VW: An exciting day with a great battle for the lead

Adrenalin and excitement – the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) can look back on a thrilling opening day at the Rally Poland. Two of the main protagonists: Andreas Mikkelsen/Anders Jæger (N/N), who are second overall in the Volkswagen Polo R WRC after 121.92 of 306.10 kilometres against the clock – just 4.2 seconds behind leaders Ott Tänak/Raigo Mõlder (EST/EST, M-Sport-Ford). The lead has changed hands three times, and we have had three leaders – the motorsport-mad fans lining the route in Poland have been served up a real treat. Another delicacy came in the form of three-time world champions and championship leaders Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (F/F), who produced a flawless performance as the first car onto the route to keep their hopes of victory alive. They trail by 16.3 seconds in fourth place overall. Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila (FIN/FIN) ended day one of the rally in sixth place.

The Rally Poland and the Rally Finland, which takes place in four weeks, are the fastest on the WRC calendar. In 2015, winners Ogier/Ingrassia were at full throttle for 60.31 per cent of the rally in Warmia-Masuria – that is almost one and a half hours with pedal to the metal. One third of the way into the 2016 rally, the average speed of the leaders is 119.17 km/h.

Quotes after day one of the Rally Poland

Sébastien Ogier, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #1

“I can give my fans the all-clear: being a new dad does not mean that I lift my foot off the gas pedal any more than I did before. On the contrary: as far as speed is concerned, we were at the limit almost without a break on the extremely fast stages here in Poland. On the one hand, that is great fun for the driver in the cockpit. However, with my starting position, it also makes it very difficult to make up a few seconds on the opposition. Despite this, I am happy with our performance. As always, Julien and I gave it our all. Only on the morning loop did we possibly give away a few tenths.”

Jari-Matti Latvala, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #2

“Today was a bit of a mixed bag for me. This morning I just could not find a good rhythm. That was reflected in the times. Then I also had a slow puncture on the fourth stage. We changed a few things on the set-up of the Polo R WRC during the midday service, and it went a bit better after that. However, I cannot be happy with today. Driver and car were simply not working as one today. At the same time, I will obviously not give up. Together with my team, we will work on a strategy for tomorrow, when we will push hard again.”

Andreas Mikkelsen, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #9

“An exciting day with a great battle for the lead. This morning I felt extremely comfortable in the Polo. It was a real pleasure to tackle these fast and beautiful special stages. However, I was not 100 per cent happy with the set-up in the afternoon. Despite this, we put our foot down and tried not to lose any time or gift the opposition a tenth of a second. All in all, I am happy, as we got the maximum out of the day. We still have two challenging days ahead of us – and we are looking forward to them.”

Jost Capito, Volkswagen Motorsport Director

“A really exciting day in the World Rally Championship, with magnificent performances from Andreas Mikkelsen and Sébastien Ogier. They got the maximum out of the starting position and the conditions they were faced with. Andreas, in particular, produced a strong display and put on a fantastic show for the fans. The outcome of the rally is wide open. Like Andreas, Sébastien is right in contention. We still have eleven exciting special stages ahead of us over the next two days. Jari-Matti Latvala was not entirely happy today and did not find his rhythm. He was not one with the Polo. We will sit down with him to analyse why that may be, and to work on ensuring that he can challenge for a place on the podium here in Poland.”