Mikkelsen counting on insider knowledge

Andreas Mikkelsen will be hoping to make the most of his team’s knowledge when he contests the Canon Mecsek Rallye for the first time this week.

The Hungarian asphalt event is a new addition to the Intercontinental Rally Challenge schedule in 2011 but ŠKODA Rally Team Italia, the company responsible for running Mikkelsen’s ŠKODA UK Motorsport entry, has previous experience of the event through its programme with Norbert Herczig in the Hungarian championship, which is backed by the country’s ŠKODA importer.

“I really like the challenge of a new rally,” said the 22-year-old Mikkelsen. “Ola Fløene [co-driver] and I have a very good pacenote system and normally we are just as fast the first time through a stage as we are the second. The fact the Mecsek Rallye will be new to all IRC drivers is a good thing for us and should play to our strengths. The team has a lot of experience of rallying in Hungary, and I’m looking forward to getting there to see exactly what the conditions are like for myself.”

Mikkelsen’s team boss, Pierfrancesco Zanchi, said: “The nature of Hungarian stages is generally very fast. In some rallies the average speed is 130kph, and the Mecsek Rallye is one of the fastest. We have other fast asphalt rallies in the IRC, like in Zlín and Ypres, but the Mecsek Rallye is unique. The surface is very different and the stages can be open and wide, sometimes like a motorway. It’s sometimes hilly, but no dramatic mountains like in Sanremo for example.”