Solberg gives Polo GTI R5 a good debut

The Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 made a promising debut in competition as it showed itself at the pace necessary to move to the forefront at Rally of Catalonia.

For his return to the world level of rallying for six years, Petter Solberg stayed in the game by taking 3rd place in the WRC 2 behind the Skoda Fabia R5 of Kalle Rovanperä and Jan Kopecky.

“What a fantastic result after six years outside the WRC!, welcomes Petter Solberg who was co-driven by Veronica Engan who usually rides with her son Oliver. It was far from easy with only two days of testing and completely new notes. We couldn't do better starting with a podium. We avoided taking risks by always staying on the trajectories. We could certainly have done even better if we had attacked a little more. The most important thing is the pleasure we have behind the wheel of this car. »

His teammate Éric Camilli was in the fight for victory in the category until he retired with a broken gearbox in the second stage. The French driver was only able to take 17th place in WRC 2.

“I must say above all that I enjoyed every minute spent on the Polo GTI R5 which is really great fun to drive, confirmed the Frenchman. We wanted to prove that the Polo GTI R5 is fast in all conditions and I think we achieved that by setting the best times on gravel and asphalt. We could have achieved a better result if we had had a little more success, maybe even a category victory. In any case, I am delighted with our performances and proud to have had the privilege of participating in the debut of this car. »

“We have fulfilled our mission, we are satisfied with the debut of the Polo GTI R5, commented Sven Smeets, director of VW Motorsport. Petter and Eric delivered top performances in very difficult conditions and helped the Polo GTI R5 make a successful debut, notably scoring scratches in the category. We have proven that the Polo GTI R5 is competitive by leading its class and setting fastest times, but we know there is still potential to develop. »

Petter Solberg will return to the wheel of the Polo RX on the weekend of November 25 to compete in the 2018 World RX season finale with his PSRX team.

Discover the analysis of the Rally of Catalonia carried out by our special correspondent in issue 2189 of AUTOhebdo, available from Monday evening in digital version on all platforms, and from this Wednesday on newsstands.