PoloDriver

Johan Kristoffersson scored an early Polo victory at the opening round of the 2015 FIA World Rallycross Championship last weekend, taking his 600bhp Polo WRX Supercar across the line first at the Bompiso Rallycross of Portugal in Montalegre. The Volkswagen Team Sweden driver finished ahead of reigning World RX champion Petter Solberg and Team Peugeot-Hansen’s Timmy Hansen.

Kristoffersson, ex-Scandinavian Touring Car Championship winner, was quickest off the six-car start line and was also awarded the first Monster Energy Super Charge Award of 2015. The Swede also won a Rebellion Timepieces Wraith Drive Rallycross limited edition watch for his win in Portugal. ‘I am so, so happy,’ he beamed.

‘Unbelievably slippery’
‘I nearly stalled the engine on the start line and the whole circuit was unbelievably slippery but I drove a clean race. I couldn’t see out of the side windows so it was more about survival than actual racing.

‘I want to say a big, big thank you to Volkswagen Sweden and to my entire team who have done a fantastic job over the past few months. They have worked very hard to build this car which has been working well all weekend. It’s the best possible start to the season,’ he continued.

Second placed Solberg, last year’s Portugal round winner, added: ‘It is very important to have a good first race – consistency is as important as winning races in rallycross. I’ve not been feeling well this weekend and then I lost my gear lever in the final so it certainly wasn’t easy. Johan [Kristoffersson] has done a very good job this weekend.’

Olsbergs MSE’s Andreas Bakkerud was leading the round at the end of day one, but was knocked out of podium contention after contact with PG Andersson’s Polo RX during the final.

Toomas ‘Topi’ Heikkinen, 2014’s World RX runner-up was eighth in Portugal after a consistent weekend of driving in the Marklund Motorsport prepared Polo RX. Fellow Marklund Polo RX pilot PG Andersson was sixth.

Norwegian driver and team-mate of Kristoffersson, Tord Linnerud, finished 16th in his Volkswagen Team Sweden Polo WRX. Weather conditions were dry on Saturday, day one, but on Sunday, day two, torrential rain made conditions difficult.

‘Sensational driving’
Martin Anayi, World RX Managing Director for IMG, commented: ‘We’ve witnessed some sensational driving in Portugal this weekend and the performance displayed by our younger drivers in such tricky driving conditions is particularly impressive.

‘Kristoffersson joins us as a permanent World Championship driver for the first time this year and the fact that he can win on his debut with Volkswagen Team Sweden is testament to the high standard of drivers that we have competing in World RX.

‘It’s excellent to see three manufacturers – Volkswagen, Citroen and Peugeot – finish on the podium and the development on the cars over the winter hiatus has been very impressive. With four races in five weeks, the teams have got little restbite now as we head straight to Hockenheim for our first ever event alongside the highly-acclaimed DTM series.’

The next round, the World RX of Hockenheim, takes place this weekend, 1-3 May at the Hockenheimring in Baden-Württemberg, Germany.

2015 FIA WORLD RALLYCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP,
DRIVERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS
1 Petter Solberg, Citroën DS3: 27
2 Johan Kristoffersson, Volkswagen Polo WRX: 27
3 Timmy Hansen, Peugeot 208: 24
4 Andreas Bakkerud, Ford Fiesta ST: 21
5 Davy Jeanney, Peugeot 208: 16

2015 FIA WORLD RALLYCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP,
TEAMS’ CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS
1 Team Peugeot-Hansen: 40
2 Ford Olsbergs MSE: 29
3 Marklund Motorsport: 29
4 SDRX: 29
5 Volkswagen Team Sweden: 28

At a press conference yesterday, Volkswagen Sweden announced it will back not one but a pair of teams to take on the 2015 FIA World Rallycross Championship in monstrous, 600bh, four-wheel drive Polo RX Supercars. Last year’s second-placed crew from Marklund Motorsport were named as one team, while the second was unveiled as Kristofferson Motorsport (KMS).

Each officially-supported team will enjoy a rosta of three drivers. Finn Toomas ‘Topi’ Heikinnen will return for Marklund, and be joined by Sweden’s PG Andersson to contest the world series (WorldRX). Tommy Rustad joins the Swedish outfit to compete in the EuroRX (European) arm of the championship.

For KMS, Swede Johan Kristofferson and Norwegian Tord Linnerud will drive the WorldRX-baiting Polos, while Ole Christian Veiby will battle the EuroRX series. Veiby and Rustad join the FIA European Rallycross Championship just as it grows still further after last year’s series.

‘Rallycross is the hottest motorsport just now, and both we and our dealers think it feels incredibly exciting to be able to support a bid where two of Sweden’s best teams are aiming at becoming world champion,’ explained Sten Forsberg, Manager of Volkswagen Sweden.

Jost Capito, Head of Volkswagen Motorsport – who can usually be seen in the Polo R WRC service garages – added: ‘The World Rallycross Championship enjoys increasing popularity: the races are compact, spectacular and varied.

‘With Marklund Motorsport and Kristoffersson Motorsport, Volkswagen is represented by two extremely professional privateer teams who develop and race their Polo RX Supercars independently. The line-up and the calendar promise an exciting World RX season and we are confident that Volkswagen drivers will be battling for races and the championship.’

The first round of the 2015 FIA World Rallycross Championship takes place at Montalegre in Portugal over the weekend of 24-26 April. The UK round of the series is on 22-24 May at the legendary Lydden Hill circuit where Top Gear’s James May took on other WorldRX drivers for a recent episode of the BBC programme.

The 2015 FIA European Rallycross Championship (Euro RX) will see rallycross veteran Tommy Rustad drive a Marklund Motorsport-prepared Volkswagen Polo RX in all five rounds of the upcoming series. The Norwegian will also contest a World RX round in Höljes, Sweden.

Rustad finished sixth in the 2014 Euro RX series in a Volvo C30 prepared by HTB Racing and is also an international touring car series driver. Swedish outfit Marklund Motorsport finished second in the teams’ standings in the 2014 World RX series running a two-car 600bhp Polo RX crew. Drivers Toomas ‘Topi’ Heikinnen and Anton Marklund finished second and sixth in the Drivers’ Championship respectively.

‘I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity Marklund Motorsport and HTB Racing gives me to be able to have better conditions for success in Euro RX,’ said Rustad. ‘Marklund Motorsport is one of the most professional teams in rallycross and they have helped to develop the VW Polo RX Supercar into a winning machine. I’m looking forward to testing the car working together with Anton Marklund and Toomas Heikkinen.’

Jan Marklund, Marklund Motorsport Team Principal, added: ‘We are absolutely delighted about this opportunity to offer a Volkswagen Polo RX Supercar to Tommy Rustad for the Euro RX series. Tommy isa very fast and experienced race driver. With our Volkswagen Polo RX he will be a top contender for the coveted Euro RX title in 2015. His presence will also boost our team and drivers – Anton and Topi – to go even faster in their World RX campaign.’

Marklund Motorsport teamed up with Volkswagen Motorsport to mount a factory-approved assault on the 2014 FIA Global Rallycross Championship in February last year, the start of a three-year partnership.

It’s been another busy and exciting year for the Volkswagen Polo. Of course, the big news of 2014 has been the worldwide launch of a comprehensively revised version of the fifth-generation Polo. New engines, safety technology, interior refinements and a gently restyled exterior update it against refreshed competition.

On the asphalt and gravel stages of the World Rally Championship, the Polo has, like 2013, once again come out on top. Taking 12 event wins out of 13, the 300bhp four-wheel drive Polo R WRC has claimed the Manufacturers’ Championship title for Volkswagen Motorsport, and also carried Frenchmen Sébastien Ogier the Julien Ingrassia to their second consecutive Drivers’ Championship prize.

Other Polo-based motorsport series have also continued around the globe, with Wolfsburg’s small car competing as a rally, rallycross and also a track machine. Here, we round up the Polo’s biggest achievements in 2014. (Bold entries are illustrated by the picture above that particular month.)

January

– Refreshed fifth-generation Polo (known as ‘6C’) presented in Wolfsburg
– Polo ends 2013 as the eighth best-selling car in the UK
– 2014-specification Polo R WRC rally car unveiled

– Sébastien Ogier wins 2014 Rallye Monte Carlo with Polo R WRC

– Polo Vivo and is the best-selling car in South Africa for 2013; Polo 6R is runner-up

– Polo is the fifth best-selling car in the UK.

February

– Jari-Matti Latavala takes Polo R WRC to victory in Rally Sweden
– New Polo MY2015 production starts at Volkswagen Navarra factory
– New Polo BlueMotion, BlueGT and CrossPolo revealed ahead of Geneva motor show
– Volkswagen Motorsport signs rallycross partnership with Marklund Motorsport
– Polo is the sixth best-selling car in the UK.

March
– Mathew Hodges and Daniel Rowe take wins at 2014 Engen Volkswagen Cup opener
– Sébastien Ogier wins Rally Mexico, with Jari-Matti Latvala in second place
– Polo hatchback and saloon prices reduced in Brazil
– Volkswagen Sasolracing Polo S2000 triumph at 2014 Tour Natal Rally
– New Polo released for UK ordering – prices and full specifications announced
– Dewald Brummer and Tasmin Pepper take Engen Volkswagen Cup spoils at Killarney
– Polo is the seventh best-selling car in the UK.

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The 2014 FIA World Rallycross Championship may be over, but the Volkswagen Polo RXs of Marklund Motorsport were in action over the weekend of 13-14 December at the annual Race of Champions.

The Carribean island of Barbados was the venue for the 2014 event which sees motorsport legends compete each other and teamed up with fellow drivers from the same country to fight the Nations Cup.

The 600bhp Polo RXs were piloted by motorsport stars such as nine-time Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen, 2014 FIA World Rallycross Championship winner Petter Solberg, and overall victor F1’s David Coulthard. Duels were fought around a parallel course at Bushy Park.