ROC crown which he won in 2011. Ogier and the Polo once again wowed the crowd, ahead of the car’s competition debut next month. ‘Sébastien Ogier made a good impression competing against the great motorsport drivers. The appearance of the Polo R WRC was also a success. The winding stadium circuit at the Race of Champions is ideal for World Rally Championship cars. It was great fun to watch,’ said Jost Capito, Volkswagen Motorsport Director.
The format at the Race of Champions sees the ‘best of the best’ determined by a round of knock-out races in identical cars – including the Cup Scirocco used in the Volkswagen one-make cup in China. Legendary F1 champions Sebastien Vettel and Michael Schumacher (Team Germany) took the team spoils in Thailand, with Ogier and F1 driver Roman Grosjean (Team France) coming in second. The French F1 driver had a good weekend, taking the individual driver prize, while Ogier had to bow out to Danish Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen in the quarterfinals.
Just four days after its official unveil in Casino Square, Monaco, the new Red Bull-liveried Polo R WRC has been caught on camera undergoing an asphalt testing session on a road course at an undisclosed location. Sounding for all the world like a very big swarm of very loud wasps and looking aggressively mean with its new squared-off wheel arches and scoops, Sébastien Ogier, Jari-Matti Latvala, their crews and the Volkswagen Motorsport team have 34 days to get the car ready for its competitive debut on the starting ramp of the 2013 Rally Monte Carlo which runs from 15-20 January. In related news, ex-WRC champion Marcus Grönholm has been reported as driver for the Polo R WRC test programme in Sweden.
At last! Volkswagen Motorsport officially unveiled its 2013 World Rally Championship Polo R WRC competition car and driver line-up at a showy launch in Monaco last night. In front of the world-famous Monte Carlo Casino, Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia drove the 315bhp, four-wheel drive Polo R WRC over a symbolic starting ramp, formally launching Volkswagen Motorsport’s 2013 WRC campaign after 17 months of rigourous and non-stop testing. And, as expected, the Polo R WRC is an impressive-looking beast – there’s no doubting both its and Volkswagen Motorsport’s intentions.
Looking broadly similar yet more aggressive than the concept car unveiled in May 2011, the 2013 Polo R WRC gets squarer wheel arches, meaner-styled bumpers and a proper rally car roof scoop. Power comes from a 1.6-litre TSI engine, developing 315bhp, sent to all four wheels. With a weight of 1200kg, the car will accelerate to 62mph from rest in 3.9 seconds, while gears are changed via a six-speed sequential ‘box. Wheels are 8 x 18” in tarmac spec and 7 x 15” on gravel, while braking is dealt with by 355mm and 300mm ventilated discs on tarmac and gravel surfaces respectively.
Two of the Volkswagen Motorsport Polo R WRC crews were already known. French duo Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia have been campaigning Škoda Fabia S2000s in the WRC this year, while Jari-Matti Latvala and Miika Anttila were announced a few weeks ago. Both pairings have seven WRC wins to their name. From the fourth round of the 2013 championship, a third car driven by Intercontinental Rally Challenge champion Andreas Mikkelsen will also run, co-driven by Mikko Markkula. Volkswagen Polo R WRC partners include Red Bull, Castrol and Michelin.
‘The launch of the Polo R WRC, which is now ready and raring to go, heralds a new era in motorsport for Volkswagen. The FIA World Rally Championship offers Volkswagen the opportunity to prove its sporty qualities in an environment, in which our cars have always been at home: on real streets,’ said Dr Ulrich Hackenberg, Member of the Board of Management responsible for development. ‘In doing so, we are not using extraordinary prototypes, but a Polo based on the standard production car. This proximity to the product and customer played an important role in our decision to commit to this form of global motorsport.’
‘Volkswagen has prepared intensively for the World Rally Championship, and every single member of the team can hardly wait to finally get stuck into the competition with the Polo R WRC,’ said Volkswagen Motorsport Director Jost Capito. ‘The World Rally Championship is a new challenge for us, and one that we are confronting with a host of good ideas and a strong team. Whether Sébastien Ogier, Jari-Matti Latvala, Andreas Mikkelsen or the team in the background, we have first-class personnel on board. Seventeen months of intensive development, testing and a lot of innovation have gone into the Polo R WRC. For what it’s worth, the Polo R WRC is also, in my eyes, a beautiful and spectacular rally car.’
2013 VOLKSWAGEN POLO R WRC – TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION
ENGINE Type: Straight-four engine with turbocharger and intercooling, transversally mounted in front of the front axle Displacement: 1600 cc Power output: 232kW/315bhp at 6250rpm Torque: 425Nm (313lb ft) at 5000rpm Air restrictor: 33mm (FIA regulation) Engine control unit: Bosch
POWER/TRANSMISSION Gearbox: Sequential, six-speed racing gear box, transversally mounted Final drive: Permanent four-wheel drive with fixed drive between the front and rear axles, multi-plate limited-slip differentials, front and rear Clutch: Hydraulically actuated double-disk sintered metal clutch
CHASSIS/SUSPENSION Front/rear: McPherson struts, dampers from ZF Suspension travel: approximately 180mm on tarmac, approximately 275mm on gravel Steering: Servo-assisted rack and pinion steering Braking system: Ventilated disc brakes (front Ø 355mm on tarmac; front and rear Ø 300mm on gravel) aluminium brake callipers (four calipers, front and rear) Wheels: Size 8 x 18-inch for tarmac, 7 x 15-inch for gravel Tyres: Michelin competition tyres
CHASSIS/BODYWORK Build: FIA-conformant reinforced steel body
PERFORMANCE Acceleration: 0–100km/h (62mph) in 3.9 seconds Top speed: Up to 200km/h (124mph) (depending on gear ratio)
The 2013 Polo R WRC competition car will have its competitive debut on the Rallye Monte Carlo which starts on 15 January. We can’t wait for this exciting new chapter in the Polo’s competition career.
Volkswagen Motorsport officially unveiled its 2013 World Rally Championship contender and team tonight in a glitzy launch in Monaco, ahead of the first round of the series, the Rallye Monte Carlo which starts on 15 January. The finished car appears to be almost the same as the development versions, the livery unchanged with the exception of Red Bull as the main sponsor. The driver line-up is Sébastien Ogier, Jari-Matti Latvala, and, as expected, Andreas Mikkelsen, who graduates from the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, where he drove for sister Volkswagen Group company Škoda in a Fabia S2000. We’ll bring you further details of the exciting 2013 Polo R WRC as we have them.
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