Mikkelsen to build on strong pre-event test

Andreas Mikkelsen will be hoping to capitalise on a successful pre-event test when he contests Barum Czech Rally Zlín for the third time this week.

The ŠKODA UK Motorsport ace, in his second season in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, covered 180 kilometres during his test earlier this month.

“We’ve had a good test in the Czech Republic,” said the 22-year-old from Norway. “The conditions were dry, but there was mud in places and gravel on the corners; just what we’re likely to find on the rally itself, so that was excellent preparation. We experimented with some set-up options on the car during the test and the feeling was very good.”

Mikkelsen finished fifth in Zlín last season. He hopes to build on that result this week as he bids to climb the IRC drivers’ rankings.

“I’ve done the rally twice before and it’s a rally I really like,” he said. “We had a good result there last year, but this time the stages are run in the opposite direction so it will be a new challenge.”

“There are a lot of good drivers taking part, yet I think it’s going to be a battle of the ŠKODAs. Juho [Hänninen] and Jan [Kopecký] will be very fast, as of course will Freddy [Loix], and I’d like to think that we’ll be there too. We’re certainly going to try and score points and continue from where we left off in Azores.”