Good fortune in Poland for Anders Jæger (NOR), Andreas Mikkelsen (NOR)
It was thanks to a large portion of courage at the Rally Poland that Andreas Mikkelsen claimed his second victory in the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), following his maiden win at the 2015 Rally Spain. He and co-driver Anders Jæger have featured on the podium four times this season, but this is their first appearance on the very top step. The win was made possible by a spirited drive. Mikkelsen/Jæger were the third duo onto the route for the first two days of the rally, meaning they had to contend with the disadvantage of having to sweep the roads clear of loose gravel for the subsequent world rally cars. They finished in the top three on 15 of the 21 special stages and were embroiled in a thrilling duel with Ott Tänak/Raigo Mõlder (EST/EST, M-Sport-Ford) throughout the entire race. They kept the pressure on the Estonian duo on Sunday morning, and were in the right place at the right time to take advantage when Tänak/Mõlder lost time due to a puncture on the penultimate special stage.
Halfway lead: Ogier, Ingrassia and Volkswagen lead the World Rally Championship after seven rounds
51 points lead – Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia lead the World Rally Championship going into the second half of the season. Their closest rivals are team-mates Andreas Mikkelsen/Anders Jæger, whose victory at the Rally Poland saw them climb into second place in the Driver and Co-Driver competitions. Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila have moved up into fourth place, 75 points behind the leaders. Volkswagen has opened a nice gap in the Manufacturers’ Championship: at the end of the first half of the season, the Wolfsburg-based car maker leads Hyundai by 61 points. 25 points are awarded for a win.
Sun followed by rain – the Rally Poland alternates between dust and mud
Fist searing heat, then torrential rain – these were the two faces of the 2016 Rally Poland. With high temperatures, dust and loose gravel, the two opening days – Friday and Saturday – were a huge challenge, particularly for the first crews onto the route. In contrast, the competitors were greeted with a soggy route on Sunday morning, after overnight rain completely changed the character of the Rally Poland. In both cases, accurate pace notes were the key to success.
Speed, speed and more speed – part one of the high-speed festival
The Rally Poland is one of the fastest rallies on the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) calendar and formed the start of the high-speed phase of the series, which continues with the Rally Finland (28.–31.07.2016). In 2016, the average speed was 106.16 kilometres per hour. And that despite the traditionally slow spectator stages and raining stages on Sunday significantly lowering the average speed of the rally.
Power stage: Bonus points for Ogier and Latvala
The 37th Power Stage win for Volkswagen, and the 31st for Sébastien Ogier: the closing stage of the Rally Poland was once again a huge success for the car maker from Wolfsburg. Thanks to the stage win for Ogier/Ingrassia and second place for Latvala/Anttila, Volkswagen has now picked up extra points on 83 occasions – and that in only the 45th Power Stage since the manufacturer joined the World Rally Championship at the 2013 Rally Monte Carlo.
Quotes after day three of the Rally Poland
Andreas Mikkelsen, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #9
“What a fantastic end to a crazy rally. We gave it everything we could, right from the word go. That was the only way we could compensate for having to take to the route so early. We knew that we could still get another chance to challenge for the win in today’s unpredictable conditions. When that chance came along, we took it. To win the rally is simply fantastic, as it is the first win together with my co-driver Anders Jæger. We are friends and have been through so much together. This here is very special. However, I feel for Ott Tänak and Raigo Mõlder, who were denied victory by a puncture so close to the finish. I experienced similar in Sweden last year.”
Jost Capito, Volkswagen Motorsport Director
“Andreas Mikkelsen and Anders Jæger can be proud of their performance. They fought courageously, never gave up, and deserved to win. The late set-back is obviously a great shame for Ott Tänak and Raigo Mõlder. They would also have fully deserved to win. We have great respect for their effort – I am sure that their time will come in the World Rally Championship. Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia also performed brilliantly, although this was not reflected in the result due to the expected time loss they suffered as the first car on the road. They were far better than their result suggests. Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila battled back after a disappointing start to the rally. All in all, we are happy with the performance of the entire team. The whole troop worked flawlessly and fought for every millimetre.”
