WRC 2014, Round 7/13 – LOTOS Rally Poland (June 26/29)

WRC 2014

Timetabe

Thursday, 26 June

Shakedown, 120 min. 8:00
Start (Mikolajki Main Square) 15:30
SS 1 Milki 1 14.54km 16:40
SS 2 Kruklanki 1 17.24km 17:30
Regrouping (Mikolajki) 19:22
SS 3 Mikolajki Arena 1 2.50km 20:05
Flexi service A (Mikolajki), 45 min. 20:20
Parc fermé (Mikolajki) 00:00
Competitive distance: 34.28km

Friday, 27 June

Service B (Mikolajki), 15 min. 7:00
SS 4 Wieliczki 1 12.89 km 9:10
SS 5 Kapciamiestis 1 26.61km 11:25 (Stage will be shortened, now 12.92 km)
SS 6 Margionys 1 17.97km 12:30
Regrouping (Druskininkai) 13:20
Remote service C (Druskininkai), 15 min. 13:40
SS 7 Kapciamiestis 2 26.61km 14:40 (Stage will be shortened, now 12.92 km)
SS 8 Margionys 2 17.97km 15:45
Regrouping (Druskininkai) 16:35
SS 9 Wieliczki 2 125.08 12.89km 19:15
Regrouping (Mikolajki) 21:42
SS 10 Mikolajki Arena 2 2.50km 22:00
Flexi service D (Mikolajki), 45 min. 22:15
Parc fermé (Mikolajki) 2:00
Competitive distance: 117.44km

Saturday, 28 June

Service E (Mikolajki), 15 min. 7:15
SS 11 Chmielewo 1 6.75km 8:00
SS 12 Stare Juchy 1 14.41km 9:05
SS 13 Babki 1 15.76km 10:35
SS 14 Goldap 1 35.17km 11:35
SS 15 Baranowo 1 14.90km 14:05
Regrouping (Mikolajki) 14:35
Service F (Mikolajki), 30 min. 14:50
SS 16 Chmielewo 2 6.75km 15:50
SS 17 Stare Juchy 2 14.41km 16:55
SS 18 Babki 2 15.76km 18:25
SS 19 Goldap 2 35.17km 19:25
Regrouping (Mikolajki) 21:42
SS 20 Mikolajki Arena 3 2.50km 22:00
Flexi service G (Mikolajki), 45 min. 22:15
Parc fermé (Mikolajki) 2:00
Competitive distance: 161.58km

Sunday, 29 June

Service H (Mikolajki), 15 min. 7:00
SS 21 Milki 2 14.54km 8:15
SS 22 Kruklanki 2 17.24km 68.53 9:03
Regrouping (Mikolajki) 10:49
SS 23 Mikolajki Arena 4 2.50km 11:02
Regrouping (Mikolajki) 11:12
SS 24 Baranowo 2 14.90km 12:05
Regrouping (Mikolajki) 12:57
Service I (Mikolajki), 10 min. 13:00
Podium ceremony (Mikolajki Arena) 00,77 14:00
Competitive distance: 49.18km

Rally total:
24 special stages
Stage distance: 362.48km
Total distance: 1,308.86 km

all times local

Preview

Rally Poland is the second oldest rally in the world, surpassed only by the famous Rallye Monte-Carlo, and it returns to the FIA World Rally Championship for the third time since its inception in 1921. The event’s first inclusion in the series was in 1973 when it was based in Cracow and won by Achim Warmbold and Jean Todt in a Fiat 124 Abarth Rally. Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen claimed victory in the Mikołajki-based event in 2009.

This year, for the first time, the event takes place in two countries with Lithuania hosting four of Friday’s stages while the remaining 20 stages run over Thursday, part of Friday, Saturday and Sunday will be based in Poland. Uniquely, the seventh round of the FIA World Rally Championship not only runs in two countries but also two different time zones, although the event will be run entirely to Polish time.

Based in the tourist lake resort of Mikołajki – nearly 250 kilometres north of Warsaw – for the 10th time, LOTOS 71st Rally Poland takes the contenders over 24 gravel stages. The event will play host to the second round of the FIA Junior WRC Championship in which 12 youngsters piloting identical Citroën DS3 R3Ts will by vying for honours in this single-make formula. Seventeen FIA WRC 2 Championship contenders will also be back in action and joining the 15 world rally car drivers, all of whom will be keen to end the first half of the 2014 season on a high.

Stages 3, 15 and 24 of LOTOS Rally Poland will be transmitted live on television.

THE 2014 ROU TE

After the ceremonial start on Thursday afternoon, the itinerary includes two special stages before heading to the Mikołajki super special stage for the first of four runs around this 2.5 kilometre spectator-friendly stage. On Friday, stages in both Lithuania and Poland await, Saturday is the longest day with over 160 kilometres of competition and Sunday includes four stages, the last – Baranowo – being run as the all-important Power Stage.

In total, there are three totally new stages never run in any rally in Poland; SS4/9, SS13/18 and SS14/19, and both stages in Lithuania are obviously new to the event.

RALLY DATA

Total distance: 1,671.34 km
Stage distance: 362.48 km (21.7%)
Number of stages: 24

Team Previews

Manufacturers: Volkswagen Motorsport / Volkswagen Polo R WRC (Michelin)
1 Sebastien Ogier / Julien Ingrassia (F)
2 Jari-Matti Latvala / Miikka Anttila (FIN)

Team Manufacturer: Volkswagen Motorsport II / Volkswagen Polo R WRC (Michelin)
9 Andreas Mikkelsen / Ola Fløene (N)

Rally Poland returns to the WRC fold for the first time since 2009. And the Volkswagen drivers have some scores to settle there.

Having first been held in 1921, Rally Poland is not only the world’s second-oldest rally that’s still going – it was also one of the founding members of the new world championship established in 1973. It lost its high-ranking status for a while, however, before making just one reappearance in the WRC in 2009. But Rally Poland is now back again, and the seventh event of the 2014 WRC season will take place in and around the holiday resort of Mikołajki next weekend.

The rally – which is a first in that it will travel across two countries, Poland and Lithuania – is terra incognita for Volkswagen Motorsport. The team has carried out extensive tests with a view to extending its current series of victories, which now comprises ten WRC rallies.

Meanwhile, Volkswagen’s drivers are indeed familiar with this gravel event, having all participated back in 2009 – but they have mixed feelings about it. Five years ago, none of them – Sébastien Ogier (Polo R WRC #1), Jari-Matti Latvala (Polo R WRC #2) and Andreas Mikkelsen (Polo R WRC #9) – made it to the finishing line. “So you could say we have a score to settle in Poland,” says the reigning world champion Ogier jokingly.

The Frenchman arrives in Mikołajki as the current overall leader, which means that for the first leg at least, he will be in the unenviable front position and will have to serve as the ‘road sweeper’. “We were in this position at the last WRC rally in Sardinia, but we managed to win all the same. And we will do everything we can to replicate that success.”

Ogier’s teammate Latvala, who is currently ranked second overall, isn’t much better off. “The stages are very fast with lots of hilltops, much like at home for me in Finland. But the surface in Poland is much sandier and softer.”

Andreas Mikkelsen is looking forward to the atmosphere in particular. “The incredible numbers of spectators in 2009 resulted in a great atmosphere back then. And this time, former Formula 1 driver Robert Kubica is competing too, which is bound to ratchet up the spectators’ enthusiasm even more.”

Rally Poland starts unusually early in Mikołajki, at 16:00 on Thursday afternoon. And between then and 14:00 on Sunday, a total of 23 special stages measuring just under 360 kilometres will be contested – with four of them being held in Lithuania on Friday.

Sébastien Ogier, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #1
“The most important thing is that we are currently in the lead in the WRC and that we even managed to extend our lead in Sardinia recently. Obviously, we want to keep up the good work in Poland. We know we can’t always win, but we have to set ourselves the goal of always scoring as many points as possible in a rally. It’s my aim this year to maintain a 25-point lead – in other words, a full race victory – over the team in second place at all times. Because you never know what might happen. I don’t think we can make much use of our pace notes from 2009 or what we experienced back then, as it’s too long ago. I may take a look at some of the on-board footage we shot back then. On the whole it’s fair to say that this year’s rally is new territory for everyone.”

Jari-Matti Latvala, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #2
“Rally Poland consists of very fast stretches with lots of jumps, a bit like in Finland. But the difference is that there is less forest in Rally Poland and the special stages are more often held in open country. Also, the surface is sandy, rather than rocky. I already have a rough idea of what to expect in Rally Poland as I competed there in 2009. But the WRC drivers now perform at such a high level – they can very quickly adapt to different conditions, surfaces and grip levels. So it certainly won’t be easy. Some of the special stages are the same as in 2009. Even so, we are writing a completely new set of pace notes and won’t be referring to our old notes at all. The special stages being held in Lithuania are new. So there are a lot of new elements, and we therefore need to prepare very carefully. The fans in Poland are crazy about rallies. That was already the case in 2009, and it will be even more intense this time around because Robert Kubica is now competing in the WRC. There’s bound to be a great atmosphere.”

Andreas Mikkelsen, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #9
“After doing well with Ola in Rally Italy, I’m now looking forward to Rally Poland. I picked up some experience there in the Škoda Fabia WRC in 2009 and I really enjoyed that. Rally Poland is very, very fast. The special stages are pretty sandy, so it definitely won’t be easy. There will be a lot of spectators there to support us and, of course, in particular Robert Kubica, who is something of a national hero in Poland. The fans will be treated to some long jumps and a great show. The route is pretty fast with stretches of uninterrupted driving, which should suit my driving style nicely. I’m confident that we will achieve a good result there. We came fourth for the third time in Italy. So I’d like to improve that by at least one place this time.”

Manufacturers: Citroën Total Abu Dhabi World Rally Team / Citroën DS3 WRC (Michelin)
3 Kris Meeke / Paul Nagle (GB/IRL)
4 Mads Østberg / Jonas Andersson (N/S)

On its third appearance on the World Championship calendar, Rally Poland marks the mid-way point of the 2014 season. Extensively overhauled since the 2009 rally, the route now includes Lithuania, a country that has never before hosted the WRC. Two DS3 WRCs have been entered by the Citroën Total Abu Dhabi World Rally Team for Mads Østberg/Jonas Andersson and Kris Meeke/Paul Nagle.

CITROËN AND RALLY POLAND: A LONG HISTORY

Rally Poland is the second oldest road race still held today. Created a few years after Monte-Carlo, it is celebrating its 71st anniversary in 2014. Between 1938 and 1956, Polish crews secured four category wins in Citroën cars. When the Manufacturers’ World Championship was set up in 1973, Rally Poland was part of the programme. A second appearance in 2009 saw another Citroën finish on the podium as Dani Sordo and Marc Marti finished as runners-up in their C4 WRC.

FAIRLY UNUSUAL TYPES OF ROADS

In addition to only featuring sporadically on the WRC calendar, Rally Poland also offers a profoundly different challenge to the other rounds in terms of the road surface. “We tend to think of the stages as being close in style to those in Finland,” explained Yves Matton, Citroën Racing Team Principal. ”But there are many other aspects. The ground is especially soft. The racing line becomes rutted and lines form pretty quickly. And there aren’t as many jumps. As it is an event that is back on the calendar after a five-year absence, experience will be less significant than on other rounds.”

The Citroën Total Abu Dhabi World Rally Team is already in Poland this weekend to run test sessions. This will give Didier Clément, Chief Operations Engineer for the DS3 WRCs, the opportunity to assess how the road surface changes as more cars come through the stages: “The aim is to find solutions so that we can provide our drivers with a car that inspires confidence. The stages are so quick that the car has to be particularly precise. We have been working with the shock absorber diagrams and the combination of springs and anti-roll bars to get the results we’re after.”

The road surface will also force the team to alter the set-up of the DS3 WRC at each service: “There are really two distinct parts; the roads will be flowing and fast on the first runs and very rutted on the second runs. Each time, we’ll have to adjust the ride height to avoid the car from scraping too much on the ruts. Where there are lines, the drivers will have to make use of them and manage not to get carried away. They’ll need to drive aggressively to get out of the ruts if they feel it is necessary. But it never comes easily.”

MADS ØSTBERG UPS THE PACE

Runner-up in Sardinia, Mads Østberg has now finished on the podium three times in his last five outings. Increasingly comfortable in the Citroën DS3 WRC, he will be tackling a completely different surface in Poland: ”I feel full of confidence. We’re on a positive trend. I feel very good in the Citroën Total Abu Dhabi World Rally Team and we are making progress all the time.”

The Norwegian first competed in this rally in 2009, the last time the WRC came to Poland: ”I have some very good memories of the rally, even it wasn’t easy. I really like fast rallies. That seems to be the main feature of this race. I think the average speeds will be even higher than in Finland. The gravel is a bit softer and there are a lot fewer jumps. Some sections are pretty narrow, but you have to keep as much speed as possible.”

As has been the case all season, Mads starts the rally with the same goal of finishing on the podium: “For the time being, we need to focus on testing, which will take place just before recce starts. It will definitely be very intense because we’ll have to get to grips with the car on these kinds of roads. The gaps will very undoubtedly be very narrow and there’ll be plenty of contenders. We’ll have to push from the word go on the first stage to get among the front-runners!”

GOAL REMAINS THE SAME FOR KRIS MEEKE

Although he wasn’t here in 2009, Kris Meeke has competed at Rally Poland once before. Back in 2006, he enjoyed his first outing in the Citroën C2-R2. “It was a great experience; it was part of the promotion campaign for the car. Winning the two-wheel drive category is still an excellent memory,” recalled Kris.

Unlike the earlier rounds of the championship, Kris Meeke won’t suffer as much through his lack of knowledge of the event: “The stages are relatively new to everyone. When you’re driving as quickly as we will be doing here, you need to pay even more attention during recce.”

Currently seventh in the drivers’ championship, with two podium finishes, Kris Meeke is not putting himself under pressure to get a particular result: “We used Rally Sardinia to rack up a few more miles in the car. Once again, we’ll be applying the same strategy. There is no question of taking any unnecessary risks. I hope I can get through the rally without any mistakes and without any problems. If we manage that, we should be on the pace and the result will take care of itself!”

IN POLAND AND LITHUANIA

As was the case five years ago when Rally Poland last featured on the WRC calendar, this year’s event is based in Mikolajki. The shakedown will start on Thursday morning at 8.00am with two mandatory runs for each crew. The ceremonial start will be held in the city centre in the early afternoon. The action then kicks off with two stages (Milki 14.54km – 4.40pm and Kruklanki 17.24km – 5.30pm), before the crews head back to the service park and take on a super special stage held after dark.

Friday will be partly dedicated to Lithuania. The crews will leave parc ferme at 7.00am and head east. After an opening test in Wieliczki (12.89km – 9.10am), they will cross the border into Lithuania for two stages (Kapciamiestis 26.61km – 11.25am/2.40pm and Margionys 17.97km – 12.30pm/3.45pm), each contested twice. A remote fifteen-minute service will be held between the first and second loops in Druskininkai. On their way back to the base, the crews will tackle the Wieliczki test again at 7.15pm before a second super special stage at the Mikolajki Arena at 10.00pm. After a 45-minute service, the cars will be driven into parc ferme for the night at 11.10pm.

Saturday’s leg will serve up the longest day with 157 kilometres of timed stages through the forests and along the lakes of Warmia and Mazury. The day kicks off at 7.15am with a loop of five stages that will take competitors close to the Russian border with Chmielewo (6.75km – 8.00am), Stare Juchy (14.41km – 9.05am), Babki (15.76km – 10.35am), Goldap (35.17km – 11.35am) and Baranowo (14.90km – 2.05pm).

A thirty-minute service period will split the day into two before a second run on the first four stages. En route back to Mikolajki, Baranowo will be avoided in favour of a third run on the Mikolajki super special stage, once again held at 10.00pm.

Sunday’s action begins at 7.00am, as crews tackle stages covered earlier in the rally. Thursday’s two stages will be repeated (Milki 14.54km – 8.15am and Kruklanki 17.24km – 9.03am) before the crews complete one final run on the Mikolajki Arena super special stage (2.50km – 11.02am), this time in daylight, and the Baranowo Power Stage (14.90km – 12.05am), taken from Saturday’s programme.

The rally is scheduled to finish at the Mikolajki Arena on Sunday, 29 June from 2.00pm.

TAKE PART IN THE CITROËN RACING BY FANS FILM!

At this year’s Rally Poland, Citroën Racing is offering fans the opportunity to share video footage that they film using digital equipment (cameras, smartphones, etc.).

By going to http://tiny.cc/citroenracingbyfans, each fan can post their own videos, which may be used to create the film of Rally Poland.

At the end of the rally, the best videos will be selected to produce the Citroën Racing by Fans film. Each author will be mentioned in the credits and gifts will be sent to the best contributors!

Manufacturers: M-Sport World Rally Team / Ford Fiesta RS WRC (Michelin)
5 Mikko Hirvonen / Jarmo Lehtinen (FIN)
6 Elfyn Evans / Daniel Barrit (GB)

As Rally Poland returns to the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) for the first time since 2009, the M-Sport World Rally Team will be looking to defend their previous form having claimed victory with Mikko Hirvonen five years previously.

The team’s past experience will prove vital when it comes to understanding the nature and character of the Polish stages, but with much of the route differing from the former encounter, the crews will need to muster all of their concentration and precision as they tackle what is effectively a brand-new event.

Based in the Masurian town of Mikolajki, the rally will also venture into neighbouring Lithuania for more high-speed kilometres. As well as being extremely fast, the sandy stages provide a slippery affair and the tree-lined route hides a multitude of obstacles which threaten to ensnare any crew who venture even slightly off line.

If that weren’t enough, the region’s unpredictable summer can play havoc with strategies. The threat of rain is ever present and shrewd tyre selections can make all the difference.

This is a rally in which the team need to apply all of their knowledge, skill and experience, but speed is arguably key. The fast gravel roads of Poland’s Lake District have been likened to those in Estonia and Finland, something which is sure to be an advantage to M-Sport’s resident Finns.

Hirvonen and co-driver Jarmo Lehtinen know what it takes to succeed in Poland. Having won the event in 2009, the Scandinavian’s Ford Fiesta RS WRC will be a real contender for the podium.

The fast, flowing stages suit Hirvonen’s fearless style, and the well-honed pacenote system which he and Lehtinen have developed over their 10 year collaboration will provide the ideal base from which to demonstrate their speed.

In the sister M-Sport Fiesta RS WRC, Elfyn Evans goes to Poland with his confidence high. The Welshman was pleased to see some encouraging progression at the previous outing in Sardinia and he will be looking to carry that momentum forward.

Most importantly, the fresh stages offer a level playing field from which Evans and co-driver Daniel Barritt can compare their speed and style to their rivals; without the advantage of past experience.

With 90 per cent of the route new to all crews, next week’s event acts as an opportunity for the Welshman to determine more specific areas for improvement as he continues his development at the WRC’s highest league.

Mikko Hirvonen said:

“This is an event that I really enjoy and we won in 2009 so I’m looking forward to returning to Poland next week. We have a good idea of what to expect in terms of the conditions, but the stages themselves will be almost completely new.

“Historically, I’ve always felt quite comfortable at new events so we’ll be looking to be in the fight for the top positions. Jarmo [Lehtinen, co-driver] and I will be making new notes for most of the stages, but that doesn’t really faze me as I’ve always been confident in our ability to do that.

“The stages are very fast and in some ways you could compare them to those in Finland, but the surface is completely different. In Finland the gravel is quite hard, but in Poland it’s really soft and sandy which means that they can become fairly rutted for the second pass.

“The competition will be tough, but I’m feeling really good ahead of this event and looking forward to bringing home what will hopefully be a strong result for the team.”

Elfyn Evans said:

“This is another new event for me, but the difference is that it will be new to a lot of other crews too. It offers something of a level playing field – certainly more so than any other event this year.

“For me, the first pass will just be about checking the notes in what is likely to be a very fast rally. But if the feeling is right, it would be nice to pay a bit more attention to the times over the second loop and really concentrate on improving the driving technique.

“From what I’ve heard, the stages are all really high-speed and the soft, sandy surface means that they could become quite rutted for the second pass. I’ll be sure to speak with Mikko [Hirvonen] and Jarmo [Lehtinen] on the event to get their thoughts on the stages and how best to tackle them. Their experience and advice has been a real benefit for the new events and I’m sure it will come into play again next week.

“This is a new rally so we need to finish and gain the experience that is so vital at this level, but we also need to keep learning and developing. It’s all about finding the right balance and that is what will ultimately help me reach my goals.”

ADDITIONAL M-SPORT DRIVERS

M-Sport’s range of award-winning rally cars has once again dominated the entry list. With 39 of the 71 competitors opting for the Ford Fiesta, a record-breaking 55 per cent of the field will line up behind the wheel of M-Sport machinery – a statistic that sees Ford’s presence more than double that of the next most popular manufacturer.

Seven Fiesta RS WRCs have been entered. Alongside Hirvonen, Evans and Robert Kubica, M-Sport will also run the Fiesta RS WRC of Henning Solberg who makes a welcome return following a string of standout performances on gravel.

In the WRC2 category, M-Sport can boast an impressive 65 per cent of the field with the Ford Fiesta R5 proving to be the model of choice. Being run by M-Sport in identical Fiesta R5s are Peruvian Nicolás Fuchs and Frenchman Bryan Bouffier.

Team Manufacturer: RK M-Sport World Rally Team / Ford Fiesta RS WRC (Michelin)
10 Robert Kubica / Maciej Szczepaniak (PL)

RK M-Sport World Rally Team’s Robert Kubica will be the star of the show as the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) returns to his native Poland next week. As one of the country’s most respected and admired sportsmen, the Formula One race winner will be in high demand as he powers his Ford Fiesta RS WRC through the gravel tracks of the Polish Lake District.

The Polish fixture last formed a part of the WRC in 2009 when Robert’s fellow M-Sport driver, Mikko Hirvonen, claimed the sought-after victory. Established in 1921, the rally is one of the oldest in the world and never fails to deliver an exciting and adrenaline-fuelled event.

Similar to the iconic stages of Rally Finland, Poland’s fast gravel roads see the rally cars reach maximum speed as they fly through the region’s breath-taking landscape. But the picturesque setting hides a daunting task.

Unexpected obstacles linger on the inside line, ready to catch out the unfortunate. Crews will need to have their wits about them as they navigate the tricky speed tests and a good recce is perhaps more vital than anywhere else on the calendar.

Robert and his fellow countryman and co-driver Maciek Szczepaniak go into their home event with their confidence high. Following a solid finish in Argentina, the Poles went on to up their pace in Sardinia.

Commenting on how much he had enjoyed the loose-surface challenge of the Italian stages, Kubica will be looking for a similar, incident-free event in Poland and – with the Polish fans behind him – the Lotos, Grupa Azoty and Michelin supported driver will have all the tools he needs to deliver another progressive performance in front of the home crowd.

In appreciation of the huge support he receives in his native Poland, the 29-year-old will also be sporting a special livery for his national event. Embracing all things Polish, Kubica’s Fiesta RS WRC will be adorned with an eye-catching red and white design.

Robert Kubica said:

“Competing in my homeland will be something very special, but on the other hand – strange as it sounds – it will be a completely new rally for me. I contested Rally Poland last year, but in this year’s edition not even 100 metres will be same and my approach will be the same as it was for the other new events.

“I’m really looking forward to seeing all the Polish fans. This will be one of the country’s sporting highlights and I think there are many rally fans in Poland so it is nice that we have this opportunity – with the Polish Federation – to do this event.

“I’m sure there will be a lot of support for the Polish drivers, but I just want to do a good rally and finish well without making any mistakes. I know that if I get to the finish and am happy with my driving then it will be a good rally. This is the most important thing for me and this is what I am looking for.

“Talking about the results, I won’t be paying too much attention to that. The most important thing is to learn and enjoy. If I finish the last stage and I am happy with what I did behind the wheel, it will be the best result for me and bring a lot of satisfaction.

“As this is my home event, I thought it would be nice to show the Polish national colours on my Fiesta RS WRC, and so that is what we have decided to do. Together with our partners, we have come up with a one-off design for this special event.”

Manufacturers: Hyundai Motorsport / Hyundai i20 WRC (Michelin)
7 Thierry Neuville / Nicolas Gilsoul (B)
8 Juho Hänninen / Tomi Tuominen (FIN)

Team Manufacturer: Hyundai Motorsport / Hyundai i20 WRC (Michelin)
20 Hayden Paddon / John Kennard (NZ)

The Hyundai Shell World Rally Team will continue its learning curve in the competitive WRC environment at a new-look event for the championship, Rally Poland, this weekend. The team, which experienced a challenging and ultimately productive Rally Italia Sardegna just a few weeks’ ago, is looking forward to learning more about its ever-evolving Hyundai i20 WRC car at another gravel event, with three cars entered once again.

Thierry Neuville and Nicolas Gilsoul will spearhead the team’s assault on Rally Poland in the #7 car, joined by Finnish pair Juho Hänninen and Tomi Tuominen in the #8 car and Kiwi crew Hayden Paddon and John Kennard in the #20 car entered by Hyundai Motorsport N.

This year’s event will be the 71st running of Rally Poland but it is returning to the WRC for the first time since 2009, running stages in Poland and Lithuania over 21 stages totaling 350km. The event, like Rally Italia Sardegna, will incorporate a remote service that will put added pressure on teams and drivers as they negotiate unknown and unfamiliar routes.

For Hyundai Shell World Rally Team, the objectives remain, as at all previous rallies, for all cars to complete the rally and to accumulate experience of the new terrain with the Hyundai i20 WRC car. The team tested in Poland after Argentina with all three driver crews taking part; Neuville and Hänninen drove on two days and Paddon on one day. The team also used Rally Italia Sardegna to prepare for this weekend’s rally with some of the road sections in the last event expected to be similar to those faced this weekend.

Team Principal Michel Nandan said: “We were able to take a number of positive elements away from Sardegna, including our first 1-2 stage wins. I feel that we are stronger as a team as a result of the experience of that event, which was certainly not an easy rally. Poland will be another new event for us and in fact quite new territory for everyone. It hasn’t been on the calendar for many years and a lot of the stages are completely new – including those in Lithuania which is a completely new country for WRC to visit. On Rally Poland, the stages are fast with a sandy surface so we need to have good traction. We carried out some important work on suspension and differential settings in between Argentina and Sardinia, which will be important for this weekend. It will not be easy but that is why we are here: to learn. We have three cars again with the same driver line-up so we will be able to pick up from where we left off in Sardinia – and aim to get all cars to the finish of the rally.”

Neuville and Gilsoul demonstrated strong pace during Rally Italia Sardegna, which saw them claim a stage win on Friday, so will be hopeful of another strong event in the #7 Hyundai i20 WRC. Neuville said: “Although Sardegna did not go to plan, we were still able to make some good discoveries for the future and we will use that experience this weekend in Poland. We tested there after Argentina with the Hyundai i20 WRC and the gravel roads are sandy and soft in nature, so it’s a new type of road surface for me. I expect it could be quite tough on the car but I am sure it will be nice and fast to drive on. We will have to see what the weather conditions are like but whatever happens, our aim is to go out there and get another good result for the Hyundai Shell World Rally Team.”

Hänninen and Tuominen also scored a stage win in Sardegna and briefly led the rally (their first in WRC). The Finns will be looking to put the disappointment of their Sardinia crash behind them as they aim to register a rally finish in their #8 Hyundai i20 WRC. Hänninen said: “Tomi and I were obviously disappointed with the outcome of Sardegna but we are pleased to be going to Poland where we will be able to get back into WRC action. It looks likely to be another tricky event but we have some recent testing experience from Poland which will be helpful. It is a new event for many people and it will be good to go to a new country when we have the Lithuania stages. We had some positives from the start of the rally in Sardegna, so for Poland I want to make sure we complete the rally and support the ongoing development of the car and the team.”

The Kiwi crew of Hayden Paddon and John Kennard had a strong debut event with the Hyundai Shell World Rally Team and will be hoping to accelerate their own learning curve in the #20 car (Hyundai Motorsport N). Paddon said: “I am really looking forward to Poland. I always prefer fast events and since it is an event that has not been in the championship for five years, it’s more of a leveller for a driver like me with less experience. We did a small test in Poland several weeks ago and from this we could see the roads are very fast, but also quite soft in places. We will be expecting rougher conditions on repeat stages, which will make it difficult, so we will have to make the most of the first pass on the stages. Since Sardegna, I have also analysed the data with my engineer and have identified two key areas that I will work on with my driving. We will go into the event trying some parts on the car for the first time but both my engineer and I are confident this will help me get a better feeling for the car in rally conditions. We have had our taster in Sardegna, now we are ready to step it up and try and get closer to the other Hyundai i20 WRC cars.”

Rally Poland marks the halfway point of the 2014 season, round seven of 13, and represents the first time that the event has appeared on the WRC calendar since 2009. Rally Poland itself is one of the world’s oldest rallies, having hosted its first event in 1921. It featured in the first WRC season in 1973 but left the calendar to become a European Rally Championship event. A one-off return in 2009 was the last time that WRC visited the country. This year’s event will take in two countries with WRC visiting Lithuania for the first time. It will be the 32nd different country to have staged a WRC event in the championship’s history.

The schedule will take in three stages on Thursday including one in the dark. Friday will see a remote service in Lithuania with four stages in the country, two either side of the service. The event will have four Super Special Stages held at the Mikolajki Arena in Poland, one on each day of the rally. All in all, it will be a step into the unknown for most teams and drivers but a challenge that Hyundai Shell World Rally Team is relishing as part of its learning year in the WRC.

Team Manufacturer: Jipocar Czech National Team / Ford Fiesta RS WRC (Michelin)
21 Martin Prokop / Jan Tománek (CZ)

FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP
Rally Poland
Pre-event Press Conference
Thursday 26th June

Shakedown results:

1. Jari-Matti Latvala, Volkswagen Polo R WRC, 1:59.3
2. Mads Østberg, Citroën DS3 WRC, 1:59.8
3. Andreas Mikkelsen, Volkswagen Polo R WRC, 1:59.9
4. Sébastien Ogier, Volkswagen Polo R WRC, 2:00.1
5. Kris Meeke, Citroën DS3 WRC, 2:00.7
6. Robert Kubica, Ford Fiesta RS WRC, 2:01.5
7. Thierry Neuville, Hyundai i20 WRC, 2:01.5
8. Henning Solberg, Ford Fiesta RS WRC, 2:01.7
9. Juho Hänninen, Hyundai i20 WRC, 2:02.4
10.Hayden Paddon, Hyundai i20 WRC, 2:02.5
11.Mikko Hirvonen, Ford Fiesta RS WRC, 2:03.0
12.Martin Prokop, Ford Fiesta RS WRC, 2:03.1
13.Elfyn Evans, Ford Fiesta RS WRC, 2:03.6
14.Michal Solowow, Ford Fiesta RS WRC, 2:04.0
15.Krzysztof Holowczyc, Ford Fiesta RS WRC, 2:04.7

bestofrallylive, Shakedown:

Leg 1 / Day 1, Thursday 26th June

SS 1 Milki 1 14.54km 16:40
SS 2 Kruklanki 1 17.24km 17:30
Regrouping (Mikolajki) 19:22
SS 3 Mikolajki Arena 1 2.50km 20:05
Flexi service A (Mikolajki), 45 min. 20:20
Parc fermé (Mikolajki) 00:00
Competitive distance: 34.28km

The starting order:

1. Sébastien Ogier, Volkswagen Polo R WRC
2. Jari-Matti Latvala, Volkswagen Polo R WRC
3. Mads Østberg, Citroën DS3 WRC
4. Andreas Mikkelsen, Volkswagen Polo R WRC
5. Mikko Hirvonen, Ford Fiesta RS WRC
6. Elfyn Evans, Ford Fiesta RS WRC
7. Kris Meeke, Citroën DS3 WRC
8. Thierry Neuville, Hyundai i20 WRC
9. Martin Prokop, Ford Fiesta RS WRC
10.Henning Solberg, Ford Fiesta RS WRC
11.Robert Kubica, Ford Fiesta RS WRC
12.Juho Hänninen, Hyundai i20 WRC
13.Hayden Paddon, Hyundai i20 WRC
14.Michal Solowow, Ford Fiesta RS WRC
15.Krzysztof Holowczyc, Ford Fiesta RS WRC

Sébastien Ogier has narrowly clinched the lead of Rally Poland this evening, the Frenchman just 2.8 seconds ahead of Volkswagen team-mate Andreas Mikkelsen after today’s short opening section. Third place is held by Kris Meeke with the crews closely bunched together at the head of the leaderboard.

LOTOS 71st Rally Poland got underway this afternoon with its ceremonial start in Mikołajki’s main square and the crews then headed directly to the first two stages before returning for the first of four runs around the 2.5 kilometre super special stage adjacent to the service park.

Behind the leading trio Juho Hänninen heads Hyundai’s assault, the Finn just eight-tenths of a second adrift of third place having set fastest time in the second stage. Mads Østberg is fifth with Thierry Neuville and Hayden Paddon sixth and seventh respectively in the other two factory i20 WRCs. Having set the pace at shakedown this morning, Jari-Matti Latvala has had a disappointing start to Rally Poland, an event that brings back heart-breaking memories from 2009 when he retired in the final stage, throwing away second position. He lost over 10 seconds in the opening 12.92 kilometre stage with a lack of confidence and then in the second stage struggled with the car’s handling under braking. Frustratingly, the Finn is already 23.5 seconds off the lead. Mikko Hirvonen is struggling in ninth with Martin Prokop 10th.

The most dramatic moments hit Rally Poland’s home grown talent; after an impressive fourth-fastest time in the first stage, Robert Kubica misjudged a jump and ended up rolling in a ditch. Remarkably the Pole lost less than 30 seconds and is 12th overnight. Multiple event winner and former FIA European Rally Champion Krzysztof Hołowczyc also went off the road but with less dramatic consequences. He is 16th overall after 34.28 kilometres of competition today.

Competition resumes on Friday morning but also takes the contenders into Lithuania, which hosts four of the day’s seven stages.

Results after Section 1

1. Sébastien Ogier, Volkswagen Polo R WRC, 17min 49.2sec
2. Andreas Mikkelsen, Volkswagen Polo R WRC, 17min 52.0sec
3. Kris Meeke, Citroën DS3 WRC, 17min 56.2sec
4. Juho Hänninen, Hyundai i20 WRC, 17min 57.0sec
5. Mads Østberg, Citroën DS3 WRC, 17min 58.1sec
6. Thierry Neuville, Hyundai i20 WRC, 18min 10.3sec
7. Hayden Paddon, Hyundai i20 WRC, 18min 12.4sec
8. Jari-Matti Latvala, Volkswagen Polo R WRC, 18min 12.7sec
9. Mikko Hirvonen, Ford Fiesta RS WRC, 18min 18.6sec
10.Martin Prokop, Ford Fiesta RS WRC, 18min 20.2sec

SS 2: Robert Kubica rolled

wrc, SS 1-2:

VolkswagenRally, Day 1:

Hyundai Motorsport, Day 1:

DMACK Tyres, Day 1:

audrius200, SS 1:

Leg 1 / Day 2, Friday 27th June

Service B (Mikolajki), 15 min. 7:00
SS 4 Wieliczki 1 12.89 km 9:10
SS 5 Kapciamiestis 1 26.61km 11:25
SS 6 Margionys 1 17.97km 12:30
Regrouping (Druskininkai) 13:20
Remote service C (Druskininkai), 15 min. 13:40
SS 7 Kapciamiestis 2 26.61km 14:40
SS 8 Margionys 2 17.97km 15:45
Regrouping (Druskininkai) 16:35
SS 9 Wieliczki 2 125.08 12.89km 19:15
Regrouping (Mikolajki) 21:42
SS 10 Mikolajki Arena 2 2.50km 22:00
Flexi service D (Mikolajki), 45 min. 22:15
Parc fermé (Mikolajki) 2:00
Competitive distance: 117.44km

The starting order:

Volkswagen Motorsport’s Sébastien Ogier has once again jumped into the lead on the final stage of Rally Poland today, overhauling team-mate Andreas Mikkelsen who has led for most of the day. Mads Østberg, driving the Citroën DS3 WRC, has climbed into third at the expense of team-mate Kris Meeke, who lost time running further down the order as road conditions got tricker and tricker.

The first full day of competition took in six long stages, four of which were scheduled to take place in neighbouring Lithuania, before the crews headed back to Mikołajki for the second run around the short super special stage. The 90.06 competitive kilometres were however reduced when the repeated runs over the Lithuanian roads became too rutted and had to be cancelled.

Ogier once again led the field of contenders into today’s stages but it was Mikkelsen who set the early pace, the Norwegian winning the opening test to head the leaderboard. He continued to lead after the following stage but was then overhauled by Ogier in the second Lithuanian stage. This evening, Mikkelsen again took a stage victory in SS9 but in the super special stage Ogier was 1.9 seconds faster around the 2.50 kilometre stage to take ninth-tenths of a second advantage into Saturday.

Competition has been fierce and Østberg became another stage victor in the event, benefitting by running nearer the front of the field when the conditions in stage five became very rutted. His gain was Meeke’s loss, and the Northern Irish driver dropped from third to fifth within a matter of two stages as conditions deteriorated. Jari-Matti Latvala has climbed from eighth last night to fourth, just eight seconds ahead of Meeke, and Juho Hänninen heads Hyundai’s assault in sixth. Mikko Hirvonen is seventh but all too aware that his pace notes are just too slow for this new event. Robert Kubica has had a good day after rolling yesterday and overnights in eighth. Elfyn Evans and Thierry Neuville round off the top 10.

Results after Section 4

1. Sébastien Ogier, Volkswagen Polo R WRC, 47min 22.4sec
2. Andreas Mikkelsen, Volkswagen Polo R WRC, 47min 23.3sec
3. Mads Østberg, Citroën DS3 WRC, 47min 41.9sec
4. Jari-Matti Latvala, Volkswagen Polo R WRC, 47min 54.4sec
5. Kris Meeke, Citroën DS3 WRC, 48min 02.4sec
6. Juho Hänninen, Hyundai i20 WRC, 48min 09.2sec
7. Mikko Hirvonen, Ford Fiesta RS WRC, 48min 29.2sec
8. Robert Kubica, Ford Fiesta RS WRC, 48min 38.5sec
9. Elfyn Evans, Ford Fiesta RS WRC, 48min 43.8sec
10.Thierry Neuville, Hyundai i20 WRC, 48min 45.2sec

SS 5: Michal Solowow rolled.

SS 6: Nils Solans went out off the road. Retired -> Rally 2

SS 9: Karl Kruuda crashed heavily. Retired

SS 9: Ghislain De Mevius crashed heavily. Retired

wrc, SS 3-6:

bestofrallylive, Leg 1:

VolkswagenRally, Day 2:

Hyundai Motorsport, Day 2:

DMACK Tyres, Day 2:

Leg 2 / Day 3, Saturday 28th June

Reigning FIA World Rally Champion Sébastien Ogier has pulled ahead of his Rally Poland rivals today and the Frenchman heads into Sunday’s final day of competition with just over a minute in hand to team-mate Andreas Mikkelsen. The Norwegian has simply been unable to consistently match Ogier’s pace but has never been more than 26 seconds adrift until dropping a mass of time with no brakes in the penultimate stage. He nevertheless has a comfortable advantage over third-placed Thierry Neuville, who has shot up the leaderboard from 10th last night.

Today’s route was the longest of the event and covered 10 stages and 161.58 competitive kilometres. Mikkelsen was hot on the pace from the outset, but even winning the first stage was not enough to keep Ogier behind and, in the following stage, an overshoot handed his rival a further 10 second advantage. With five stage wins to his credit today, Ogier was able to maintain his lead during a day of dramatic action that has put a number of his rivals on the sidelines and shuffled the leaderboard throughout the day.

Thierry Neuville has steadily climbed the leaderboard, the Belgian much happier with the handling of the car and confident to battle with team-mate Juho Hänninen, Robert Kubica and Mikko Hirvonen. He also benefitted when Kubica had a couple of punctures, lost time running wide and hitting a log pile and then ultimately retired after taking the right rear wheel off late this afternoon. Neuville moved into third this afternoon but remains in a close battle with Hirvonen who has climbed to fourth, the rivals split by mere seconds this evening. With an offset steering wheel, fifth-placed Hänninen has struggled this afternoon but he too is in the battle for third, as is Jari-Matti Latvala. The Finn has had a traumatic day, however. In stage 14 – while trying to pass Kris Meeke who had gone off the road – he hit something, resulting in the damper popping through the bonnet. With no option but to continue through this stage and the next, the Finn dropped from third to seventh, enduring yet another heart-wrenching Rally Poland. He has recovered to sixth and is a mere four-tenths of a second behind Hänninen.

Hayden Paddon is seventh overnight ahead of Henning Solberg who has had a few moments today. Kris Meeke has had a bad day, dropping from fifth to ninth after going off the road and picking up a puncture. Team-mate Mads Østberg fared little better; he hit a rock, took a wheel off, rolled and retired from the event. Elfyn Evans was another retiree after damaging the suspension on the Fiesta RS WRC.

The final day of competition on Sunday takes in just four stages and 49.18 competitive kilometres.

Results after Section 6

1. Sébastien Ogier, Volkswagen Polo R WRC, 2hr 08min 47.3sec
2. Andreas Mikkelsen, Volkswagen Polo R WRC, 2hr 09min 49.1sec
3. Thierry Neuville, Hyundai i20 WRC, 2hr 11min 07.8sec
4. Mikko Hirvonen, Ford Fiesta RS WRC, 2hr 11min 18.5sec
5. Juho Hänninen, Hyundai i20 WRC, 2hr 11min 32.5sec
6. Jari-Matti Latvala, Volkswagen Polo R WRC, 2hr 11min 32.9sec
7. Hayden Paddon, Hyundai i20 WRC, 2hr 12min 57.6sec
8. Henning Solberg, Ford Fiesta RS WRC, 2hr 13min 16.8sec
9. Kris Meeke, Citroën DS3 WRC, 2hr 13min 20.3sec
10.Martin Prokop, Ford Fiesta RS WRC, 2hr 14min 05.9sec

SS 12: Sébastien Chardonnet went out off the road. Retired -> Rally 2

SS 12: Frederico Della Casa missed the junction and rolled the car

SS 14: Mads Østberg he hit a rock, took a wheel off, rolled the car. Retired

SS 14: Kris Meeke had a puncture and changed the wheel. Lost over three minutes.

SS 14: Elfyn Evans hit a rock and damaged the lower front suspension link. Retired -> Rally 2

SS 14: Ralfs Sirmacis went out off the road and hit a tree. Retired -> Rally 2

SS 17: Robert Kubica hit a rock and damaged the suspension. Retired -> Rally 2

SS 19: Rashid Al Ketbi went out off the road.

wrc, SS 7-14:

wrc, SS 15-17:

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Hyundai Motorsport, Day 3:

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Leg 3 / Day 4, Sunday 29th June

Reigning FIA World Rally Champions Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia racked up their fifth victory of the season today when they won LOTOS Rally Poland on its return to the series for the first time since 2009. The French duo have diced for honours throughout the event with Polo R WRC team-mates Andreas Mikkelsen and Ola Floene but pulled clear last night, paving the way for their 21st world rally victory. Behind Mikkelsen, Thierry Neuville and Nicolas Gilsoul picked up the final podium position, their second of the season with the new Hyundai i20 WRC.

In the FIA World Rally Championship for Drivers, Ogier once again extends his advantage and takes a 50 point lead at the mid-point of the season. Jari-Matti Latvala maintains second and Mikkelsen climbs into third position, giving Volkswagen drivers a one-two-three at the top of the leaderboard. In the Manufacturers’ Championship, the German marque heads the Citroën Total Abu Dhabi World Rally Team by 147 points.

Today’s route took in just four stages and 49.18 competitive kilometres, the event closing with the 14.90 kilometre Power Stage where additional points are awarded to the fastest three drivers. Here, Volkswagen drivers again took the honours with Ogier, Mikkelsen and Latvala claiming the extra Championship points. While only a short day of competition, battles continue to rage across the leaderboard with crews fighting for third, fourth and fifth positions. Neuville managed to maintain third but both Mikko Hirvonen and Latvala pushed hard, Latvala ultimately missing out on fourth position by a mere seven-tenths of a second. Juho Hänninen ran well in the second i20 WRC and finished a close sixth. Kris Meeke endured a disappointing event but nevertheless climbed to seventh, inching ahead of Hayden Paddon in the penultimate stage. Henning Solberg and Martin Prokop rounded off the top 10. Local hero Robert Kubica re-joined today, delighting thousands of fans out on the stages; he finished 20th.

The FIA World Rally Championship now takes a four-week break before heading to the land of the 1000 lakes for Neste Oil Rally Finland (31 July – 3 August).

Final Results

1. Sébastien Ogier, Volkswagen Polo R WRC, 2hr 34min 02.0sec
2. Andreas Mikkelsen, Volkswagen Polo R WRC, 2hr 35min 09.7sec
3. Thierry Neuville, Hyundai i20 WRC, 2hr 36min 15.5sec
4. Mikko Hirvonen, Ford Fiesta RS WRC, 2hr 36min 34.4sec
5. Jari-Matti Latvala, Volkswagen Polo R WRC, 2hr 36min 35.1sec
6. Juho Hänninen, Hyundai i20 WRC, 2hr 36min 51.9sec
7. Kris Meeke, Citroën DS3 WRC, 2hr 38min 29.9sec
8. Hayden Paddon, Hyundai i20 WRC, 2hr 38min 34.1sec
9. Henning Solberg, Ford Fiesta RS WRC, 2hr 39min 01.0sec
10.Martin Prokop, Ford Fiesta RS WRC, 2hr 40min 13.3sec

SS 21: Robert Kubica was late out of service, when the team discovered an issue with the alternator. He got two minute and 20 second time penalty.

wrc, SS 18-24:

bestofrallylive, Highlights:

VolkswagenRally, Summary

Hyundai Motorsport, Day 4:

Citroën Racing, Review:

DMACK Tyres, Day 4:

mk2 racing videos:

JM video:

FIA World Rally Championship for Drivers (after 7 of 13 rounds)

Sébastien Ogier (FRA) 166 points
Jari-Matti Latvala (FIN) 116 points
Andreas Mikkelsen (NOR) 83 points
Mads Østberg (NOR) 66 points
Mikko Hirvonen (FIN) 52 points
Thierry Neuville (BEL) 46 points
Kris Meeke (GBR) 38 points
Elfyn Evans (GBR) 36 points
Martin Prokop (CZE) 31 points
Henning Solberg (NOR) 24 points
Bryan Bouffier (FRA) 18 points
Juho Hänninen (FIN) 12 points
Robert Kubica (POL) 12 points
Ott Tanak (EST) 10 points
Benito Guerra (MEX) 8 points
Chris Atkinson (AUS) 6 points
Pontus Tidemand (SWE) 4 points
Hayden Paddon (NZL) 4 points
Jaroslav Melicharek (SVK) 4 points
Nasser Al-Attiyah (QAT) 3 points
Lorenzo Bertelli (ITA) 2 points
Matteo Gamba (ITA) 2 points
Craig Breen (IRL) 2 points
Yuriy Protasov (UKR) 2 points
Jari Ketomaa (FIN) 1 point
Khalid Al Qassimi (ARE) 1 point

FIA World Rally Championship for Manufacturers (after 7 of 13 rounds)

Volkswagen Motorsport 262 points
Citroën Total Abu Dhabi World Rally Team 115 points
M-Sport World Rally Team 90 points
Volkswagen Motorsport II 82 points
Hyundai Motorsport 80 points
Jipocar Czech National Team 34 points
RK M-Sport World Rally Team 19 points
Hyundai Motorsport N 8 points

Team Reviews

Manufacturers: Volkswagen Motorsport / Volkswagen Polo R WRC (Michelin)
1 Sebastien Ogier / Julien Ingrassia (F)
2 Jari-Matti Latvala / Miikka Anttila (FIN)

Team Manufacturer: Volkswagen Motorsport II / Volkswagen Polo R WRC (Michelin)
9 Andreas Mikkelsen / Ola Fløene (N)

Sébastien Ogier (Polo R WRC #1) heads into the brief summer break in the 2014 championship season with a reassuring lead. “I can afford to have two rallies where I don’t score any points and I would probably still top the standings,” said the Frenchman doing some quick maths after his victory at the Rally Poland. Together with the three bonus points for his victory on the power stage, the reigning world champion leaves Mikołajki with a total of 28 points. “That’s not the only reason that the weekend was perfect. The speedy special stages were a lot of fun and my Polo R WRC didn’t have any problems at all.”

Co-driver Julien Ingrassia looked five weeks into the future, to the end of the summer break. “This weekend was the perfect preparation for the Rally Finland. We had four days to get used to the speed that is driven there.” Ogier/Ingrassia will head to Finland with high expectations at any rate – last year they won at the rally of 1000 lakes.

Andreas Mikkelsen (Polo R WRC #9) isn’t even thinking about winning in Poland. “I’d be more than happy with a place on the podium,” said the runner up of the Rally Poland. “But I’m getting closer to Sébastien with each rally. That’s a great feeling.”
After Ogier, Mikkelsen drove the second-fastest time on the power stage. Just like his team captain he had gone easy on his tyres in the previous stages, driving with comparative restraint. A strategy that paid off. “The power stage at the end was amazing. I love these high-speed stages.”

Jari-Matti Latvala (Polo R WRC #2) returned to relatively good spirits at the end of the seventh WRC rally of the 2014 season. “I was really frustrated yesterday. Not just because I damaged the suspension in an overtaking manoeuvre. I couldn’t find the right rhythm either. It was a different story today.”

For Latvala, who missed out on fourth place by a fractional 0.7 seconds, it was particularly important to find his old form ahead of his home rally. “The Rally Finland is not a rally where you want to be lacking in self confidence.”

Sébastien Ogier, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #1
“It’s just brilliant – this win was an important one in the world championship stakes! Julien and I had a perfect rally here in Poland. The stages were incredibly quick – and the huge numbers of fans along the way were simply brilliant. As a driver, you can enjoy every single kilometre. On the final day today, there were some wonderful stretches again where I had to force myself not to go at full pelt. Because obviously we didn’t want to jeopardise our lead too much. I’d like to say a huge thank-you to my team, who provided me with a perfect car every day. The Polo R WRC is simply a great car to drive. You can hurtle through the forest at 200 km/h and everything works like Swiss precision clockwork.”

Jari-Matti Latvala, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #2
“It was a rally with some ups and downs, but ultimately a happy ending. I lacked confidence at the beginning and the vehicle set-up wasn’t right, and then we lost a lot of time due to the damaged damper. But ultimately what matters the most is that we managed to hit the right pace again and were therefore able to partially close the gap to the front-runners. I have now also overcome my demons from Rally Poland in 2009, as I managed to win the stage where I was forced to pull out back then. Unfortunately, Sébastien Ogier has increased his overall lead in the WRC – but we will try to reduce the gap again in Finland.”

Andreas Mikkelsen, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #9
“Second place and my second podium finish in the WRC – it’s a great result. It was an honour for me to battle it out with the reigning world champion for the top spot for so long. I didn’t manage to beat him and take the lead in the end, but my aim is still to one day stand on the top step of the winners’ rostrum. We will endeavour to gradually improve to the levels of Sébastien Ogier and Jari-Matti Latvala – and we took a big step in that direction here in Poland. For now, though, I’m going to celebrate the fact that I came second and recognise what we achieved this weekend. I really enjoyed the special stages. They were fast and smooth – and that’s the kind of driving I like.”

Jost Capito, Volkswagen Motorsport Director
“What a great premiere for Volkswagen in Rally Poland! This WRC event was terra incognita for our team, so securing the fourth one-two victory of the year here and extending our run of successes is a huge achievement for the entire team. Sébastien Ogier was once again in a class of his own in the tough conditions, Andreas Mikkelsen demonstrated why he likes fast and smooth tracks, and Jari-Matti Latvala put in a strong catching-up performance. The mechanics pulled off a major feat to put his Polo R WRC back in the running, so it’s hats off to them. After four long, hard rally days with very little sleep, we all deserve a beer.”

Manufacturers: Citroën Total Abu Dhabi World Rally Team / Citroën DS3 WRC (Michelin)
3 Kris Meeke / Paul Nagle (GB/IRL)
4 Mads Østberg / Jonas Andersson (N/S)

In securing seventh position overall at the end of Rally Poland, Kris Meeke and Paul Nagle ensured the Citroën Total Abu Dhabi World Rally Team held onto its second place in the Manufacturers’ World Rally Championship standings.

After running in third place in the overall standings at the start of rally, Kris Meeke had lost almost three minutes when he picked up a puncture on SS14. Relegated to eleventh position, the Briton began a long fightback.

Ninth at the start of the final day, the DS3 WRC driver got the better of Henning Solberg on SS21 before moving ahead of Hayden Paddon on SS23.

At the end of this event, which marked the midway point of the season, Kris finished seventh overall, scoring six World Championship points.

Sébastien Chardonnet and Thibault De la Haye rejoined this morning under Rally 2 rules. Using the final few kilometres of the rally to add to their experience, they even finished second fastest on SS23 in the WRC2 category, meaning they ended the event in eleventh position in their Citroën DS3 R5.

Leader from start to finish, Stéphane Lefebvre took his second consecutive win in the FIA Junior WRC. The Citroën DS3 R3 podium was completed by Alastair Fisher and Quentin Giordano.

Rally Finland, the next round of the World Rally Championship, will be held from 31 July to 3 August. The Citroën Total Abu Dhabi World Rally Team will warm up for the rally by taking part in an exhibition in the streets of Helsinki on Saturday, 26 July.

QUOTE, UNQUOTE

Kris Meeke: “It was an interesting rally in terms of experience. We were among the frontrunners. Unfortunately, the stages in Lithuania didn’t work out very well for us and we then had a puncture on the long stage. Climbing back up from eleventh to finish seventh isn’t a bad result, but it could have been much better. I’m nonetheless pleased to have gained in confidence and gathered a lot of data to help us prepare well for the next round in Finland.”

Sébastien Chardonnet: “I had to adapt to the very high average speeds on the Rally Poland stages. I had to build up my confidence with a fairly soft set-up. We then upped our pace to try and get onto the podium. It was a good learning experience even if we ended up making a minor mistake. This morning, I really took advantage of the stages to test a harder set-up. This is our second rally with the Citroën DS3 R5 and we’ve had no technical issues whatsoever. My congratulations and thanks go to the MY Racing and Citroën teams. We learned a lot in Sardinia and here, on very road surfaces. I hope that will help us to be on the pace from the word go in Finland!”

Yves Matton (Citroën Racing Team Principal): “Our drivers proved that the changes made to the set-up of the DS3 WRCs were heading in the right direction. Mads showed that he has the ability to match the best at the front in the second half of the season. Kris is beginning to pick up his pace and build his confidence. He managed the rally very well, especially on the stages where he was at a disadvantage due to his road position.”

HOW THE ACTION UNFOLDED

SS21 – Milki 2 (14.54km) – The standings changed after the first stage of day, held in light rain. Jari-Matti Latvala grabbed fifth position from Juho Hänninen, whilst Kris Meeke moved ahead of Henning Solberg into eighth place.

SS22 – Kruklanki 2 (17.24km) – Stage win for Jari-Matti Latvala, ahead of Thierry Neuville and Kris Meeke. The Briton closed to within a tenth of a second of seventh place, held by Hayden Paddon.

SS23 – Super Special Stage Mikolajki Arena 4 (2.50km) – The fourth and final run on the super special stage saw Kris Meeke move past Hayden Paddon. The stage win went to Jari-Matti Latvala, followed by Juho Hänninen and Robert Kubica.

SS24 – Baranowo 2 Power Stage (14.90km) – Sébastien Ogier won the Power Stage and Rally Poland. On this final stage, he finished ahead of his team-mates Andreas Mikkelsen and Jari-Matti Latvala. Kris Meeke finished with fifth fastest time, securing seventh position overall.

Manufacturers: M-Sport World Rally Team / Ford Fiesta RS WRC (Michelin)
5 Mikko Hirvonen / Jarmo Lehtinen (FIN)
6 Elfyn Evans / Daniel Barrit (GB)

M-Sport World Rally Team’s Mikko Hirvonen has made the most of a challenging Rally Poland – bringing his Ford Fiesta RS WRC home in fourth place. Elfyn Evans finished under Rally 2 regulations, but the Welshman remains in a positive mood having made another progressive step in his development.

M-Sport’s resident Finn had been battling with his pacenotes throughout the weekend. Hindered by notes a scale too slow for the fast-paced stages, Hirvonen refused to give up the fight and adapted to the situation in admirable fashion.

Focused on the job in hand, he and co-driver Jarmo Lehtinen put all of their skill and experience to good use. When others fell victim to the tricky conditions, the Finns upped their pace and quickly found themselves back where they belonged – battling for a podium position during the rally’s final phase.

With just 10 seconds separating the Fiesta driver from a top-three finish, Hirvonen was not going to give up without a fight. Working long into the night, he and Lehtinen studied all of their onboard videos; perfecting their pacenotes at every opportunity.

Despite their best efforts, the pairing had to settle for fourth place, albeit with a highly respectable points haul considering their difficult weekend.

In the sister M-Sport Fiesta RS WRC, a progressive weekend was cruelly cut short for Evans and co-driver Daniel Barritt. The pairing were one of numerous crews to clip an unsighted rock towards the end of SS14 – damaging the lower front suspension link and forcing the Brits to make an ultimely exit from the third day of competition.

Despite his misfortune, Evans can take many positives from this weekend’s event. Setting some highly impressive split times to rival the rally leaders, M-Sport’s protégé has proved that he has the pace and remains upbeat with the prospect of more familiar events to come.

Next in his development, the Welshman will work towards sustaining his speed over the course of an entire stage distance. Having gained some vital experience on what was the fastest competition of his career, the youngster heads to Rally Finland’s famously high-speed route with his confidence high.

Mikko Hirvonen (4th) said:

“It’s been a really difficult weekend. It all went wrong on the recce and we had to play catch up from there. That’s the way it was and we just had to deal with it as best we could.

“My pace wasn’t as good as it should have been, but I stayed out of trouble and just tried to do my best. Many people had problems this weekend and we were able to capitalise on that and score some good points.”

Elfyn Evans (35th) said:

“I think it’s fair to say that it was a difficult start for us. We were able to build the pace as the weekend went on, but it took me a little longer than I would have liked to adapt. Once we started to get used to the speed, I think the times were quite promising.

“Just as we were getting to the point where we felt comfortable to up our game and push a bit more, we hit the rock which caught out so many crews on SS14. It was a shame for sure, but that’s just the way it is sometimes and you have to put it down to experience.

“It was good to get back out today – to get some more mileage and perfect the notes for the future. It wasn’t a fantastic run being first on the road, but on the whole it has been a very productive weekend.

“It’s all good practice ahead of Rally Finland. We’ve got a bit of a break now but with a good test before the rally I’m sure we’ll be looking for a strong result.”

Team Principal, Malcolm Wilson OBE, said:

“It’s been a difficult weekend for Mikko [Hirvonen] and rare for him to make a mistake on recce. He coped well with the situation and refused to give up the fight. For that, he has been rewarded with a solid points finish.

“Elfyn [Evans] was unfortunate yesterday, but his progression behind the wheel has been very impressive. After a somewhat shaky start, he found a good rhythm and his splits have been good. These fast stages will see him well placed as we head to Rally Finland and a series of events on which he has more experience.”

ADDITIONAL M-SPORT DRIVERS

M-Sport’s range of Ford Fiesta rally cars continues to dominate the WRC 2 category. The Blue Oval secured another clean sweep of the podium with Ott Tänak and Jari Ketomaa delivering a stunning drive to first and second places respectively. Their performance put the Ford Fiesta R5 in a class of its own with 20 of a possible 22 stage wins.

Yazeed Al-Rajhi brought his Ford Fiesta RRC home in third; the Fiesta RRC of Bernardo Sousa claimed the remaining two stages to make it a full house of fastest times for M-Sport.

There were also some highly impressive performances from M-Sport’s two-wheel-drive competitors. The Ford Fiesta R2 crews showcased the speed and strength of M-Sport’s first global rally car – their pace comparing favourably to that of the other two-wheel-drive participants.

M-Sport Managing Director, Malcolm Wilson OBE, said:

“It’s been another great event for us in the WRC 2 category with yet another clean sweep of the podium. Ott [Tanak] and Jari [Ketomaa] put the [Ford] Fiesta R5 in a class of its own.

“Yazeed’s [Al Rajhi] third place in the [Ford Fiesta] RRC and a strong performance from Martin Kangur in the [Ford Fiesta] S2000 goes to prove that our range of Fiestas provide a highly competitive and reliable package.”

Team Manufacturer: RK M-Sport World Rally Team / Ford Fiesta RS WRC (Michelin)
10 Robert Kubica / Maciej Szczepaniak (PL)

Rally Poland was always going to be a special event for RK M-Sport World Rally Team’s Robert Kubica, but luck was not on the Pole’s side this weekend. The Formula One race winner may have finished outside of the points, but his finishing position did not reflect his speed and he was encouraged by another strong performance on gravel.

The rally started well with a third fastest time over the opening speed test, but a roll on SS2 relegated him down the order. With the support of the Polish fans, Robert forfeited just 25 seconds and lost none of his confidence – starting the second day as he meant to go on with another top-three time through the first pass of Wieliczki (SS4).

Unfortunately, it was not to be and Saturday’s action became a story of misfortune. Carrying one spare tyre, the Pole suffered two punctures through the morning loop and it was touch and go whether he would make it through the final stage (SS15). Thanks to the determination of the Fiesta driver and the strength of Michelin’s LATITUDE Cross tyre, he made it through the stage and back to base with the delaminated tyre.

But his hard work was undone on SS17 when an unsighted rock damaged the suspension of his Ford Fiesta RS WRC. The impact also started a small fire as a broken damper dripped oil onto the brake disc and Robert was forced to accept Rally 2 regulations for the final day.

Embarking on the final day of competition, his misfortune continued. When the team discovered an issue with the alternator he was late out of service and had to accept an additional two minute and 20 second time penalty.

Despite his troubles, Robert can take a number of positives from this weekend. He showed good speed and has gained some vital knowledge when it comes to competing on high-speed gravel.

This weekend’s experience sees the 29-year-old well placed to make further improvements when the FIA World Rally Championship returns to the sport’s spiritual home at next month’s Rally Finland.

Robert Kubica (20th) said:

“It hasn’t been the luckiest of rallies for us, but there are still some positives to take away from the weekend. Other than our small mistake I think we have been driving well and it was great to see so many fans out on the stages. We have to look on the positive side and there are many positives to take from this event.

“It puts us in a good position ahead of the next event. Finland is a very particular event and I think after this rally the speed of the stages will not come as such a big surprise. Of course the character is very different with a lot more corners over crests, but the speed range is quite similar.”

Team Principal, Malcolm Wilson OBE, said:

“It’s been another tricky event for Robert [Kubica], but he has shown good speed and when everything is going right he seems to be enjoying the fast gravel stages. Hopefully this weekend will see him better prepared for Finland.”

Manufacturers: Hyundai Motorsport / Hyundai i20 WRC (Michelin)
7 Thierry Neuville / Nicolas Gilsoul (B)
8 Juho Hänninen / Tomi Tuominen (FIN)

Team Manufacturer: Hyundai Motorsport / Hyundai i20 WRC (Michelin)
20 Hayden Paddon / John Kennard (NZ)

The Hyundai Shell World Rally Team has claimed its second podium result of the 2014 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) season as Thierry Neuville (#7 Hyundai i20 WRC, co-driver Nicolas Gilsoul) claimed third place after an action-packed Rally Poland.

In just its seventh WRC event, the rookie team has enjoyed a positive week and has had its hard work rewarded with a debut three car finish as Juho Hänninen (#8 Hyundai i20 WRC, co-driver Tomi Tuominen) and Hayden Paddon (#20 Hyundai i20 WRC, co-driver John Kennard) also completed the rally inside the top eight overall.

The team has shown competitive pace in this event and has seen all three Hyundai i20 WRC cars and crews demonstrate podium potential as all three drivers registered quick stage times during the weekend. Neuville scored a stage win in the 14.41km Stare Juchy 2 stage on last Saturday, Hänninen topped the times in SS2 (Kruklanki 17.24km) while Paddon, in just his second WRC event as a Hyundai Shell World Rally Team driver, finished 0.7s off a stage win in Friday’s SS4 (Wieliczki 12.89km).

Neuville had a strong Rally Poland, fighting hard showing competitiveness and determination to make his way from tenth up into the podium positions.

Neuville said: “It has been a positive weekend for us and I am pleased with the podium result. To come back from tenth place, where we were at the end of Friday, to third had been great achievement. This rally was hard. You had to find your confidence, and once you have that you can be really fast. It has been a great job from the entire team this weekend. We have worked really well together to tackle the rally in calm and focused way. It is a very nice result to have all three cars finish a WRC event for the first time.”

Hänninen has also shown some impressive pace in Poland to claim a stage win on the opening day and regularly be among the pace setters, and with the top six finish gives the Finn his best result of the season and much cause for satisfaction.

Hanninen said: “I’m quite happy with the rally and it has been a very good weekend for the team overall. I made no mistakes during the four days and we have shown some strong pace at times. I was happy with the set-up and, generally, it has been running perfectly. Yesterday, we had some issues which slowed us down but thankfully Thierry was able to regain the third position for the team. I lost a bit in this morning’s first stage so I took it steady after that to secure sixth place. There are definitely lots of encouraging aspects to take away from this event.”

Paddon registered a second consecutive rally finish in just his second event with the team, and has also claimed his first top eight results in the #20 Hyundai i20 WRC. The Kiwi crew set the second fastest time in SS4 and achieved their objective of gaining confidence in the often tricky conditions.

Paddon said: “All in all it was a good rally, one of progression, learning and enjoyment. I am pleased to finish in eighth place and to have contributed to the team’s first three car finish. Everyone has done a great job and personally I am pleased with the progress that John and I have made since Sardegna. Some of the stages here were definitely more suited to my style, and I think we showed what we are capable of when we have the confidence to push. There are still some areas I need to work on but for our second event with the team, we can be pleased. We now need to make another step forward for Finland.”

Team Principal Michel Nandan: “We can be very proud of our achievements in this rally. We set the objective of a three car finish and to challenge for some competitive stage times, and we have managed this well. All three driver crews have performed strongly, had good pace and shown the potential of the Hyundai i20 WRC when everything comes together. We have taken two stage wins in Poland and scored our second podium result – all in only our seventh WRC event. Considering the comparative infancy of our team, this is very encouraging. I would like to thank everyone in the team, both at the rally and back at Alzenau, for contributing. We have learned a lot from this rally, in some difficult and changeable conditions, and we look forward to Finland where we will have some updates on the Hyundai i20 WRC which we hope will mark another step forward for our young team.”

Team Manufacturer: Jipocar Czech National Team / Ford Fiesta RS WRC (Michelin)
21 Martin Prokop / Jan Tománek (CZ)

FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP
Rally Poland
Post-event Press Conference
Sunday 29th June

Present:
1st – Sébastien Ogier, Volkswagen Motorsport
1st – Julien Ingrassia, Volkswagen Motorsport
2nd – Andreas Mikkelsen, Volkswagen Motorsport II
2nd – Ola Floene, Volkswagen Motorsport II
3rd – Thierry Neuville, Hyundai Motorsport
3rd – Nicolas Gilsoul, Hyundai Motorsport
Jost Capito, Team Principal, Volkswagen MotorsportQ:
Seb, a fantastic win for you here in Poland and it’s your 21st WRC victory. What are your thoughts?
SO:
Let’s say it was a fantastic weekend in the car. It was so much fun. It was a lot of pleasure but not an easy rally. There is always someone who is fast. Normally it has been Jari-Matti [Latvala] and here it was Andreas who was fast. On the first day, like always, we push to try and take an advantage. This has been a good step for my Championship and another 28 points.Q:
The opening two days were very close and then, yesterday, you began to pull out a lead. What made the difference and why were you so good?
SO:
All weekend I thought I was good. Yesterday we made a difference, but the conditions were the same. I knew from day one that staying in contact with the leading group was the priority and it was good. I stay on a level and we make the difference. At the end it paid off. It was a bigger gap than I thought after Andreas’s problems with the brakes. I started with a good rhythm and I controlled my speed to win it.Q:
All the drivers had a few moments out there, didn’t they?
SO:
I had a big one actually and Kris [Meeke] and some of the others had the same. It was the first of stage two yesterday. I was thinking it was almost flat and it was not flat at all. It was a long corner and we got sideways in sixth gear – it was a close call but we were okay. Then, later, I missed a junction with the brakes. Saying that, the car was perfect and we should congratulate the team for that. If you have the perfect tools you can win. I picked up more points than I expected. The target was to try and maintain the gap and now I have an advantage of 50 points. That’s two wins and there are only six races to go, so it’s looking good at this stage.Q:
Julien, another great win for the pair of you. How are you feeling? This must be good for your confidence for the next rally?
JI:
This has been a great event – the stages have been really nice, narrow and technical in places and very fast in others. They have been challenging roads. For me, it has been a long week with long days. This is a good training for Finland with the speed, but there is still a long way to go. I am just happy to get the points for the team. There are some tarmac challenges coming up soon so we have to concentrate. The big event of the year in Finland is next. There are many drivers on a fast pace. We want to get a good result there.Q:
Andreas, it was a great battle between you and Seb. Second place must have given you confidence?
AM:
Firstly, I am so happy to take second place. I started competing closely with Seb all the way, but then on the second stage on Saturday I made three mistakes and lost my rhythm after that. I went into service and the gap was 19 seconds and I thought second position would be a good result. I didn’t see the point taking a risk to try and catch him. When Mads [Østberg] went off I thought I could also improve my position in the Championship and I decided to settle for second place. I was not planning to go fast on the Power Stage, but I had a good feeling and, when I released the handbrake, I decided to have a go. I had a good feeling all weekend. The car was working perfectly and the team did an amazing job. It was a pleasure to drive the car.Q:
Do you think you are far away from that first WRC win?
AM:
Well, we are getting closer and closer. The potential is there but there are things to improve. It may take time but, hopefully, it is not too far away. I feel confident with the speed we are doing. Ola [(Floene] joined me in Sardinia and it clicked back into place. We had six years together before and it feels good.Q:
Ola, you have had podiums in the past and you are the reigning Junior Championship co-driver, but this is your first time on the WRC podium!
OF:
I like to take it step-by-step! It is really nice. I felt I was back home with Andreas. We think the same things and have a good feeling in the car. I didn’t believe it myself and maybe I need to watch myself on television first. I am happy to be back here. We trust each other.Q:
What an event for you Thierry? Down at the bottom of the leaderboard and then a fight back from 10th place?
TN:
I am feeling good after a difficult start with the car and the brakes. I could not go any better and I saw that we had to change something. Then we had the burning brakes on the car on Friday’s last stage and that forced us to change the whole brake system. It was a different car after that and everything was right – the balance of the car and the feeling. I continued like I finished in Sardinia and I wanted to set the best times possible. It was fantastic to get back from 10th to third position and the podium. It was a great achievement for us. This is only the second rally of the season for our new team on the podium and I am so happy for the team. They are working so hard all the time – they are doing really great.Q:
What were your thoughts before the start about the fight for third today?
TN:
Honestly, not a lot because I felt comfortable. The stages were not new and we had done them on Thursday. I just tried to push yesterday and, after the long stage yesterday, I started to manage a bit. I was pushing when it was needed and slowing down near the end when it was okay.Q:
You have some updates coming on the car?
TN:
Some small updates are here already and more are planned for Finland. I hope that they are bringing us a bit closer to the other teams. We are not going to win straight away, we still need a few rallies to develop and do some more testing. But we are going in the right way. The whole team is so professional and we all work well together. We are making progress in every area and for Nicolas and me it is easy to do our job.Q:
Nicolas, a great result. What are your thoughts?
NG:
I enjoy a lot the stages – they are fast and proper driving stages, not like the cross country ones we had in Argentina and Sardinia. I struggled a bit at the start with the notes because they were a lot faster than I expected. The team is working hard between the rallies to improve. It takes time. The best work we can do for our team is to be on the podium and get close to the win.

Q:
Jost, a Volkswagen one-two and it could have been a Volkswagen one-two-three…
JC:
First of all I want to say it was a crazy schedule to start before six in the morning and then work until after midnight. The whole team is tired. You cannot hope for a better result. The Volkswagen one-two-three was there for a time until Jari-Matti’s problems, but we have not done it yet. Saying that, a double victory is not easy. Jari-Matti’s mechanics did a good job to give him a chance to fight back to fifth. We are more than happy. They were really nice stages and the atmosphere is nice with lots of spectators. But there is no need to have the special stages late at night and have service in the early hours of the morning.

Q:
Jost, what are your hopes for the second half of the season?
JC:
The same result as the first half would be good! I think Andreas has shown great maturity and is ready to win a WRC event. He has the speed to match Seb and Jari-Matti and he is getting in a position to win a rally.

FIA WRC 2 CHAMPIONSHIP

Present:
1st – Ott Tanak
1st – Raigo Molder

Q:
Ott, your first win of the season. What are your feelings?
OT:
It is definitely a good feeling for me. We have been waiting for this a long time. It should have been in Mexico but we had an unlucky moment there. I hope the luck is changing now. I was happy with my pace with the car. We had strict orders from the beginning not to go too fast and try to be as stable as possible and keep to a good pace. Jari [Ketomaa] had been pushing a bit on Friday and then, from Saturday, we made sure we both finished to bring the points home for the DMACK team. The event was enjoyable. The roads were fantastic and the surface was on a hard base and there was only a small risk of punctures. I was able to enjoy it and the times are coming on the back of that.

Q:
What are your thoughts on the victory here in Poland?
RM:
This was, for me, a similar rally to Estonia. These days here in the WRC have been the most enjoyable of the year. Of course, it is also a special moment and the best feeling for us to win this weekend. We are both learning a lot. There is a lot of work to do. No-one said it would be easy. Me and Ott and the team are doing our best.

FIA JUNIOR WRC CHAMPIONSHIP

Present:
1st – Stéphane Lefebvre
1st – Thomas Dubois

Q:
Stéphane, this is your second Junior win of the season. You must be delighted?
SL:
Yes, this is a really great win for us. I win in Portugal and then I win here. This is the second time for the car on gravel and it was amazing. I win with a gap of two minutes to [Alastair] Fisher and that is really perfect for us. I did not push all the time. I make no mistakes this week. It is not possible to take this rally all the time flat. I take no risks. It is not difficult to push this car to the maximum. I like this car.

Q:
Thomas, a victory in the Junior WRC. What is your feeling?
TD:
This is a fantastic rally with beautiful stages. The super special, there were lots of people and many fans on the edge of the road. That made it really special. It has been difficult for the concentration and the stages are slippery and need concentration. Because of the speed and lot of jumps the accuracy of the pace notes was important.

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WRC 2014, Round 7/13 – LOTOS Rally Poland (June 26/29)

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