WRC – Volkswagen satisfied with its position in Portugal

Volkswagen Motorsport will look to continue its winning streak that began in Rally from Sweden by Sébastien Ogier which has also established itself in Mexico. The Polo R WRC nevertheless lost to the Citroën DS3 WRC of Dani Sordo in the qualifying special at Val de Judeu by a few tenths. The Championship leader will start just in front of the pole-sitter of the event while his teammate Jari-Matti Latvala will precede him at the start. Andreas Mikkelsen, who is making his first rally at the wheel of the Polo, will start from sixth place. “I send my congratulations to the three Volkswagen drivers, they achieved a good result for the team today”, commented sports director Jost Capito. “Despite his physical condition, Sébastien Ogier remained focused and was able to set the second time. Hats off. Jari-Matti Latvala proved that he is on par with his teammate. Andreas Mikkelsen can also be happy with his debut in the Polo R WRC. You can't ask for much more as a sports director. »

Sébastien Ogier fears not being able to measure up, the Frenchman being unwell since several weeks. The Championship leader particularly fears the long special stages of the Portuguese event, notably the Power Stage which will close the weekend (SS15 Almodovar 2) which is 52km long. “I am very happy with my result at the end of the qualifications because I am still not 100% operational. I felt a little better this morning and I just hope to get better day by day, because the long and difficult stages are very demanding physically. In any case, Rally Portugal will be a big challenge but we will do our best. »

Jari-Matti Latvala will have a card to play if his teammate Sébastien Ogier fails to set his usual pace. The Finn's debut with Volkswagen was difficult, with two retirements in three events and only seventh place in the Championship. “We had a good run through qualifying where we didn’t make any big mistakes. Perhaps I was too careful at times, and it must have cost a few tenths. We probably could have done better than the third time, but I'm still satisfied. The stages of the Rally of Portugal seem a little harder and more brittle than last year. This is probably because the rain eroded the roads bringing more stones and boulders onto the route. However, we are avoiding certain stages this year which were at the limit of passable last season with the rain. My goal is to finish on the podium after missing it in the first three events. »

For Andreas Mikkelsen, it will above all be about gaining experience behind the wheel of the Polo R WRC for his first event with the German car. The Norwegian should therefore play it safe to reach the finish line while also risking further suffering from the sweeping phenomenon by starting from sixth position. “It’s fantastic to be back in the WRC. It’s been a long time since my last race behind the wheel of a WRC in 2008. The Rally Portugal is certainly not the easiest to start the season, the courses seem tricky. For me, it will above all be about gaining as much experience as possible. I am satisfied with my qualifications. I could have gained a few tenths, but I didn't want to take too many risks because there were several complicated turns. »

The starting order for the first stage of the Rally Portugal can be consulted on this link. The program for the Portuguese event is also accessible here.