Mikkelsen/Jæger 4.3 seconds clear after 98.97 of 306.80 kilometresWorld champions poised to pounce: second place for Ogier/IngrassiaEarly set-back for Latvala/Anttila on day one of Rally Germany
Andreas Mikkelsen/Anders Jæger (N/N) lead after the first third of the Rally Germany. The pair currently second in the world championship battled their way to the top of the overall standings with the Volkswagen Polo R WRC at round nine of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) – and against tough opposition.
Among the chasing pack: Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (F/F), who opened the route as championship leaders and were thus treated to the best conditions at the first true asphalt rally of the year. The three-time world champions ended the opening day of the rally in second place, ahead of Thierry Neuville/Nicolas Gilsoul (B/B, Hyundai). The top three are separated by just 5.9 seconds going into Saturday’s special stages on the infamous “Panzerplatte” on the Baumholder military training ground. Volkswagen won four of the five special stages on day one.
The opening day of the rally came to a premature end for Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila (FIN/FIN) in the third Polo R WRC, who had to retire with a damaged gearbox just a few kilometres into the first stage. The pair currently third in the world championship will return on Saturday under Rally2 regulations.
Quotes after day one of the Rally Germany
Sébastien Ogier, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #1“That was a good start to the Rally Germany for Julien and me. The conditions were not easy, particularly in the morning on the technically demanding stages in the vineyards. We lost a few seconds on stage two, when we missed a junction and I had to reverse briefly. On the whole, I did not take too many risks. Above all, I wanted to get through the day safely and without incident. I particularly liked the ‘Ollmuth’ stage – very quick with huge crowds who had a great view of the route. The gap between Andreas, Thierry, Dani and me is not a big one – it promises to be an exciting day on the ‘Panzerplatte’.”
Jari-Matti Latvala, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #2“The day came to a very early end for us. A gearbox damage forced us to call it a day just seven kilometres into stage one. We are obviously very disappointed, but there is nothing you can do about it. All we can do is carry on tomorrow under Rally2 regulations and try to score a few points in the Manufacturers’ Championship. I will keep my fingers crossed for my team-mates. It is now up to them to produce the goods for Volkswagen.”
Andreas Mikkelsen, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #9“Not bad for a Norwegian, hey? We tried from the outset to stay just under the limit – to drive both as quickly and as securely as possible. We managed that better sometimes than others. Whatever, it is obviously great to be leading the rally and we are proud of our performance. The conditions were far from easy. All the cutting of corners had churned up a lot of dirt. That made it extremely slippery and there was no room for errors. We came through cleanly – and we must continue in this fashion over the coming days, which are completely different rallies in their own rights. We have five doses of ‘Panzerplatte’ tomorrow, and are determined to do well there again.”
Jost Capito, Volkswagen Motorsport Director“I think the Rally Germany has so far lived up to expectations: it is a thrilling battle between Hyundai and Volkswagen. Our drivers Andreas Mikkelsen and Sébastien Ogier are on top form at our home race – they showed that today. Respect to them for their performance. Unfortunately, Jari-Matti Latvala was unable to show what he is capable of today, due to a damaged gearbox. We will have to take a close look to find out exactly what happened, in order to avoid similar damage occurring in the future. Jari-Matti will return tomorrow. It will be exciting to see how he fares against his team-mates, as neither Andreas nor Sébastien are giving a millimetre in the battle for victory. The same goes for Thierry Neuville and Dani Sordo in the Hyundai. We can look forwards to some superb sport tomorrow on the ‘Panzerplatte’.”
And then there was ...
... a Volkswagen customer who is both loyal and mad about rallying. And a big fan of Sébastien Ogier: Marc Milis. Two years ago, the Belgian travelled to the Rally Germany in Trier in his brand-new Golf VII GTI to get the world champion’s autograph on his dashboard. However, the GTI with the valuable signature was written off in a crash at the start of the year. Marc Milis bought himself a new Volkswagen: a bright-red, 300-hp Golf R. Seb obviously did not take much persuading to sign the interior again. “If we meet again next year, it will hopefully be with the same car,” said a chuckling Ogier to Marc and his wife Caroline.
Provisional result after day one of the Rally Germany
01. Andreas Mikkelsen/Anders Jæger (N/N), Volkswagen, 59m 42.6s02. Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (F/F), Volkswagen, + 4.3s03. Thierry Neuville/Nicolas Gilsoul (B/B), Hyundai, + 5.9s04. Dani Sordo/Marc Martí (ESP/ESP), Hyundai, + 12.7s05. Ott Tänak/Raigo Mõlder (EST/EST), Ford, + 55.4s06. Stéphane Lefebvre/Gabin Moreau (F/F), Citroën, + 1m 06.6s07. Mads Østberg/Ola Fløene (N/N), Ford, + 1m 32.4s08. Hayden Paddon/John Kennard (NZ/NZ), Hyundai, + 1m 45.0s09. Armin Kremer/Pirmin Winklhofer (D/D), Škoda, + 3m 03.1s10. Pontus Tidemand/Jonas Andersson (S/S), Škoda, + 3m 29.8s
