Sebastien Ogier wasn’t the only Volkswagen Motorsport driver shining brightly on Rally Italia Sardegna last week. His team-mate Andreas Mikkelsen also impressed to the extent he’s closing in on a seat with the factory team next season.
Volkswagen will enter the FIA World Rally Championship in 2013 with its all-new Polo R WRC. It has signed Ogier and Jari-Matti Latvala to head its assault but is also targeting a third car for a young talent. Step forward Andreas Mikkelsen, who finished seventh in Sardinia and is top of team boss Jost Capito’s shortlist.
“The plan is run a third car when the WRC comes back to Europe so from Portugal basically,” said Capito. “It depends on how well the season goes and if there are dramas we won’t have a third car. But the plan is to have a third car and we’re preparing for that. And the guy with the best chance is Andreas.”
Mikkelsen has tackled seven WRC events this season in a Volkswagen Motorsport-run Skoda Fabia Super 2000 and has proved a consistent threat to Ogier in terms of stage times, a fact not lost on Capito.
“Andreas has done a great job and is a great guy,” said Capito. “He has developed very well and I believe he will have the best chance to be consistent in the WRC if he is not in and out. He is the guy lined up for the third car.”