A new addition to the Volkswagen team: from the Rally Portugal
onward, Andreas Mikkelsen and Mikko Markkula will take part in the World
Rally Championship in a third Polo R WRC. After two years in a Skoda
Fabia in the Super 2000 category, where the cars have 30 hp less, the
youngest driver ever to win world championship points (at the Rally
Sweden in 2008) will now make his big debut. So how do you feel,
Andreas? "Fantastic. I think any driver would be happy to drive for
Volkswagen in the 2013 rally season"
The past few months have
required the high-speed personality Andreas Mikkelsen to be rather
patient: the 23-year-old has had to follow the action as a spectator,
including the impressive first place achieved by the Polo R WRC in its
first special stage at the Rally Monte Carlo in January and Sébastien
Ogier's victories in Sweden in February and in Mexico at the start of
March. But he was behind the wheel in spirit: "I'm an adrenaline junkie
and love everything to do with high speeds", explained the Norwegian in
the Rally The World interview. "When I tested the Polo R for the first
time, my only thought was: Wooooow is that fast! When can I start?
However, he does have one regret: he would have loved to have shown off
his skills at the Rally Sweden. "I grew up in the snow and was a skier
in the national youth team. I learnt to drive on frozen lakes in Norway
when I was 16 – and in a proper World Rally Car. I then had to learn how
to use a normal stick shift when I had proper driving lessons because I
was so used to flappy paddles."
It's clear Andreas will now
give it his all and try to get to the top spot. To guarantee the WRC
returnee enough test days and space in the service park, a new team was
set up: Volkswagen Motorsport II. "Working with Volkswagen is really
exciting," says Mikkelsen, "after all, this is where rally legends such
as Carlos Sainz or the Golf GTI 16V meet today's heroes: the Polo R WRC
and world-class drivers such as Ogier/Ingrassia and Latvala/Anttila."
Why he forgot to include himself in that list is something he's sure to
rectify after the Rally Portugal has taken place (11-14 April).
Source: Rally The World
