Hänninen tries Mikkelsen´s Fabia for size

Defending Intercontinental Rally Challenge champion Juho Hänninen has temporarily switched sides after getting behind the wheel of title rival Andreas Mikkelsen’s ŠKODA Fabia Super 2000 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in the United Kingdom earlier today.

Hänninen, from Finland, is contesting selected rounds of the IRC this season for the factory ŠKODA Motorsport squad but took Mikkelsen’s place in ŠKODA UK Motorsport’s Fabia at the motorsport festival, which attracts approximately 100,000 spectators.

Mikkelsen is contesting an Italian gravel championship event tomorrow (Friday) and Saturday and Hänninen has been recruited to give passenger rides to journalists and competition winners over the next two days before Mikkelsen takes over for the final day of the event on Sunday.

Hänninen spent Thursday afternoon acclimatising to the 2.7-kilometre chalk-based Forest Rally Stage (pictured). He said: “The Goodwood stage is very nice, it’s a lot of fun. There are a lot of corners and a nice jump – perfect to show passengers what the ŠKODA Fabia S2000 is capable of.”