WRC – Volkswagen: The real test begins in Mexico

Volkswagen couldn't have asked for a better start to the 2013 season with the arrival of the Polo R WRC. Sébastien Ogier leads the Drivers' Championship after finishing second in the Rally Monte-Carlo and clinched a victory in Sweden while his teammate Jari-Matti Latvala secured the points with fourth place in the snowy event. Volkswagen sporting director Jost Capito thus approaches the next event on the calendar with a certain relief even if the car's potential will be put to greater use for its first rally on gravel. “We can go to Mexico with confidence and just see how things go. This is the first rally on gravel in special conditions and we will have no real objective for this event. It's a very good start for the drivers, they have no pressure and can enjoy it behind the wheel. »

The Polo R WRC will be used for the Mexican event held at altitude, where the engines will suffer from a drop in performance. However, the German team will closely monitor its position in the hierarchy on a surface that will be found many times this season. “The first two rallies were very demanding for the drivers”, added the director of Volkswagen Motorsport. “We know that Sebastien and Jari-Matti are very fast and we can expect to be competitive when the drivers matter more than the car. Now that we are attacking standard rallies, the car counts more than the drivers. The Polo has proven to be very reliable but the tests on gravel are much tougher and we will see how it fares. »