PoloDriver

With more than 200,000 spectators watching, the Volkswagen Motorsport factory team successfully took a class victory on the Rally Sweden over last weekend. The French pairing of Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia clinched the S2000 class win at the second round of the 2012 World Rally Championship (WRC) with their Škoda Fabia S2000 rally car. Andreas Mikkelsen and Ola Fløene, their junior teammates, came in third place, while the two teams were placed 11th and 14th overall. Volkswagen Motorsport’s two Czech cars also ran reliably on the 350-kilometre, 24-stage event.

Ogier took the S2000 class lead on the event’s opening stage, and not even a puncture on the 12th stage or a fuel filter change on the 18th could stop him. With eight top-ten results he repeatedly moved into the leading group of the more powerful WRC cars. ‘That was a very good rally for us. I’m very happy with our class win. The conditions on the stages were better than expected and it was great fun to drive here. Our pace was very good and because our team mates were also very fast,’ said the 28-year old Frenchman.

‘The Rally Sweden is one of the real highlights of the World Championship season since it is only here that spiked tyres are used on snow and ice throughout the entire event. The character is unique and it was equally important for our team to collect experience in order to be as well prepared as possible next year with the Polo R WRC. Sébastien Ogier and Andreas Mikkelsen effectively controlled the Super 2000 class and were not only fast in the process, but also drove very reliably and within their limits – our two Fabias ran without problems’ explained Volkswagen Motorsport Director Kris Nissen.