Excitement builds ahead of Sibiu’s IRC debut

Defending Intercontinental Rally Challenge champion Andreas Mikkelsen says he can’t wait for the Sibiu Rally to get underway next week.

Mikkelsen, who leads the IRC title standings after seven rounds, is one of 61 drivers set to contest the mainly gravel-based rally in Romania, a newcomer to the IRC for 2012.

He said: "I’ve never been to Romania before, so I’m really looking forward to it. The Sibiu Rally is a new event for the IRC and I honestly can’t wait to start the event, as the aim will be to try and score maximum IRC points – and to do that you have to win.”

Mikkelsen, who drives for ŠKODA UK Motorsport, will face opposition from a host of star drivers including Andreas Aigner, Mathieu Arzeno, François Delecour, Patrik Flodin, Kristian Sohlberg, Sepp Wiegand and Romania’s Marco Tempestini.