PoloDriver

Volkswagen Motorsport pairing Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia finished seventh in the Acropolis Rally, the sixth round of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC). Claiming six championship points and a sixth consecutive S2000 class victory, the 22 stages offered every type of surface to test man and machine: gravel-like sub-soil, as well as fast and dusty sections. Changeable weather conditions only added to the challenge. Ogier set the pace in the S2000 class, but didn’t survive the 410-kilometre rally unscathed. Changing a bent track rod, and repairing a leak in the steering system on his Škoda Fabia S2000, Ogier was pleased with his final finishing position.

‘We can be really satisfied with the result,’ says the 28-year old Frenchman who won the same rally last year in a Citroën WRC car. ‘The Acropolis is one of the most famous rallies and was hard work this year due to the changing weather. We achieved the maximum with our Fabia S2000. The rally with its long days was also a real challenge for our team and I can only thank and congratulate the crew for its performance.’

‘The Acropolis Rally is one of the real classics in the WRC and also represents the toughest test in this year’s calendar: the perfect venue to prepare for 2013 with Polo R WRC,’ explained Volkswagen Motorsport Director Jost Capito. ‘Our team performed exceptionally well. The rally made huge demands of both man and machine: the drivers had to find a balance between speed and safety; at the same time a great deal of work awaited the crew during the short service breaks. We take a lot of valuable experience home which will go into the ongoing preparations for our 2013 entry.’

The Acropolis Rally wasn’t quite such a good event for fellow Fabia drivers Andreas Mikkelsen and Ola Fløene. The Norwegian duo had to retire due to damaged suspension after the 18th stage while running in tenth place. ‘On the one hand I’m very satisfied, and on the other somewhat disappointed,’ summarised the 22-year old Mikkelsen. ‘We were able to collect experience on the stages which were completely new to us and also see that we could essentially maintain the pace of our team mates. On the other hand, there is our late retirement: I misunderstood a statement for Ola and went into a corner too quickly. When I noticed I braked, but sideswiped a rock and damaged the left rear suspension,’ said the Intercontinental Rally champion.