Intercontinental Rally Challenge competitors rarely compete in ambient temperatures as low as zero degrees centigrade. Last weekend, Andreas Mikkelsen took part in a rally in his native Norway in temperatures that dipped below minus 30 degrees centigrade.
The ŠKODA UK Motorsport driver is tackling selected Norwegian championship events as he prepares to start the defence of his IRC title on SATA Rallye Açores from 23/25 February.
Last month he won the Mountain Rally but on Saturday’s Rally Finnskog, located 137 kilometres north of the capital Oslo, he was forced to settle for fifth overall after a spin on the third stage and a puncture on stage seven held him back in his Evenrally-run ŠKODA Fabia Super 2000.
“The biggest difference between this rally and what I’m used to in the IRC were the snow tyres, so it was a very good test to get used to the narrower studded ones,” said Mikkelsen. “I’m satisfied with the pace and overall it has been a great day. On the last stage I was just over six seconds behind Mikko Hirvonen and Mads Østberg who were both running World Rally Cars, so I was really pleased about that.”
Of the cold temperatures, Mikkelsen added: “It has been terribly cold – the temperature dropped to minus 30 degrees and I have frozen toes.”
Mikkelsen was co-driven by long-term navigator Ola Fløene who celebrated his 43rd birthday on the Wednesday before the rally.