Motorsport Information
FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), Rally Great Britain
Four-time world champions – Volkswagen claims twelfth WRC title in
four years at Rally Great Britain
Volkswagen wins the Manufacturers’ title in the FIA World Rally Championship with the
Polo R WRC
Crowned with a win: Ogier/Ingrassia claim fourth victory in a row at the Rally Great
Britain in Wales
Wolfsburg (30 October 2016). 12 titles in four years - four Drivers’, four Co-Drivers’ and four
Manufacturers’ titles: Volkswagen put the icing on the cake at the end of an impressive
season in the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) with victory at the Rally Great Britain in
Wales. Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (F/F) won round 12 of 13 with the Polo R WRC. This
latest victory gives Volkswagen an unassailable lead in the Manufacturers’ Championship.
Ogier/Ingrassia ensured the Wolfsburg-based carmaker claimed its fourth Manufacturers’
title since 2013 with the French pair’s sixth win of the season, their fourth in a row. Jari-Matti
Latvala/Miikka Anttila (FIN/FIN) and Andreas Mikkelsen/Anders Jæger (N/N) have both won
one race so far this year. Volkswagen joins rival Citroën as only the second manufacturer in
the history of the World Rally Championship to win all three world titles four years in a row.
“A great success for Volkswagen,” said a delighted Dr. Frank Welsch, Member of the Board of
Management of the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand with responsibility for "Development",
who received the Manufacturers’ trophy for the victory in Wales. “The Polo R WRC and the
Volkswagen Motorsport team have made motorsport history with their fourth title in a row.
Given the strength of the opposition, this success has only been possible with a committed
team effort, with every single member giving his best for the course. Congratulations and
thank you to the whole team.”
Team spirit rewarded with Manufacturers’ title before end of season for fourth time in a row
Eight wins in 12 rallies - the latest of these not only crowned a successful season for
Volkswagen, but a run of four very special years. 42 wins in 51 rallies since making its debut
at the 2013 Rally Monte Carlo make the Polo R WRC the most successful car in WRC history.
The world rally car from Wolfsburg has 85 podium finishes to its name. All this has been
made possible by an extraordinary team effort from everyone involved, whether on site at
the rallies and at Motorsport GmbH in Hannover, or in cooperation with the Technical
Development department in Wolfsburg.
Ogier/Ingrassia style: 12 titles celebrated from the top step of the podium
The sign of four: Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia were victorious again at the Rally Great
Britain in 2016, having previously triumphed in 2013, 2014 and 2015. The latest victory
marked the first time in their successful careers that they have won the same round of the
World Rally Championship four times in a row. The champions elect* also secured the fourth
Manufacturers’ title for Volkswagen. Volkswagen was also able to celebrate the title from the
top step of the podium for a fourth time - the fourth time with Ogier/Ingrassia, incidentally.
Victory for Ogier/Ingrassia at the Rally Spain in 2013 saw Volkswagen crowned champion
manufacturer for the first time. In 2014 and 2015, Volkswagen wrapped up the
Manufacturers’ title before the end of the season with victories for Ogier/Ingrassia in
Australia. This year’s success at the Rally Great Britain was also the fourth win in a row for
Ogier, Ingrassia and Volkswagen, following victories in Germany, France and Spain.
Fog, rain, mud and sludge - the challenges faced at the Rally Great Britain
Two weeks earlier than usual on the calendar, the Rally Great Britain in Wales had some
familiar aspects, and some less familiar. The morning fog and muddy gravel roads were
familiar. The little rain, the appearance of the sun at times, and temperatures above 10°
Celsius were less familiar. The conditions on the 22 special stages were extremely slippery
and demanding, as you would expect in Wales. Ogier/Ingrassia led from the opening stage
and took full advantage of the slight benefit that came with opening the route as the
championship leaders. However, victory was far from stroll in the park: Ott Tänak/Raigo
Mōlder (EST/EST, M-Sport-Ford) emerged as their toughest rivals. The battle between the
Michelin race tyres, which Volkswagen uses, and the D-Mack tyres was once again won by
Michelin. The French tyre maker claimed its 301st success in the World Rally Championship.
Mikkelsen/Jæger and Latvala/Anttila fight back strongly after losing time
In contrast, Andreas Mikkelsen/Anders Jæger and Jari-Matti Latvala/Mikka Anttila lost
significant amounts of time on Friday due to damaged drive shafts. The Volkswagen
engineers came up with a solution on the very same evening: the cause was a new seal,
which had been tested successfully ahead of the rally, but which did not work in the unique
conditions in Wales. The Polo R WRC was as reliable as ever on the remaining 16 special
stages, and Mikkelsen/Jæger and Latvala/Anttila were on top form. Latvala/Anttila fought
back to make up over a minute on their closest rivals and ultimately climb into sixth place
overall to help Volkswagen secure the Manufacturers’ title.
50th Power Stage with the Polo R WRC – two points for Mikkelsen
Volkswagen contested its 50th Power Stage with the Polo R WRC at the Rally Great Britain.
Andreas Mikkelsen and Anders Jæger finished second on the final special stage of the rally to
claim two bonus points. This was the 91st time that a Volkswagen driver had picked up extra
points in the Drivers’ and Co-Drivers’ competition. The stage win has gone to Wolfsburg on a
remarkable 38 occasions. Since 2013, Volkswagen has scored 194 points on the Power Stage
- that is the equivalent of just short of eight race wins.
#ShowDownUnder – four-way battle for the runner-up spot in the Drivers’ Championship in
Australia
The FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) will draw to an exciting close at the finale in
Australia. Four driver/co-driver duos could still clinch second place overall down under (17 –
21 November), including Volkswagen’s Andreas Mikkelsen/Anders Jæger. The Norwegians are
third after the Rally Great Britain and trail Thierry Neuville/Nicolas Gilsoul (Hyundai) by 14
points. A maximum 28 points are up for grabs at any round of the world championship.
Quotes after day three of the Rally Great Britain
Sébastien Ogier, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #1
“This victory is fantastic. I am so delighted that we have wrapped up the Manufacturers’ title
for our fantastic team. It was hard work hanging onto our lead in these extremely slippery
conditions here in Wales. Ott Tänak put us under a lot of pressure, so Julien and I had to push
ourselves to the limit all weekend. But we did it. Looking back, we have all been on an
incredible journey over the past four years. To have such a run of success is definitely
something very special - particularly in motorsport, where so many different factors come
into play. I am very happy that I opted for Volkswagen before anyone knew where this WRC
adventure would take us.”
Jari-Matti Latvala, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #2
“Looking at today on its own, we did our job: we overtook Østberg and ended the rally in
seventh place. On the whole, we were obviously hoping for a lot more from the weekend and
are not happy with this result. On the other hand, Volkswagen claimed its fourth
Manufacturers’ title in a row thanks to our team-mate Sébastien Ogier’s win. That is
obviously a fantastic success for the entire team here and at the headquarters in Hannover.
We will still push hard again in Australia and look to improve our record for this season.”
Andreas Mikkelsen, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #9
“I am very pleased for our Volkswagen team that we have once again been crowned world
champions in the Manufacturers’ Championship. That is no less than we deserve, and I am
pleased to have contributed a little here and there. From a personal point of view, I am
obviously disappointed with the outcome of the Rally Great Britain in general. We wanted to
battle with Thierry Neuville for second place in the championship here, but unfortunately that
was not to be. A drive shaft was damaged on Friday and we consequently lost many minutes.
That is a real shame, but that is motorsport. These things can happen. We then focused fully
on the Power Stage and really gave it our all. We could not have done any more and came
away with two points. We will now have to do our very best in Australia to finish second in
the world championship. That is exactly what we plan to do.”
Sven Smeets, Volkswagen Motorsport Director
“A performance worthy of world champions from Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia, and a
fantastic day for Volkswagen. To win all three titles in the World Rally Championship for the
fourth time in a row is anything but a matter of course. It takes a lot of work from the entire
team to be so successful. I am extremely proud of the whole team. Drivers, co-drivers,
engineers, mechanics, logisticians, the medical department and catering team, meteo and
weather crew, and team management - everyone has played an important role. The
dedication they show Volkswagen, and their team spirit, cannot be beaten.”
And then there was ...
... “Bertie the Beetle”. Bob Beales, Mark Murphy, Mark Walters and Co. run a 58-year-old
Volkswagen classic in the national championship, which is held at the same time as round 12
of the world championship in Great Britain. However, “Bertie”, as the Beetle is affectionately
known by his team, suffered a technical issue on Saturday evening. A ball joint on the track
rod had broken. Volkswagen Motorsport did not have the right spare part for “Team
Colorado”, but Gerard Jan de Jongh and Richard Browne, whose regular positions are race
engineer for Sébastien Ogier and Andreas Mikkelsen, were able to help out with their
engineering know-how and the right tool. “Bertie” returned to action at the Rally Great
Britain on Sunday.
FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), multiple Manufacturers’ Championship winners
Lancia, ten world titles (1974–1976, 1983, 1987–1992)
Citroën, eight world titles (2003–2005, 2008–2012)
Peugeot, five world titles (1985, 1986, 2000–2002)
Volkswagen, four world titles* (2013–2016)
Fiat, three world titles (1977, 1978, 1980)
Ford, three world titles (1979, 2006, 2007)
Subaru, three world titles (1995–1997)
Toyota, three world titles (1993, 1994, 1999)
Audi, two world titles (1982, 1984)
*Subject to the official publication of the results by the FIA.
FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), Rally Great Britain – Final Results*
01. Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (F/F), Volkswagen, 3h 14m 30.2s
02. Ott Tänak/Raigo Mõlder (EST/EST), Ford, + 10.2s
03. Thierry Neuville/Nicolas Gilsoul (B/B), Hyundai, + 1m 35.4s
04. Hayden Paddon/John Kennard (NZ/NZ), Hyundai, + 1m 54.9s
05. Kris Meeke/Paul Nagle (GB/IRL), Citroën, + 2m 35.2s
06. Dani Sordo/Marc Martí (E/E), Hyundai, + 4m 02.6s
07. Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila (FIN/FIN), Volkswagen, + 4m 28.3s
08. Mads Østberg/Ola Fløene (N/N), Ford, + 4m 38.3s
09. Stéphane Lefebvre/Gilles de Turckheim (F/F), Citroën, + 7m 12.2s
10. Eric Camilli/Benjamin Veillas (F/F), Ford, + 8m 19.3s
…
12. Andreas Mikkelsen/Anders Jæger (N/N), Volkswagen, + 9m 44.0s
FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), Rally Great Britain – Power Stage Results
01. Ott Tänak/Raigo Mõlder (EST/EST), Ford
02. Andreas Mikkelsen/Anders Jæger (N/N), Volkswagen
03. Thierry Neuville/Nicolas Gilsoul (B/B), Hyundai
5m 19.0s
+ 1.4s
+ 4.5s
FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), Overall Standings*
Drivers’ Championship
1. Sébastien Ogier, 247 points; 2. Thierry Neuville, 143; 3. Andreas Mikkelsen, 129; 4. Hayden
Paddon, 126; 5. Dani Sordo, 119; 6. Jari-Matti Latvala, 110; 7. Mads Østberg, 94; 8. Ott Tänak,
82; 9. Kris Meeke, 64; 10. Craig Breen, 36
Co-drivers’ Championship
1. Julien Ingrassia, 247 points; 2. Nicolas Gilsoul, 143; 3. Anders Jæger, 129; 4. John Kennard,
126; 5. Marc Martí, 119; 6. Miikka Anttila, 110; 7. Ola Fløene, 94; 8. Raigo Mõlder, 82; 9. Paul
Nagle, 64; 10. Scott Martin, 36
Manufacturers’ Championship
1. Volkswagen Motorsport, 355 points; 2. Hyundai Motorsport, 285; 3. M-Sport, 154; 4.
Volkswagen Motorsport II, 138; 5. Hyundai Motorsport N, 136; 6. DMACK, 92; 7. Jipocar Czech
National Team, 18; 8. Yazeed Racing, 4
* Provisional.
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