Cyprus McRae IRC award goes to champion Mikkelsen

A second Intercontinental Rally Challenge title wasn’t the only reason why Andreas Mikkelsen was celebrating at the finish of the Cyprus Rally on Sunday.

Despite losing out to Nasser Al-Attiyah in the chase for victory on the mixed-surface round, Mikkelsen’s charging performance as he attempted to make up lost time following a spate of punctures earned him the prestigious Colin McRae IRC Flat Out Trophy.

"There was a lot of flat-out driving on this rally and it was good to be doing some of it myself,” said the ŠKODA UK Motorsport driver, who was fastest on eight of the rally’s 13 stages. “Colin McRae is a hero to young drivers like me so winning this award is really great.”

The Colin McRae IRC Flat Out Trophy was presented for the first time on SATA Rallye Acores in July 2010. A panel of judges consisting of the IRC’s Jean-Pierre Nicolas, Gilbert Roy of Eurosport Events and Colin’s father Jimmy McRae decide the winner.

Last weekend’s Cyprus Rally marked the second time that Mikkelsen had secured the award this season and the fourth time since its introduction.