PoloDriver

Volkswagen Motorsport has announced that the Polo R WRCs of Sébastien Ogier and Andreas Mikkelsen will line up at the Fafe Rally Sprint on 6 April, ahead of Rally Portugal. An appetiser of the full Portugese WRC event which starts five days later, the 2013 sprint marks Volkswagen Motorsport’s debut at the run, which sees spectator numbers of 100,000 or more. The Fafe Rally Sprint marks Mikkelsen’s (along with co-driver Mikko Markkula’s) competitive debut in the Polo R WRC – the third car will be added to the squad from Rally Portugal for the rest of the season.

The 6.34km section of the ‘Lameirinha’ stage no longer officially forms part of the Rally Portugal, but will herald the start of the rally week. ‘We are really looking forward to lining up in Fafe for the first time,’ said Volkswagen Motorsport Director Jost Capito. ‘Sébastien and Julien will be in close contact with thousands of Portuguese fans at the “Rally Sprint”, and will be out to put on a good show for them. The event also offers Andreas and Mikko the opportunity to test the Polo R WRC under competitive conditions for the first time, and to familiarise themselves with the atmosphere before the pair make their WRC debut in the Polo R WRC the following week.’


The crowds in Fafe are in for a spectacular show. The WRC teams must battle their way through two qualifying rounds on the way to the final. The fastest time in the final wins the Fafe Rally Sprint. Another extremely popular feature with the fans is the competition to see who can remain airborne for the longest over one of the most challenging jumps in rallying. The record, which was set by Armin Schwarz in a Škoda Octavia WRC in 2000, currently stands at 73.5 metres.