volkswagen motorsport preview of wales rally gb 2014

8/10/2019 Volkswagen Motorsport preview of Wales Rally GB 2014

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Motorsport Information

Volkswagen Motorsport GmbH Communications Ikarusallee 7a D-30179 HannoverPhone +49 511 67494-0 Fax +49 511 67494-753 [email protected]

FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), Rally Great Britain

We will fight tooth and nailVolkswagen preparedfor battle at the rally classic in Wales

Free rein for the three Volkswagen duos at the Rally Great Britain

13th and final round: grand finale to the WRC

Final stop in a superlative season for Volkswagen

Wolfsburg (07 November 2014). An open battle at the final rally of the year: Volkswagen

duos Sbastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (F/F), Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila (FIN/FIN) andAndreas Mikkelsen/Ola Flene (N/N) go into the Rally Great Britain with one common goal

victory. The destinations of the World Championship titles and the top three places in the

Drivers and Co-Drivers competition may already have been decided ahead of the 13th

and final round of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) in north Wales, but the drivers

in the blue, grey and white are as hungry for success as ever. After all, the Rally Great

Britain is a genuine classic on the WRC calendar.

Ogier and Ingrassia, who successfully defended their World Championship titles* in Spain

three weeks ago, are determined to end their WRC-winning season on a highjust as

they did last year. Runners-up in the World Championship, Latvala and Anttila, also have

their sights set on a perfect end to the seasonas do the third-placed pair of Mikkelsenand Flene: Latvala/Anttila are gunning for their third victory in Wales, while

Mikkelsen/Flene, who also started out on their rallying career here, will be going flat out

for their maiden WRC victory. However, the Volkswagen drivers are not alone in that

regard: Ogier, Latvala and Mikkelsen will face another eleven strong opponents from

Hyundai, Ford and Citron in their World Rally Cars in Great Britain.

The Rally Great Britain promises to be a spectacular finale for fans, drivers and teams

alike, said Volkswagen Motorsport Director Jost Capito. This classic is one of those

rallies that everyone wants to win at least once over the course of their career. The rally in

Wales is right up there with the Monte, the Rally Sweden and the Rally Finland. Uniquespecial stages in unique weather conditions, which are sometimes difficult to judgethese

are real challenges. There can be absolutely no doubting the motivation of our Volkswagen

drivers. As always, Sbastien Ogier, Jari-Matti Latvala and Andreas Mikkelsen will be

given free rein as they look to satisfy their desire to win. Once again: may the best man

win.

Rain, fog, mudWales in November

The Rally Great Britain is probably the only rally on the WRC calendar, at which fans

would be disappointed if they did not have horizontal rain driving into their faces. The

weather and the ensuing drama and heroic tales have made the Rally Great Britain worldfamous. Classic stages like Gartheiniog, Dyfi, and the section through Clocaenog


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Forest will once again form the core of the 305.64 kilometres against the clock. The rain

usually to be expected in mid-November transforms the gravel roads into a mud-bath,while the fog that hangs menacingly over the forests can severely hamper visibility. In total,

the teams face in Wales 23 special stages.

Record-breaking: Volkswagen out to make it a round dozen

Full steam ahead at the 13th rally of the year, with eleven wins already in the bag:

Volkswagens World Championship-winning team is hell-bent on ending its superlative

season on a high. Even before the start of the Rally Great Britain, eleven of a possible 13

victories in one season has seen the Wolfsburg manufacturer equal the record set twice

before by WRC rival Citron (2005 and 2008)but with a far better win percentage. In

Wales, Volkswagen now has the opportunity to surpass the previous best and set a new

record for the number of wins in one season.

The latest facts and figures from Volkswagens WRC season

Volkswagen also equalled a WRC record at the recent Rally Spain: coming into this

season, only Peugeot in 2002 had previously achieved eight one-twos in one season.

Volkswagen matched this total this year, claiming the top two positions in Sweden, Mexico,

Argentina, Poland, Finland, Australia, France and Spain. Volkswagen is as proud of this

achievement as the Polo R WRC has been quick throughout the entire season: Since the

Rally Monte Carlo in January, 179 of 226 stage wins have gone to Wolfsburg, as well as417 of a possible 678 top-three times. The Volkswagen drivers have also won ten of the

twelve Power Stages so far in 2014. With bonus points on offer for the fastest three cars,

the Polo R WRC has so far scored extra points on 23 occasions.

Duel of the year without any tactical implications: Ogier vs. Latvalawith a bonus

The duel that just keeps on giving: the battle between Sbastien Ogier and Jari-Matti

Latvala was already regarded as one of the closest in the history of the World Rally

Championship, even before Volkswagen entered the fray. In 2014 the two were separated

by under twelve seconds on no fewer than three occasions: Latvala won in Finland,

finishing 3.6 seconds ahead of Ogier; in Australia it was Ogier who came home 6.8seconds ahead of Latvala, and Ogier recently defeated Latvala by just 11.3 seconds in

Spain. Coming into the rally in Wales, Ogier has already secured the World Championship

title*and the seasons top two drivers enter this prestigious duel without any tactical

considerations. But dont write off Andreas Mikkelsen: their team-mate has already joined

his two more senior colleagues in their battle for victory on at least one occasion this

season. He finished just behind Jari-Matti Latvala in Sweden and Sbastien Ogier in

Poland. And they are not the only serious contenders: the men driving for the rival teams

also have their sights set on victoryparticularly Kris Meeke (Citron) at his home WRC

event.

* Subject to the official publication of the results by the FIA.


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Quotes ahead of the Rally Great Britain

Sbastien Ogier, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #1

We achieved the biggest goal of the season at the Rally Spain, so the pressure is off. I

want to enjoy the last rally of the season, which means getting a good result. Our tests in

Wales mean we have prepared perfectly for the complex conditions. The unpredictable

weather, in particular, makes the Rally Great Britain very complicated and a real challenge.

Experience shows that every driver wants to end the season as strongly as possible at the

final rally of the year, before heading into the well-earned break. I can well imagine that

Jari-Matti will be looking to celebrate his third win of the season in Wales.

Jari-Matti Latvala, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #2

Last year I finished runner-up behind Sbastien. I want to go one better this time around.

That would be a really nice way to end the season. I like the Rally Great Britain, because it

is so demanding. The special stages are very quick, and demand a flowing driving style.

They head through forests, in which there is often a lot of fog, which hampers vision. It

rains a lot there at this time of year, which often makes the gravel roads into a real mud-

bath. We have even had snow on one occasion in the past, which made it even more

slippery. Because the rally is so demanding, you can make up an awful lot of time with a

good drive. The Rally Great Britain is the perfect way to end the season.

Andreas Mikkelsen, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #9

I want to end the season with a really good result. The Rally Great Britain is particularlydear to my heart, as this is where my career began back in 2006. Since then, it has been

like a home rally for me. I feel right at home in Wales, and am very familiar with the

conditions. I am optimistic that I might even claim the first WRC win of my career here.

Despite this, I will not risk everything to get my first victory. This will come anyway sooner

or later. However, the current situation in the championship means I will take a few more

risks than usual. Having said that, I must also consider my co-driver Ola Flene in Wales,

who is currently fourth in the Co-Drivers Championship, just two points behind Mikko

Hirvonens co-driver Jarmo Lehtinen. Hopefully we can do something about that.

Did you know that ...

... the Rally Great Britain was held for the first time in 1932 and was known as the RAC

Rally until 1997?

... the spectacular Group B cars made their final appearance in the World Rally

Championship here in 1986? The turbo-charged monsters were banned after the season

finale, because they had become too fast and dangerous for drivers and spectators alike.

... Volkswagen claimed a one-two at the 2013 Rally Great Britain, courtesy of SbastienOgier and Jari-Matti Latvala? This was the second of ten one-twos so far for the Polo R

WRC.


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... Andreas Mikkelsen finished fifth in 2013 to complete Volkswagens bestteam result at

that time? Ogier, Latvala and Mikkelsen have matched, or even surpassed, the first,second and third they achieved in Wales on four occasions already in 2014: in Argentina

(1-2-4), Poland (1-2-5), Finland (1-2-4) and Australia (1-2-3).

... Jari-Matti Latvala is the Volkswagen driver who has enjoyed the most success at the

Rally Great Britain? He claimed back-to-back victories in Wales with Ford in 2011 and

2012.

... Andreas Mikkelsen launched his WRC career at the Rally Great Britain in 2006? Back

then, he was in action at the wheel of a Ford Focus.

... two rally legends share the record number of wins at the Rally Great Britain? Hannu

Mikkola (FIN) and Petter Solberg (N) both won four times in Wales.

... the Rally Great Britain has always formed the final round of the season in recent years?

With one exception: the final rally of the year was held in Spain in 2012, when the Rally

Great Britain was moved to mid-September.

... the Rally Great Britain was cancelled in 1957 due to the Suez crisis and the fuel

shortage?

... Germanys Armin Schwarz made an impressive World Championship debut at the RallyGreat Britain in 1988? Driving an Audi 200 quattro, he finished fifth.

... Richard Burns became the first Englishman to win the World Rally Championship title at

his home event in 2001?

The numberfor the Rally Great Britain: 1,064

The boss sits on the left, the man on the right is in charge: the Dyfi special stage at the

Rally Great Britain is 21.9 kilometres long and identical to last year. In just over twominutes 50 seconds, world champion Julien Ingrassia will give world champion Sbastien

Ogier exactly 1,064 instructions. Co-driver Ingrassia will read 28 pages of pace notes to

his driver during Dyfi, each of which contains between 34 and 42 (the maximum is 52)

symbols. Each symbol stands for a command.


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FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), Overall Standings

Drivers Championship

1. Sbastien Ogier, 242 points; 2. Jari-Matti Latvala, 211; 3. Andreas Mikkelsen, 150;

4. Mikko Hirvonen, 108; 5. Mads stberg, 92; 6. Thierry Neuville, 91; 7. Kris Meeke, 84;

8. Elfyn Evans, 71; 9. Martin Prokop, 42; 10. Dani Sordo, 40; 11. Henning Solberg, 26;

12. Bryan Bouffier, 20; 13. Juho Hnninen, 20; 14. Hayden Paddon, 18; 15. Robert Kubica,

14; 16. Ott Tnak, 11; 17. Benito Guerra, 8; 18. Chris Atkinson, 7; 19. Pontus Tidemand, 6;

20. Dennis Kuipers, 4; 21. Jaroslav Melichrek, 4; 22. Nasser Al-Attiyah, 4; 23. Lorenzo

Bertelli, 2; 24. Matteo Gamba, 2; 25. Craig Breen, 2; 26. Yuriy Protasov, 2; 27. Jari

Ketomaa, 1; 28. Karl Kruuda, 1; 29. Khalid Al Qassimi, 1

Manufacturers Championship

1. Volkswagen Motorsport; 416 points; 2. Citron Total Abu Dhabi WRT, 187;

3. M-Sport, 180; 4. Hyundai Motorsport, 175; 5. Volkswagen Motorsport II, 133; 6. Jipocar

Czech National Team, 45; 7. Hyundai Motorsport N, 26; 8. RK M-Sport WRT, 25

FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), Rally Great BritainItinerary

Thursday, 13 November 2014

Liaison SS LiaisonShakedown (Clocaenog), 240 min. 03.32 km 08:00 hrs

Ceremonial start (Colwyn Bay) 19:00 hrs

Friday, 14 November 2014

Liaison SS Liaison

Start (Deeside) 05:30 hrs

SS 01 Gartheiniog 1 105.04 km 14.58 km 07:44 hrs

SS 02 Dyfi 1 06.42 km 21.90 km 08:14 hrs

SS 03 Hafren Sweet Lamb 1 31.20 km 23.55 km 09:24 hrs

SS 04 Maesnant 1 04.98 km 12.86 km 39.16 km 09:58 hrs

Regroup (Newtown), 15 min. 11:03 hrsService A (Newtown), 15 min. 11:22 hrs

SS 05 Gartheiniog 2 65.91 km 14.58 km 13:03 hrs

SS 06 Dyfi 2 06.42 km 21.90 km 13:33 hrs

SS 07 Hafren Sweet Lamb 2 31.20 km 23.55 km 14:43 hrs

SS 08 Maesnant 2 04.98 km 12.86 km 135.30 km 15:17 hrs

Flexi service B (Deeside), 45 min. 18:30 hrs

Parc ferm (Deeside) 21:30 hrs

430.61 km 145.78 km 576.39 km


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Saturday, 15 November 2014

Liaison SS LiaisonService C (Deeside), 15 min. 06:40 hrs

SS 09 Clocaenog East 1 41.87 km 08.25 km 07:52 hrs

SS 10 Clocaenog Main 1 01.97 km 13.74 km 08:08 hrs

SS 11 Aberhirnant 1 39.41 km 13.87 km 09:18 hrs

SS 12 Dyfnant 1 24.22 km 19.98 km 10:10 hrs

SS 13 Chirk Castle 65.35 km 02.06 km 46.57 km 12:00 hrs

Regroup (Deeside), 30 min. 13:03 hrs

Service D (Deeside), 30 min. 13:33 hrs

SS 14 Clocaenog East 2 41.87 km 08.25 km 15:00 hrs

SS 15 Clocaenog Main 2 01.97 km 13.74 km 15:16 hrs

SS 16 Aberhirnant 2 39.41 km 13.87 km 16:26 hrs

SS 17 Dyfnant 2 24.22 km 19.98 km 103.30 km 17:18 hrs

Flexi service E (Deeside), 45 min. 19:59 hrs

Parc ferm (Deeside) 23:00 hrs

430.16 km 113.74 km 543.90 km

Sunday, 16 November 2014

Liaison SS Liaison

Service F (Deeside), 15 min. 07:05 hrs

SS 18 Brenig 1 54.30 km 10.81 km 08:33 hrs

SS 19 Alwen 1 07.80 km 10.04 km 09:00 hrsSS 20 Kinmel Park 1 31.22 km 02.21 km 09:55 hrs

SS 21 Kinmel Park 2 00.52 km 02.21 km 10:04 hrs

SS 22 Alwen 2 32.30 km 10.04 km 03.60 km 10:51 hrs

Regroup (Deeside), 30 min. 11:08 hrs

SS 23P Brenig 2 15.27 km 10.81 km 52.49 km 12:00 hrs

Podium ceremony (Llandudno) 17:00 hrs

197.50 km 46.12 km 243.62 km

1,058.64 km 305.64 km 1,363.91 km

FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), Rally Great BritainMedia appointments

Wednesday, 12 November 2014

Meet the Volkswagen Team with Ogier, Latvala and Mikkelsen (Service Park) 17:00 hrs

Thursday, 13 November 2014

FIA Press Conference with Sbastien Ogier (Media Centre, Deeside) 14:00 hrs

Sunday, 16 November 2014

FIA Press Conference, top three and team managers (Media Centre, Deeside) 16:00 hrs


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FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), Rally Great BritainTV broadcast

Western Europe

Andorra (Canal +); Austria (LAOLA1.tv, ORF, RTL, ServusTV, Sport 1); Belgium (Canal +,

RTBF); Denmark (TV3 Sport, VIASAT); Finland (MTV3, YLE Sport); France (Canal +,

France TV, Lquipe 21, TF1); Germany (Sport1, RTL, n-tv, LAOLA1.tv, ServusTV);

Greece (OTE); Ireland (Setanta); Italy (RAI, Canale Italia, Sportitalia); Liechtenstein (RTL,

ServusTV, Sport 1); Luxembourg (Canal +, RTL, ServusTV, Sport 1); Monaco (Canal +,

France TV, Lquipe 21, TF1); Netherlands (RTL 7); Norway (VIASAT, Viasat Sport);

Portugal (Sport TV, RTP); Spain (Canal +); Sweden (SVT); Switzerland (Canal +, RTL,

ServusTV, Sport 1); United Kingdom (ITV 4); Wales (S4C)

Eastern Europe

Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia,

Lithuania, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan (Auto Plus); Croatia

(SPTV); Czech Republic, Slovakia (Czech TV, Sport 5); Poland (TV 4, TVP); Romania

(Dolce Sport); Ukraine (First Automotive Channel, Auto Plus)

Middle East and Africa

Angola, Mozambique (Canal +, Sport TV, SuperSport); Benin, Botswana, Burkina,

Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory

Coast, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria,

So Tom, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia,Zimbabwe (Canal +, SuperSport); Lesotho, Liberia, Mayotte, Reunion, Socotra, Somalia,

South Africa, South Sudan, St Helena & Ascension, Sudan, Swaziland (SuperSport)

Asia Pacific

Malaysia (Astro); Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor, Guam, Hong Kong,

India, Indonesia, Laos, Macao, Malaysia, Maldives, Micronesia, Mongolia, Myanmar,

Nepal, New Caledonia, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, South

Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam (ESPN Star); Japan (J Sports); New Zealand

(Sky Sports); Australia (Speed TV); Thailand (Truevision)

North and Latin AmericaArgentina (Channel 12, Fox Sports); Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Haiti, Jamaica, Puerto

Rico, Trinidad & Tobago, USA (MAV TV); Bolivia, Chile, Columbia, Costa Rica, Dominican

Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Latin America, Mexico, Nicaragua,

Panama, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela (Fox Sports); Brazil (ESPN); Paraguay (Fox Sports,

Telefuturo)

International

Worldwide (Reuters, SNTV)


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For Media

Service and Contact

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Communications

Ikarusallee 7a

D-30179 Hannover

Tel. +49 511 67494-0

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Links

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Andre DietzelHead of Communications and Marketing

Mobile +49 175 7234689

[email protected]

Ingo Roersch

Communications

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Helge GerdesCommunications

Mobile +49 175 5223111

volkswagen motorsport preview of wales rally gb 2014

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