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Volkswagen Motorsport has done today what we thought it may eventually do (just not quite so soon), and taken victory at a round of the World Rally Championship (WRC). In the remarkable hands Sébastien Ogier and his co-driver Julien Ingrassia, the Polo R WRC crossed the finish line at the Rally Sweden in first place, beating Ogier’s one-time team-mate Sébastien Loeb by a massive 41.8-second margin. Ogier set the pace from the word go, posting the fastest times in qualifying, and remained uncatchable over the three-day event.

Overall, Ogier and Ingrassia set 11 best times from a total of 22 special stages, scoring a place in the history books in the process – Ogier’s eighth win is only the second by a central European at the Rally Sweden since 1950, with previous winners in-between being exclusively Nordic. The other non-Nordic winner? Loeb, of course, in 2004. Finn Volkswagen Motorsport pairing Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila finish 1m 30.6s behind Ogier and Ingrassia, snatching a fourth place for the second Polo R WRC. The car collected 28 top 3 results in total over the 22 stages, and the Volkswagen Motorsport team is understandably delighted with the result, which far exceeds its expectations.

Ogier and Ingrassia also won the so-called ‘Power Stage’, which makes its first appearance in 2013, and Ogier now moves ahead in the overall WRC Drivers’ Championship standings, three points ahead of Citroën driver Loeb who is not contesting a whole season. Extra World Championship points are also up for grabs for the drivers finishing first, second and third. Jost Capito, Volkswagen Motorsport Director said: ‘This is a big day for Volkswagen in motorsport. To win the second round of the World Championship under our own steam is a real milestone. The Rally Sweden is one of a kind. The Polo R WRC worked perfectly in these conditions, and Sébastien Ogier took full advantage. He was in a class of his own, and Jari-Matti Latvala also performed well. Today I am very proud.’

An overjoyed Sébastien Ogier described how he felt: ‘The win is an indescribable feeling! We were screaming with joy in the car. It is simply incredible to claim the first victory for Volkswagen and the team at our second rally. This is probably the greatest moment of my career. The Polo R WRC was perfect. The guys did a fantastic job of preparing the car. So much can happen in Sweden. The conditions in the snow are so difficult – winning here, as only the second central European and ahead of the best rally driver of all time, makes me enormously proud. We had to give 100 per cent, right down to the final day, because Sébastien Loeb was going for it through to the finish. I am overjoyed.’

‘I am delighted for the entire Volkswagen team. To win a race so early in a debut season is something very special. I would have liked to finish on the podium myself. That was certainly possible here at the Rally Sweden with the Polo R WRC. However, I must still adapt my driving style a little. Huge compliments go to my team-mate Sébastien Ogier, who showed just what was possible. He was really impressive all weekend. I will do everything in my power to get on a par with him at the forthcoming rallies,’ said a still-pleased Latvala.

Our warmest congratulations go to all at Volkswagen Motorsport for its maiden Polo R WRC victory, in what was an incredibly and genuinely exciting Rally Sweden. The World Rally Championship now moves from the ice and snow of Sweden to the heat and dust of Mexico, with the Rally Mexico running from 7-10 March, centred around León.

2013 FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP, RALLY SWEDEN: FINAL RESULTS
1 Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (F/F), Volkswagen: 3h 11m 41.9s
2 Sébastien Loeb/Daniel Elena (F/MC), Citroën: + 41.8s
3 Mads Østberg/Jonas Andersson (N/S), Ford: + 1m 24.5s
4 Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila (FIN/FIN), Volkswagen: + 1m 30.6s
5 Thierry Neuville/Nicolas Gilsoul (B/B), Ford: + 5m 06.4s

2013 FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP, DRIVERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS
1 Sébastien Ogier: 46
2 Sébastien Loeb: 43
3 Mads Østberg: 24
4 Dani Sordo: 15
5 Jari-Matti Latvala: 14

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Volkswagen Motorsport has got off to a fantastic start at Rally Sweden. In a pretty much perfect beginning to the ice and snow event, Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia have posted the fastest time in qualifying (1:51.30 minutes). Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila followed 2.7 seconds behind in sixth place on the four-kilometre, snow-covered stage. The impressive result gives both crews a good choice of starting position for the Friday stages of Rally Sweden – the best drivers in qualifying get to choose their start position first.

The Rally Sweden gets underway with a spectator stage in Karlstad on Thursday evening, in which pairs of World Rally Cars go head to head in direct duels. 

Jost Capito, Volkswagen Motorsport Director said: ‘The drivers are very happy with the Polo R WRC today after free practice and qualifying, and go into the next few days full of motivation. The result of the short qualifying stage is good, and we have a good choice of starting position for both cars for the first ‘real’ day of rallying tomorrow. We could hardly have got off to a better start in Sweden.’ We’ll keep you up to date with events at Rally Sweden as they unfold.

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Just as Volkswagen Motorsport heads to Rally Sweden with its squad of Polo R WRCs, the UK’s Auto Express has published sister title Auto Bild’s road test of the Polo R WRC road car in its latest issue. The limited edition model, which is left-hand drive only, costs €33.900 and will be available in September, gets a three-star rating. Posting 217bhp from its 2.0-litre TSI engine, the Polo R WRC road car gets from 0-62mph in 6.4 seconds, and only 2500 will be made. Auto Bild meanwhile, has released a video of the test, and although its in German, you can generally get the gist of what’s going on. And besides, you get to see the Polo R WRC competition car in motion!

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This week sees the Polo R WRC in action once more, as the Volkswagen Motorsport team head to Sweden for the 2013 Rally Sweden – the 60th running of the event from 7-10 February. Following the second place finish for Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia at Rallye Monte Carlo in January, Finns Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila will be hoping for event completion this time around, after crashing out on the last day in the snowy mountains of France. The only event this year to be held completely on ice and snow, the 315bhp Polo R WRCs will face gruelling and difficult conditions around Karlstad and Hagfors. The event also crosses the border into Norway for a short time.

In a contrast to Monaco, only winter studded Michelin tyres are available to drivers and crews this time around, making driver bravery the only differentiating factor. Over 338km await the Volkswagen Motorsport team, and with temperatures set to plummet to -10 degrees celsius, the service parks will be a hive of activity – to keep warm if nothing else! Rally Sweden is unique in its two spectator stages – ‘Färjestadstravet’ will be run twice – and starts in Karlstad on Thursday, before moving to the Hagfors region on Friday and Saturday. Sunday sees the teams end the event back in Karlstad. The Rally Sweden route takes the competitors through forests and past frozen lakes at very high speeds.

‘After a good start to the season, the entire team now heads to the next challenge, the Rally Sweden, fully motivated and full of confidence. However, everyone in the team is well aware that the good result achieved in Monte Carlo is not yet a true indication of where we lie compared to the opposition,’ said Volkswagen Motorsport Director Jost Capito. ‘The Rally Sweden is totally unique. The speed on the ice and snow is very high. This is only possible with extreme studded tyres, which are only used once a year. However, every rally is a test for the team. The processes in Monte Carlo recently were top-class. We want to follow on from this in Sweden and continue developing from rally to rally.’

The pressure will be on: Latvala and Anttila won the 2012 event before the pairing signed for Volkswagen Motorsport late last year, and the Rally Sweden is seen as a ‘home’ event for Scandinavian drivers. ‘I really like the Rally Sweden. The event requires a very quick and flowing driving style on Swedish forest roads. I have now driven 500 kilometres on snow in the Polo R WRC. However, we will slot in another test day on snow and the car works very well in these conditions. I am already very happy with the way it feels to drive. I have fond memories of the Rally Sweden, such as my very first WRC victory in 2008 and, of course, my win there last year. My goal for this season is to finish in the top five,’ Latvala said.

Sébastien Ogier echoed his team mate’s sentiments: ‘The season could hardly have started better. Heading to Sweden with 18 points is a nice position to be in. This allows us to relax a little. However, we are now faced with a new rally, and it is hard to predict what awaits us. We will have to wait until after the first special stages. I really like the Rally Sweden. If the snow conditions are good, it is really good fun. The average speed is high, and the grip on studded tyres is fantastic. I love pulling off big drifts with a rally car on ice,’ he said.

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As the competitors and teams gear up for the second round of the 2013 FIA World Rally Championship, Rally Sweden, fans of Polos and motorsport might want to take a look at the latest PoloDriver.com mini-magazine – ‘Polo – A Rally Success’. Celebrating rallying Polos from the 2000 Group N to the 2013 Polo R WRC, the 16-page digital magazine profiles five of the highest-profile Polos to tear through the forests and sear across icy roads. It’s not only free, but also now fully downloadable, too, for offline reading, and is optimised for iPad and other tablet users. If you’re a Volkswagen enthusiast and not realised the Polo has tackled some of the most treacherous and difficult rallying terrain in the world, it makes for essential reading. Read and download here, or click on the magazine graphic below. The ninth of PoloDriver.com’s special digital mini-magazines, check out the PoloDriver bookshelf on issuu.com for the previous eight titles.

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