Andreas Mikkelsen Fansite: IRC

Showing posts with label IRC. Show all posts

Showing posts with label IRC. Show all posts

Andreas Mikkelsen fears Italian pace in Sicily

Andreas Mikkelsen fears the pace of the Italian championship regulars contesting the Targa Florio in Sicily later this month will mean his long wait for a maiden IRC victory on asphalt could continue.

Italian championship runners will be able to score IRC points on the famous rally, which will be based near Palermo from June 14-16, and Mikkelsen believes multiple event winner Paolo Andreucci will be particularly difficult to beat.

“There will be a lot of fast Italian drivers who will be super, super fast because they know the stages very well so it won’t be easy,” said Mikkelsen, who will drive a ŠKODA UK Motorsport-run Fabia Super 2000 on the event. “For sure I hope to be up there fighting and hopefully I can at least beat the drivers who are not Italian.”

Mikkelsen has competed on a gravel event in Sicily in the past but the Targa Florio will represent unchartered territory for the 22-year-old from Norway.

“The only thing I know about the Targo Florio is that it is very slippery Tarmac,” said Mikkelsen. “It won’t be easy but I will do my best.”

Other Italian drivers expected to run at the front in Sicily include Giandomenico Basso and Umberto Scandola.

Source: Max Rally

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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

Meeke: Hänninen and Mikkelsen are world class

Kris Meeke has singled out performances by Juho Hänninen and Andreas Mikkelsen on the Donnelly Group Circuit of Ireland Rally, describing them as “very, very impressive”.

The former Intercontinental Rally Challenge champion was speaking following his visit to the second stage of the event, which passed less than two kilometres from his home near Dungannon in Northern Ireland.

“It was the first time I’ve watched a rally in a long, long time and I have to say I was very, very impressed with what I saw,” said Meeke, who won the IRC title in 2009 driving for Peugeot UK. “Hänninen and Mikkelsen are definitely on top of their games and you can argue that nobody else in the world are as quick as they are in Super 2000 cars.”

Hänninen eventually won the event, his ninth victory in the IRC, with Mikkelsen claiming second in a similar ŠKODA Fabia Super 2000.

Source: irc series

Andreas Mikkelsen lost consciousness in Circuit crash

By Charlie Contadeli

Andreas Mikkelsen has described the incident that cost him victory on the Circuit of Ireland Rally last week and, for several seconds, left him unconscious.

Mikkelsen was dicing with Juho Hanninen for victory on the Intercontinental Rally Challenge event when he lost control braking for a rain-coated left-hand turn on the first run through the Lisburn street stage.

His Skoda UK Motorsport Fabia made hefty contact with a protected hay bale leaving Mikkelsen momentarily concussed after it is understood his crash helmet struck part of his seat support.

“What cost us the chance of victory was a left-hand corner in Lisburn,” said Mikkelsen. “It was raining and very slippery and I just lost the car and went sideways into a hay bale, and we lost a lot of time. It was quite a hard hit. I was a bit dazed, and to be honest I don’t remember so much about it. I was happy to be able to finish the last three stages, because I wasn’t feeling so good.”

Following the incident Mikkelsen’s car was stationary for more than 30 seconds before he was able to complete the stage and finish the rally in second position. It has since emerged that his co-driver Ola Floene began prodding the young Norwegian before he regained consciousness.

Source: MaxRally

Andy goes down in Titanic fight

“Andy Mick” and Juho Hanninen began an epic fight in the Circuit of Ireland on a special stage around Belfast's Harland and Wolff shipyard, where the doomed Titanic was built 100 years ago.

They went on to scrap for every second on the tight and twisty lanes around Belfast and Armagh.

But then Mikkelsen, driving for The Sun’s motorsport partners Skoda UK, made a crucial mistake.

He left his braking too late into a left hand bend on Stage 12 and hurtled sideways into a straw bale.

The crash looked innocuous. But one side of the car was staved in and Mikkelsen was so dazed that for a moment he did not know where he was.

It was 40 seconds before he and navigator Ola Floene got going again.

Not only was the rally lost but Mikkelsen then had to struggle through the remainder of the rally feeling semi-conscious.

But he managed to get to the end and lost only a few more seconds to triumphant Finn Hanninen, driving a factory Skoda Fabia.

Mikkelsen said of the shunt: “I don’t remember too much about it, to be honest, but I know it was quite hard.

“It was very slippery and I just lost the car. Afterwards I was feeling not so good and was not 100 per cent. I just had to get to the finish.”

Mikkelsen’s second place means he is still leading the Intercontinental Rally Challenge.

He said: “It was a rally I would have liked to have won.

“We were close and having a good fight.

“It’s a shame what happened but, OK, I have got a lot of points and things are looking good for the championship.

“Juho had a fantastic weekend so well done to him.”

Czech ace Jan Kopecky was third to make it a Skoda 1-2-3.

Frenchman Mathieu Arzeno was first Peugeot home in fourth followed by local hero Craig Breen in his Pug.

Source: The Sun

Mikkelsen to spend night in hospital following crash

Defending Intercontinental Rally Challenge champion Andreas Mikkelsen will spend Saturday night in hospital following his accident on stage 12 of the Donnelly Group Circuit of Ireland Rally.

Mikkelsen was challenging for victory on the event when he slid into protected hay bales at high speed after being caught out under braking on a wet surface.

Although co-driver Ola Fløene was uninjured, Mikkelsen reported feeling dazed when he eventually reached the stage finish following a delay of approximately 40 seconds.

“After complaining of feeling unwell, Andreas was taken to hospital as a precautionary measure where it was discovered that he has a perforated right eardrum, which will heal,” said a spokesperson for ŠKODA UK Motorsport. “As a further precaution Andreas will have a CT scan in the morning, although this is purely a precaution.”

Despite his accident, Mikkelsen was able to reach the finish of the event in second overall to maintain his lead at the top of the IRC drivers’ standings after three rounds.

Source: irc series.com

UPDATED!

Andreas Mikkelsen has been passed fit following precautionary hospital checks last night.

The defending Intercontinental Rally Challenge champion felt slightly unwell after his car slid at high speed into reinforced hay bales on the Donnelly Group Circuit of Ireland Rally’s first Lisburn stage on Saturday afternoon.

Following the precautionary checks, Mikkelsen was back at the event headquarters in Armagh this morning where he took part in a prize draw for volunteer marshals.

“Andreas is absolutely fine and will carry on with his normal activities as normal,” said a spokesperson for Mikkelsen’s team, ŠKODA UK Motorsport.

Despite the incident in Lisburn, the 22-year-old Mikkelsen was able to finish in a highly credible second place on the asphalt event, his third podium placing out of three IRC starts this season.

Source: irc series.com

Ireland Rally Post-event Press Conference + Video

Question to Andreas Mikkelsen
Up until the Lisburn stage you were firmly in contention for victory. Then what happened?

AM: “Basically we braked too late for a hairpin and after that it was quite bad for the victory.”

Question to Andreas Mikkelsen
How tough was your battle with Juho – did you expect him to be so strong?

AM: “For sure it was not easy. Juho did a fantastic rally. I was happy with my driving, okay I made a mistake but it was a good fight up until then and congratulations to Juho.”

Question to Andreas Mikkelsen
After your late-stage disappointment in Gran Canaria and now this, how do you plan to hit back?

AM: “We’ve had a good start to the season with a victory and two second places. It would be nice to get a victory on Tarmac and hopefully that will happen in Corsica.”

>>> Gallery - Andreas Mikkelsen Circuit of Ireland 2012 <<<

Question to Ola Fløene
What was the atmosphere like in the car after you lost all that time – was it difficult to keep motivated to get to the finish?

OF: “On the second time through I knew something was not in the right place with Andreas. We gave ourselves a few minutes to relax a little bit. We stopped to get some drinks but then we decided to continue.”

Question to Ola Fløene
You’ve got some knowledge of competing in this region before. What are your impressions of the Circuit of Ireland Rally and this year’s route?

OF: “I have a lot of good memories from being here before when Andreas was 17. I must say I like the stages here and I was really looking forward to this event.”

Source: irc series.com

After SS9: Crazy push puts Mikkelsen back in the fight

Andreas Mikkelsen has cut Juho Hänninen’s lead of the Donnelly Group Circuit of Ireland Rally to 4.2s despite a “big moment” on the ninth stage of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge event.

Mikkelsen repeated the second run of the 25-kilometre Redrock stage in a time of 13m26.2s with Hänninen recording a 13m31.0s in his similar ŠKODA Fabia Super 2000.

“We pushed everything we had,” said Norwegian Mikkelsen. “We had a big moment near the end when I had to save the car five times on a straight. I was in a ditch and bouncing off a hedge. It was absolutely crazy, we need to push.”

Hänninen said: “It was much more dry than in the morning so no drama. I have to keep the pressure on to keep Andreas behind.”

>> Gallery: Andreas Mikkelsen Circuit of Ireland Rally 2012<<

Jan Kopecký is adopting a low-risk strategy to maintain his third place overall in his Fabia. He was third fastest through the stage, 11.5s slower than Mikkelsen.

Craig Breen was fourth quickest in his Saintéloc Peugeot 207 S2000 and is now 21.0s behind ŠKODA Ireland’s Robert Barrable in the battle for fifth position overall. Breen said changes to his rear damper settings in service had improved the handling of his car.

Sepp Wiegand lost several seconds when he braked too late for a junction and charged a fence in his ŠKODA Auto Deutschland Fabia.

“The window is broken, we lost a lot of time,” said the young German driver. “I pushed a bit harder but maybe the tyres were a little cold.”

IRC 2WD Cup leader Marty McCormack suffered an overshoot at a square-right junction. The Northern Irishman is nursing a gearbox problem but still managed to go faster than category rival Tommy Doyle. Garry Jennings continues to top the IRC Production Cup standings in his Ralliart Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX.

Source: irc series.com

Mikkelsen versus Hanninen again in Ireland

Once again, it's a two-Skoda breakaway at the front of a 2012 Intercontinental Rally Challenge round, as the series' most recent champions Andreas Mikkelsen and Juho Hanninen go head to head on the Circuit of Ireland.

Mikkelsen made small mistakes on both of the first loop's slippery full-length stages, brushing a gate on Legane, yet still managed to maintain a 2.8-second lead over Hanninen.

First on the road, Hanninen felt he lost too much tyre temperature waiting for the slightly delayed Legane stage to get underway, but was on the pace soon enough. Mikkelsen was also running heavier cuts on his tyres than Hanninen.

"We had a big wait on the startline - I don't know what the delay was," said Hanninen. "But then luckily it was drying up near the finish, so we gained more and more."

Canarias winner Jan Kopecky is already half a minute behind in third in the second works Skoda.

"I have to say I'm not happy with my driving," said Kopecky. "It's not my day today."

Craig Breen was best of the home contingent in fourth, with just eight seconds covering the WRC Academy champion, his Sainteloc team-mate Mathieu Arzeno, and the Ford of last week's Portugal WRC Academy winner Alastair Fisher after SS3. But then Breen arrived late into service following a fuel pump issue on the road section, so is set to pick up penalties.

Robert Barrable is next up, while Sepp Wiegand dropped back from this group with an SS3 puncture.

Source: Max Rally

Mikkelsen sets shakedown pace + Video

Andreas Mikkelsen has gone fastest in shakedown for the Donnelly Group Circuit of Ireland Rally, round three of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge.

Based on unofficial times issued just prior to the 21:30hrs finish, Mikkelsen had completed six runs of the 5.4-kilometre course close to the rally base in Armagh. He was credited with a fastest time of 3m21.9s in his ŠKODA UK Motorsport Fabia Super 2000.

“The first run was dry but after the second run it started to rain,” said the defending IRC champion. “Because of this we were able to try different tyre compounds in different conditions in preparation for the rally. Everything was good and we were quite happy because we could see how much time we would lose running a full wet tyre on a damp road. We also tried a different rear differential set-up.”

Juho Hänninen, IRC champion in 2010, was second quickest based on the unofficial timings in his factory ŠKODA. Craig Breen was the leading Peugeot 207 runner in third overall with Jan Kopecký fourth and Alastair Fisher fifth in his M-Sport Ford Fiesta S2000. French youngster Mathieu Arzeno completed the top six.

Robert Consani was the leading IRC Production Cup and IRC 2WD Cup contender in his Renault Mégane RS.

The Circuit of Ireland Rally gets underway with the Titanic Super Special Stage in Belfast at 17:00hrs local time on Friday.

Source: irc series.com

Barrable got a bird’s eye view from inside Mikkelsen’s Fabia S2000

Robert Barrable got a bird’s eye view from inside Andreas Mikkelsen’s Fabia S2000, when the Intercontinental Rally Challenge Champion took him for a high-speed ride during his pre-Circuit of Ireland Rally test in his ŠKODA UK Motorsport Fabia S2000.

The Billy Coleman Award winning driver from Swords in Co. Dublin had been testing his ŠKODA Ireland Fabia S2000 on the same section of road outside Aughnacloy, and seized the opportunity to see what the action’s like from the co-driver’s seat – for the very first time.

Andreas’ has considerably more experience driving the Fabia S2000 than Robert, so it was no surprise that the young Irishman enjoyed the experience.

“I was very impressed – I can see why Andreas is IRC champion,” said Robert. “He’s just so comfortable in the car, it’s amazing to watch.

“This is the first time I’ve been a passenger in a rally car at speed like this, and it was strange being in a car that’s so similar to my own and not being in control of it. I certainly picked up a few tips, especially in the corners where Andreas is a lot more aggressive than me.

“I really enjoyed the experience and would like to thank Andreas for giving me the opportunity to sit in with him.”

Source: Circuit of Ireland

Ola back in the flow

Ola Fløene returned to the co-driver’s seat today, still suffering from a nasty bout of ‘flu, but well enough to partner Andreas Mikkelsen, as the Intercontinental Rally Challenge Champions concluded their pre-Circuit of Ireland Rally testing.

Ola arrived in Ireland 24 hours later than planned, having spent the previous three days at home in bed with a fever. He missed the ŠKODA UK Motorsport team’s first day of testing, but returned to the factory-prepared Fabia S2000 today, as he and Andreas conclude their pre-event testing south of Monaghan.

It’s 5°C, with a bitterly cold wind and showers of hail – a vast contrast to the hot conditions inside the car, and far from ideal conditions for someone trying to fight off ‘flu.

“I will be okay,” says Ola. “The recce schedule is quite easy, as the stages are so close together, and I’ll do everything I can to be fit and well for the start of the rally on Friday.

“I’ve had so many telephones calls and emails, asking if I’m okay. I’d like to thank everyone for sending me their best wishes; it’s really been a nice surprise. ACHOO!”

Source: Andreas Mikkelsen Official Website

IRC - Mikkelsen gets new co-driver for Irish test

2 April 2012 - 21h44, by Olivier Ferret

Andreas Mikkelsen is testing for this week’s Donnelly Group Circuit of Ireland Rally today but his regular co-driver, Ola Fløene, wasn’t by his side when he got behind the wheel of his ŠKODA UK Motorsport Fabia Super 2000.

Andreas Mikkelsen is testing for this week’s Donnelly Group Circuit of Ireland Rally today but his regular co-driver, Ola Fløene, wasn’t by his side when he got behind the wheel of his ŠKODA UK Motorsport Fabia Super 2000.

Instead, Mikkelsen, the reigning Intercontinental Rally Challenge champion, has called up Juho Hänninen’s regular navigator Mikko Markkula to give Fløene an extra 24 hours at home in Norway as he recovers from a bout of ‘flu that has kept the IRC title-winning co-driver in bed in recent days.

Markkula, who has already finished his pre-event testing programme with Hänninen, kindly agreed to give up his day off – highlighting the great spirit in the ŠKODA family and the close working relationship between ŠKODA Motorsport and the works-supported UK team.

“Juho and Andreas’ pacenotes are quite different, but we agreed to do the notes in English so I didn’t have to learn Norwegian overnight,” said Markkula. “With Juho the pacenotes are in Finnish, but I have done some rallies with English notes, so it won’t be a problem. I know this test road well, as we were here on Saturday. It has everything you’d expect to find on an Irish lane – bumpy, fast, dips, jumps, junctions and gravel – so it’s perfect for testing.”

Overnight rain has made the test road near Aughnacloy wet and slippery – ideal conditions if the weather forecast for day one of the IRC qualifier on Friday night is to be believed.

Conditions are expected to dry today, and the ŠKODA UK Motorsport team plans a full day of testing, including some night running in preparation for Friday’s night stages. It is hoped Fløene will be well enough to partner Mikkelsen when he continues testing on Tuesday.

Source: Motorsport Nextgen

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