Mikkelsen gets new co-driver for Irish test

Andreas Mikkelsen is testing for this week’s Donnelly Group Circuit of Ireland Rally today but his regular co-driver, Ola Fløene, wasn’t by his side when he got behind the wheel of his ŠKODA UK Motorsport Fabia Super 2000.

Instead, Mikkelsen, the reigning Intercontinental Rally Challenge champion, has called up Juho Hänninen’s regular navigator Mikko Markkula to give Fløene an extra 24 hours at home in Norway as he recovers from a bout of ‘flu that has kept the IRC title-winning co-driver in bed in recent days.

Markkula, who has already finished his pre-event testing programme with Hänninen, kindly agreed to give up his day off – highlighting the great spirit in the ŠKODA family and the close working relationship between ŠKODA Motorsport and the works-supported UK team.

“Juho and Andreas’ pacenotes are quite different, but we agreed to do the notes in English so I didn’t have to learn Norwegian overnight,” said Markkula. “With Juho the pacenotes are in Finnish, but I have done some rallies with English notes, so it won’t be a problem. I know this test road well, as we were here on Saturday. It has everything you’d expect to find on an Irish lane – bumpy, fast, dips, jumps, junctions and gravel – so it’s perfect for testing.”

Overnight rain has made the test road near Aughnacloy wet and slippery – ideal conditions if the weather forecast for day one of the IRC qualifier on Friday night is to be believed.

Conditions are expected to dry today, and the ŠKODA UK Motorsport team plans a full day of testing, including some night running in preparation for Friday’s night stages. It is hoped Fløene will be well enough to partner Mikkelsen when he continues testing on Tuesday.