Back from overseas and ready to conquer Europe – Volkswagen is three times as motivated for the Rally Portugal. Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (F/F), Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila (FIN/FIN) and Andreas Mikkelsen/Ola Fløene (N/N) are all hungry for victory at the fifth round of the FIA World Rally Championship from 21 to 24 May. The first of five back-to-back European rallies sees all three Volkswagen duos line up with the second generation of the Polo R WRC for the first time. The Volkswagen engineers have also raised the bar on the technology front ahead of the start of their "European Tour". And that is not all that is new: the Rally Portugal itself has a new look. The rally centre has moved back towards Porto, where the itinerary – 16 gravel stages and roughly 350 kilometres against the clock – welcomes back classic stages like "Fafe".
"The 2015 Rally Portugal is back in the north of the country and marks the return of many classic stages. We are looking forward to the huge popularity that this event typically enjoys among the fans," said Volkswagen Motorsport Director Jost Capito. "We also line up with three second-generation Polo R WRCs for the first time, with Andreas Mikkelsen set for his first competitive outing in the new Polo. As such, we start with a lot of additional energy and an extra boost of motivation. As always, we are hungry for the win. This time, however, even more so than usual: the disappointing weekend in Argentina still rankles with everyone in the team. Everybody will be doing their utmost to banish those memories."
Southward bound, and then back north a bit: all roads lead to Porto
Portugal has always been renowned for the enthusiasm of its fans when the WRC circus comes to town. The rally now returns from the Algarve to the Porto region in the north of the country for the first time since 2001. As such, many iconic special stages return to the route – none more so than "Fafe". Over 100,000 fans will assemble on this one stage alone for a genuine World Rally Championship festival. In order to bring a modicum of order to the emotionally supercharged spectators, world champion Sébastien Ogier and Volkswagen’s Portuguese mechanics Jose Azevedo da Silva, Marco Moreiras and Rui Cabeda, gave their backing to a plea from the organisers. The video appeal asks fans to stay in the officially designated and safe spectator zones. If they do this, then nothing stands in the way of the drifting party on "Fafe" and Co.
"Fafe" is joined back on the itinerary by such classics as "Ponte de Lima" and the Rallycross track in Lousada. Other special stages, which were used until 2001, have since been asphalted, meaning they will no longer be used in the all-gravel event. Nevertheless, the fans are in for a real treat: following the ceremonial start in the "cradle of the Portuguese nation", Guimarães, the sporting action gets underway on Thursday with "Lousada". Friday features a total 128.7 kilometres against the clock, including the superfast "Ponte de Lima" stage with its soft sand. Saturday is the longest day of the rally, with the competitors taking on 165.4 kilometres of special stage, before the rally draws to a close with the "Vieira do Minho" and "Fafe" stages on Sunday. "Fafe", with its characteristic slalom through the wind turbines and the infamous jump, which every year casts its spell on fans, forms the Power Stage, on which bonus points are up for grabs for the top three drivers and co-drivers.
All good things come in threes ... – Mikkelsen in the third of the second-generation Polo R WRC
An upgrade to the battle for the World Championship: Andreas Mikkelsen and Ola Fløene line up for the first time in the new Polo R WRC, which Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia and Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila have been driving since the start of the year. In the first three rallies of the season, the Volkswagen "youngster" continued to use the tried-and-tested Polo R WRC that made its debut in Monte Carlo in 2013 and was the subject of minor modifications for the 2014 season. Mikkelsen/Fløene secured three podium finishes in a row with the 2013 and 2014 World Championship-winning car, finishing third at the "Monte", in Sweden and in Mexico. They currently lie third in the World Championship, making them the closest rivals of defending champions and WRC leaders Ogier/Ingrassia. The double world champions and their challengers from within the Volkswagen team will do battle with identical material when they resume their internal duel in Portugal.
All good things come in threes ... – Ogier sets sights on third Portuguese win in a row, and fifth in all
They already have four victories in Portugal to their name – two of which came with the Polo R WRC: Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia do not only have their sights set on a third successive win in Portugal, but also the record currently held by Markku Alén. The Finn is currently the only WRC driver to have won five times on the Portuguese gravel. The rally legend will be in Portugal, thanks to an invite from Volkswagen, to see for himself whether Seb and Julien can equal his record. Markku Alén was victorious in 1975, 1977, 1978, 1981 and 1987 with Fiat and Lancia. Sébastien Ogier’s wins came in 2010, 2011, 2013 and 2014 with Citroën and Volkswagen. Only Lancia driver Massimo Biasion has ever won three times in a row.
All good things come in threes ... – Latvala with a score to settle
The first podium for Volkswagen in 2013, an early exit in 2014 – Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila have a score to settle with the Rally Portugal. Last year, they hit a hole and rolled their car whilst running second and challenging for the lead. Only a remarkable show of strength from their mechanics allowed them to return to action the following day, when they again shone with a number of stage wins. In 2015, the goal is clear for Latvala/Anttila: after three "no-pointers" in a row and a disappointing start to the season, the Finnish Volkswagen duo has its sights set on a top result in Portugal. Ideally a win.
Ready to make amends – technical update for the Polo R WRC
Volkswagen has reacted to the problems with the fuel supply at the Rally Argentina and will use a different variant of the fuel injector on the 1.6-litre turbo engine in the Polo R WRC from the Rally Portugal onwards. Technical regulations require the team to play a so-called "Joker", which allows the homologation of certain parts during the season. In Argentina, faulty fuel injectors dashed any hopes of a good result for Sébastien Ogier and Jari-Matti Latvala.
Quotes ahead of the Rally Portugal
Sébastien Ogier, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #1
"I have nothing but fond memories of the Rally Portugal. I have won there four times already, including the last two years with Volkswagen. I have heard that victory this time would see me draw level with Markku Alén, who holds the record for the most wins in Portugal. That is obviously my goal. I am very pleased to say that Markku will be a guest in hospitality. We know each other already – he is a great guy and I really respect him. After the disappointing weekend in Argentina, it is very important for me and the entire team to draw the right conclusions and come back stronger. The opposition is wide awake: both Citroën, with Kris Meeke and Mads Østberg, and Ford’s Elfyn Evans proved that emphatically in Argentina. It will be far from easy."
Jari-Matti Latvala, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #2
"The Rally Portugal has not been a happy stomping ground for me in the past. This year, however, we are in the north of the country, instead of the Algarve in the south as was previously the case. New sections of route are always a major challenge, because we have to write the pace notes from scratch and learn the ’language’ of the roads. From what I have seen so far, the unfamiliar sections ought to suit me better. The surface is relatively soft, you have more grip and can drive more aggressively. A lot will depend on the weather – if it rains, the roads are incredibly slippery and difficult to drive on. ’Fafe’ is not a separate event this year, but forms part of the rally weekend instead. That obviously means that we cannot afford to take too many risks on the jump. However, I am sure it will still be a highlight for the spectators. They have always given us great support in Portugal. The season has not been great for me so far, so my goal for the Rally Portugal is to score as many points as possible and make up ground in the overall standings."
Andreas Mikkelsen, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #9
"At the Rally Portugal, I will be driving the second generation of the Polo in competitive conditions for the first time. Two years ago I made my first start for Volkswagen in the World Rally Championship here, and finished sixth at the first attempt. Last season I finished fourth and narrowly missed out on a spot on the podium, so I have fond memories of the Rally Portugal. This year I definitely want to be in the top three. I think that is a realistic goal. The route is new, so everyone starts on a level playing field. My experiences on unfamiliar routes have been very good so far, so I am optimistic. The ’Fafe’ stage, which forms the closing Power Stage this year, will be particularly exciting. It will be a real spectacle for the fans and us drivers, and there are valuable bonus points to be won – a chance Ola and I are determined not to pass up."