FIA Prize Giving in ViennaWorld Rally Champions honoured: trophies for Volkswagen, Ogier and Ingrassia

Glamorous award ceremony at Hofburg Palace in Vienna: Volkswagen, Sébastien Ogier (F) and Julien Ingrassia (F) all received trophies for their title victories in the World Rally Championship (WRC) at the prize giving ceremony organised by the FIA, the governing body for world motorsport. This means that Volkswagen has officially won its fourth consecutive manufacturers’, drivers’ and co-drivers’ trophies in the most prestigious motorsport championship for production-based cars. In addition to WRC victors Ogier/Ingrassia, Volkswagen Motorsport Director Sven Smeets accepted the prize for the Manufacturers’ Championship and Andreas Mikkelsen/Anders Jæger (N/N) were presented with their awards for finishing third overall in the Drivers’ and Co-Drivers’ Championship. Ogier and Ingrassia won six rallies in the 2016 season in their Polo R WRC, Mikkelsen/Jæger triumphed twice, and the third Volkswagen pairing Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila (FIN/FIN) claimed one win.

Global Touring Cars South AfricaVolkswagen drivers Rowe and Hodges win races at the final in East London

One win and one second place – Volkswagen driver Daniel Rowe (ZA) has brought the Global Touring Cars South Africa (GTC) season to a successful close. Volkswagen Golf GTI driver Rowe, who had clinched the title in the GTC Production Championship with one round in hand during the previous weekend of racing in Zwartkops (ZA), came home second in the first race in East London (ZA) and went on to win race two. Mandla Mdakane (ZA, Volkswagen Golf GTI) finished second overall in this category with two fourth places. Mathew Hodges (ZA, Volkswagen Jetta GTC) celebrated his first GTC win in race one and holds third place overall in the GTC category.