Capito: No team orders at VW for season finale

All three of VW Motorsport’s drivers will be “completely off the leash” at next month’s Wales Rally GB, according to team principal Jost Capito.

With the German manufacturer securing a clean sweep of WRC titles at last weekend’s RallyRACC-Rally de Espana, world champion Sébastien Ogier and his team-mates Jari-Matti Latvala and Andreas Mikkelsen will be free to fight for victory at the season-ending Wales Rally GB (13-16 November). There will be no team orders.

Of the three VW drivers, Latvala has the better record at Wales Rally GB, having taken two wins in 2011 and 2012 respectively. Ogier’s one and only victory on the gravel event came last last year, while the less experienced Mikkelsen is still waiting for his first victory.

Capito told wrc.com: “I think all three of our drivers want to win in GB. There will be no orders from the team – they are all completely off the leash.

“Who will win? I don’t have a prediction. I think there will be a big fight between our three drivers but I expect five or six will be fighting for the win, including Kris Meeke and Mikko Hirvonen.”

Ogier’s narrow victory in Spain was his seventh of the season and Capito has said he was impressed with the way the Frenchman handled the pressure that came with his title defence this season.

“Sébastien and Julien are deserved old and new champions,” he explained. “They withstood the pressure from Jari-Matti and Miikka (Anttila, Latvala’s co-driver) perfectly, managed their advantage cleverly, and emerged victorious from this battle. That deserves the utmost respect.”