Andreas Mikkelsen rules out fighting Ogier on Acropolis Rally

Volkswagen Motorsport driver Andreas Mikkelsen has ruled out any chance of another thrilling battle with team-mate Sebastien Ogier on this week's Acropolis Rally.

The scrap between the two Skoda Fabia S2000s was one of the highlights of Rally Argentina last month, but Mikkelsen says the extreme nature of the Acropolis Rally means he will not be able to run as quickly as Ogier.

The Norwegian was new to Rally Argentina, where he led the seven-time world rally winner, for much of the event, but Mikkelsen admitted his maiden outing in Greece is a different proposition.

"This was a rally he won last year and the stages are more or less all the same," said Mikkelsen. "In Argentina, there were some new stages and that was a good rally for us. I don't think we will fight with him here. It will be more tough this time - my aim is to get to the finish to get to know this rally."

Mikkelsen admitted he had been shocked at how rough the day-two roads were during the recce.

"I heard some rumours about how rough this rally was and today we saw that,' said Mikkelsen. "It was very rough today. The rocks are so big and we have to drive over them.

"I don't know how we approach these kind of stages because I never drove them before - I guess we will just figure it out when we get there. Seb [Ogier] told me the Michelin tyre is strong and it will stand going through the rocks, he says it's no problem."

The fascinating Mikkelsen-Ogier South American tussle was decided when the Intercontinental Rally Challenge champion's Fabia suffered suspension failure on the final day.

Source: Autosport

Read More ►

Mikkelsen: wrong pacenote to blame for Corsica delay + Video

Andreas Mikkelsen has described the incident that is set to ensure his winless stretch in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge on asphalt continues.

Mikkelsen, the defending IRC champion, started Friday’s second stage, covered live on Eurosport and Eurosport Player, leading by 7.2s. He reached the stop line trailing new leader Dani Sordo by 2m35.7s. His three wins in the IRC to date have all come on gravel.

“It was a ‘flat five left long’ in the pacenotes and I tried to take it flat, but I think the note was a little bit too positive, plus it was early into the stage so the tyres were not fully warm yet,” said the ŠKODA UK Motorsport driver. “Basically, I was a little too fast and we understeered out into a ditch, hit a wooden post and bounced back onto the road again. In one way we are lucky we are still here. But then the jack didn’t work and we took a long time to change the wheel. There is a little bit of damage on the right hand side of the car, but nothing to worry about – we can still go fast.”

Source: irc series.com

Read More ►

IRC Tour de Corse 2012 - Andreas Mikkelsen Photos

Some pictures of our Norwegians duo favorite - Andreas Mikkelsen and Ola Floene in action on IRC Rally Tour de Corse 2012, fourth event of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge in France.

This video down below isn't from Rally Tour de Corse, but it's a wonderfull profile video. Take a look, I promisse you, it's worth every second of your attention. Those are amazing! That why we love them!!! The best of luck to our boys tomorrow! Goooo Team Mikkelsen!

Enjoy it!

Read More ►

Andreas Mikkelsen holds narrow Corsica lead

Andreas Mikkelsen holds a narrow lead over series returnee Giandomenico Basso and World Rally star Dani Sordo at the end of day one of the latest Intercontinental Rally Challenge round in Corsica.

Basso, driving an A-Style-run Ford, was quickest on the first of leg one's three stages, before fastest time on SS2 took championship leader Mikkelsen (Skoda UK) from fourth to first.

He heads for the overnight halt 1.8 seconds ahead of Basso, and 2.8s clear of Sordo, who is the first top-line driver to showcase the S2000 Mini in the IRC.

A stage win on SS3 took Pierre Campana's Munaretto Peugeot up to fourth place, 19.3s off the lead, and just ahead of Mathieu Arzeno (Sainteloc Peugeot), with 2011 title contenders Jan Kopecky (Skoda) and Bryan Bouffier (Delta Peugeot) next up. Kopecky had a minor off-road excursion on SS3, while Bouffier rued excessive understeer.

Further back, Hermann Gassner Jr's Red Bull Skoda has been delayed by a puncture, and Craig Breen's Sainteloc Peugeot has been hampered by driveshaft issues.

Pos Driver Car Time
1. A.Mikkelsen Skoda Fabia S2000 28m36.3s
2. G.Basso Ford Fiesta S2000 + 0.1
3. Daniel Sordo Mini John Cooper Works S2000 + 0.6
4. Jan Kopecky Peugeot 207 S2000 + 13.2
5. Mathieu Arzeno Peugeot 207 S2000 + 17.2
6. Bryan Bouffier Skoda Fabia S2000 + 17.4
7. Pierre Campana Peugeot 207 S2000 + 20.1
8. J-M.Manzagol Skoda Fabia S2000 + 46.9
9. Julien Maurin Peugeot 207 S2000 + 48.8
10. Sepp Wiegand Skoda Fabia S2000 + 55.5

Source: Autosport

Read More ►

Mikkelsen hopes to break asphalt rally duck on the Tour de Course

Defending Intercontinental Rally Challenge champion Andreas Mikkelsen hopes to break his asphalt rally duck on this week's Tour de Corse.

The Skoda UK Motorsport driver has finished a close second on the last two rounds of the series - both of which have run on asphalt - and the Norwegian says victory on the French island event would mean a lot to him.

"I'm still chasing that first [asphalt] win," said Mikkelsen, "and this would be a special rally to get it on. I've been chasing it for a long time. We have been close and certainly on the Circuit of Ireland, the last round, we were really close and had a great fight with Juho [Hanninen]."

The Finn - a fellow Fabia S2000 driver - is not competing on the Tour de Corse, which starts from Ajaccio today, but there will be plenty more competition for Mikkelsen and his Skoda UK team.

"There are a lot of good guys out on this event," he said. "Dani [Sordo] in the Mini and [Giandomenico] Basso in his Fiesta will be quick and then there are drivers like Bryan Bouffier coming back again. It's not going to be an easy event."

This week's fourth round of the IRC will be one of the toughest of the season - and the longest Tour de Corse in recent years. Having latterly been based solely in Ajaccio as a round of the World Rally Championship, the IRC has encouraged the organisers of the event to roam further afield around the island, in the same way the classic Tour de Corse would have done.

After an Ajaccio start, the route takes crews through Calvi, Corte and up to the finish in Bastia on Saturday evening, completing close to 200 competitive miles.

Having won the opening round of this year's IRC, before finishing second on rounds two and three, Mikkelsen has an 18-point lead in the standings.

Source: Autosport

Read More ►

Andreas satisfied after Corsica shakedown + Video

Andreas Mikkelsen did four runs of the Cape di Feno – St. Antoine shakedown stage in his factory-prepared ŠKODA UK Motorsport Fabia S2000 before declaring himself satisfied and ready for the start of the Tour of Corsica.

The recce for Round 4 of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge has gone well, although it highlighted what a difficult start to the event it will be. SS1 has just about everything you’re ever likely to find in an asphalt stage, with the 16.08 miles (25.89kms) containing wide and fast and narrow and bumpy sections. The next two stages, which lead the rally up to Calvi, run a high risk of punctures for those gambling and cutting corners.

The ceremonial start takes place tonight in Ajaccio. Cars go over the ramp in reserve order, meaning that Andreas and co-driver Ola Fløene will be flagged away at 21.42 local time. But they won’t be going far, as the rally doesn’t leave Ajaccio tomorrow at 13.00, with the first of 14 special stages beginning at 14.13.

The weather forecast for the picturesque Mediterranean island is for dry and sunny conditions throughout the event.

“The recce and the shakedown have gone well – no dramas at all,” said Andreas. “The aim is to score points, so it will be a good battle with the other Super 2000 cars. I’m not so worried about the turbo-charged Regional Rally Cars, so I won’t be pushing like crazy to try and beat Sordo if he’s as quick as I know he will be. It’s going to be a very hot and long rally, and I’m looking forward to it.”

Source: Andreas Mikkelsen Official Website

Read More ►

Saturday stage knowledge key, says Mikkelsen

Andreas Mikkelsen reckons his knowledge of the final day’s stages could make the difference in his quest for his first IRC victory on asphalt when the series resumes in Corsica this week.

Mikkelsen, IRC champion in 2011, holds an 18-point title advantage heading to the island rally from May 9-12.

He was a contender for a podium last year until a puncture dropped him back nearing the finish.

This year’s route has been tweaked to close with a cluster of stages around Bastia on Saturday. They traditionally form part of Ronde De La Giraglia, a local rally in Corsica, which Mikkelsen tackled in 2011 to prepare for Tour de Corse.

“After good performances on Tarmac in Gran Canaria and Ireland, I’m really feeling comfortable heading to Corsica,” said the 22-year-old Skoda UK Motorsport driver. “I enjoy the stages and we had a good rally there last year. A lot of the stages are the same, and the final leg of the event near Bastia is on the same stages we did on the Ronde De La Giraglia, so that will definitely be good for us.”

Mikkelsen will face a tough fight in his pursuit of his second victory in this year’s IRC with opposition coming from 21 other Super 2000 drivers, including factory Skoda pilot Jan Kopecky, former Monte Carlo Rally winner Bryan Bouffier, double European champion Giandomenico Basso and world championship star Dani Sordo.

However, because Sordo’s Mini is not registered for IRC points, the Spaniard won’t, in theory, be a threat to Mikkelsen. Nevertheless, the Norwegian is excited by the prospect of doing battle with Sordo over the 318 competitive kilometres.

“I’m happy to see Dani Sordo on the starting list; he’ll be a benchmark for us all, and it will be interesting to fight against a top WRC driver on an IRC event,” said Mikkelsen.

This year’s Tour de Corse, the 55th running, features 14 stages, four of which will be shown live on Eurosport.

Source: Max Rally

Read More ►

WRC Rally Argentina: Mikkelsen on the up

Hans Christian Andersen was Danish – but Andreas Mikkelsen from Norway still believes in fairy tales, because so far his life has been written like one.

Having won the Intercontinental Rally Challenge against all the odds in a Skoda last year, he caught the attention of Volkswagen – competing with a Skoda team this year in the World Rally Championship as they prepare the new Polo R WRC.

And guess what? In the Fabia S2000 with its Wings For Life livery (Red Bull’s official charity, promoting research into spinal injury and rehabilitation) Mikkelsen is currently beating the established superstar Sebastien Ogier in the Rally Argentina: Volkswagen’s number one driver.

At first glance, it seems that Mikkelsen has everything. He was at the front of the queue when good looks were handed out and as soon as he passed his driving test aged 17 he was competing on rallies in Great Britain with a cutting-edge World Rally Car. He is still the youngest competitor ever to have scored points in the World Rally Championship, thanks to fifth place on the 2008 Rally Sweden.

When he moved to the IRC and won in Scotland three years later, Mikkelsen also became the youngest competitor ever to clinch an IRC round – aged just 22 years and four months. He also won the Italian Gravel Championship for good measure last year. So he’s clearly been listening to the advice from his coach and mentor, two-time World Rally Champion Marcus Gronholm.

But anybody who thinks that Mikkelsen has always had it easy needs to think again. At the end of the 2008 season his funding dried up, leaving a desperate Mikkelsen to rebuild his career all on his own. He admits that these were dark times. It would have been so easy to give up, walk away and find a more comfortable way of earning a living.

But instead he returned to Norway, living in a small flat in Oslo with his grandmother, and continued to chase his dream by calling and pestering anybody who might be able to help.

And that was the start of the story with Volkswagen Motorsport and Wings For Life. He already put in a mightily impressive showing at the Rally Sweden this year with the fledgling team, heading Ogier for much of the rally before eventually finishing 13th, just two places behind him.

Now, in their second encounter, it’s once again Mikkelsen showing his experienced team mate the way throughout one of the toughest rallies of the year. Anyone wondering who’s going to get the coveted number two seat at Volkswagen would be well-advised not to look much further.

Source: RedBull.com

Read More ►

Andreas Mikkelsen impresses team-mate Ogier

Sebastien Ogier admits he's been impressed by team-mate Andreas Mikkelsen's pace on Philips Rally Argentina.

The Volkswagen Motorsport aces have been evenly matched for much of the day with Ogier three-tenths of a second in front of Mikkelsen at the midday service in Villa Carlos Paz.

While a puncture for Ogier and a broken suspension damper for Mikkelsen has distorted the battle, they are 20s apart heading to Friday’s final stage in their Super 2000 specification Skoda Fabias.

“It’s been interesting because Andreas has been pushing a lot and it’s close between us,” said Ogier, who is currently ninth overall, two places behind Mikkelsen. “I lost 50 seconds with a puncture and one tyre off the rim on stage four. Because I had no more spares I had to be really cautious on the last one, especially on the rough parts. Then he lost 25s with a broken suspension.

“The rally is still very long with 300 kilometres left. Now we have the same conditions so I hope the battle between us will continue to the end.”

Source: wrc.com

Read More ►

Mikkelsen vows to impress in Argentina

Andreas Mikkelsen wants to put on a strong showing when he makes his debut on Philips Rally Argentina, round five of the FIA World Rally Championship powered by Nokia, which starts on Thursday (26 April).

The highly rated Norwegian is a graduate of the FIA Institute Young Driver Excellence Academy. He starts his second event of the year in a Volkswagen Motorsport Skoda Fabia Super 2000 as part of a programme evaluating prospective drivers for Volkswagen’s official WRC entry in 2013.

“It’s important to finish and to gather as much experience as possible,” said the 22-year-old, who won the Intercontinental Rally Challenge in 2011. “Yet it’s also about showing my talent and proving that I’m capable of handling such a difficult rally well. The round in Argentina is very long and it’ll be important to find a good balance between speed and safety in order to keep from overtaxing the car. Fitness, too, will play a role. Even the preparation of the [pace] notes prior to the rally across this long distance demands the driver’s and the co-driver’s full concentration.”

Frenchman Sebastien Ogier will appear in a second Volkswagen-run Skoda. He is also expecting a tough challenge over the route, which features a competitive distance of 503 kilometres.

“It’s the longest rally I’ve ever driven,” said Ogier, who led in Argentina last season before finishing third. “For the drivers as well as for the mechanics, it’s likely to be a very strenuous run. You’ve got to manage your energy levels really well and the car, too, is in for an endurance test.”

Source: wrc.com

Read More ►