Sébastien Ogier, Polo R WRC #8 “The ‘Monte’ is a very special rally. After all, it is my home rally. However, the season- opener near my home will be an extraordinary experience for the entire team, as it is the first rally with the new Polo R WRC. We have been working towards this moment with Volkswagen for over a year. We can hardly wait to finally get started. However, it is difficult to judge how we will compare to the opposition, as we have not yet raced against the other teams under competitive conditions. Making your debut in a world championship with a completely new car is a big challenge, particularly as the other manufacturers have several years more experience than we do. For this reason we must be patient and concentrate at first on reaching the finish without any problems. Experience shows that this is anything but simple at the Rally Monte Carlo, as anything can happen at this event.”
Volkswagen in the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC)
The start in the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) sees Volkswagen continue its successful history in motorsport. Volkswagen claimed overall victory at the Rally Dakar in 2009, 2010 and 2011 with the Race Touareg to claim a hat-trick of titles at the toughest marathon rally in the world. The Polo R WRC is the first World Rally Car to come out of Wolfsburg, with the manufacturer now entering its own works team at the pinnacle of rallying for the first time. This presents Volkswagen with the opportunity to prove itself in direct sporting competition on a global stage. No model is more suited to the challenge than the Polo, which is one of Volkswagen’s most internationally manufactured and distributed cars.
Three questions for … Jost Capito
If you could have chosen a rally for the Polo R WRC to make its debut at – would you have taken the Rally Monte Carlo? Jost Capito: “The Rally Monte Carlo is not only the most iconic rally on the World Championship calendar, but also the most difficult and complex. The surface alternates regularly between ice, snow, rain and dry asphalt, which can make the strategy difficult and tyre selection something of a lottery. We are obviously delighted that the Polo R WRC will make its debut at this highlight.”
In Sébastien Ogier and Jari-Matti Latvala you have signed two very quick drivers. Who do you feel is the stronger? Jost Capito: “They are both equally strong. As a Scandinavian, Latvala grew up on gravel – however, he has made huge progress on asphalt in recent years. The same applies to Ogier, who also has what it takes to win on any surface. Both have seven WRC wins to their name. In the end it will come down to who performs best on the day to determine who is the quickest.”
What goals does Volkswagen have for the 2013 season? Jost Capito: “We are aware that we will be up against strong opposition with decades of World Rally Championship experience. The Polo R WRC, on the other hand, is making its debut this year and the team also has a new look to it. As such, we have to set realistic goals. We want to make it onto the podium under our own steam in the second half of the year.”
In numbers The World Rally Championship debut of the Volkswagen Polo R WRC: Nine
Monte Carlo/France, Sweden, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Finland, Greece, France and Mexico: in preparation for its outings in the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), Volkswagen tested the Polo R WRC in nine different countries on gravel, asphalt, snow and ice. The works team from Wolfsburg spent more than 100 test days optimising the Polo R WRC in 2012.
