Andreas Mikkelsen Fansite: Ola Fløene

Showing posts with label Ola Fløene. Show all posts

Showing posts with label Ola Fløene. 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

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

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

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

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

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

Hanninen edges away in Ireland after slight error by Mikkelsen

Juho Hanninen's Circuit of Ireland lead is up to nine seconds after a mistake by Andreas Mikkelsen amid a colossal battle between Skoda's two Intercontinental Rally Challenge champions.

After Hanninen took the lead on Friday night, Mikkelsen retaliated on Saturday's opener - where his rival confessed to being too cautious - and regained first place by 0.6 seconds.

But a big push by Hanninen on the Drumhillery stage, where Mikkelsen felt his soft tyres were the wrong choice, took the Finn back to the top by 1.6s, and when Mikkelsen then overshot a corner on Hollow, Hanninen found himself with the biggest lead anyone has enjoyed so far on the ultra-close event.

Jan Kopecky described the top two's pace as "crazy" and is now a minute behind in third in the second works Skoda.

Alastair Fisher crashed his M-Sport Ford on the first stage of the day, so fourth placed now belongs to top Peugeot driver Mathieu Arzeno (Sainteloc). After his penalties for being late into service on Friday evening, Arzeno's team-mate Craig Breen is now sixth, between Skoda men Robert Barrable and Sepp Wiegand.

Seven further stages remain, split across two loops later on Saturday.

Source: Autosport

Andreas sets 3rd fastest time on super special Titanic + Video

Jan Kopecký has made history by winning the first stage of the Donnelly Group Circuit of Ireland Rally to count as a round of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge.

Kopecký completed the 1.8-kilometre Titanic Super Special Stage in Belfast in a time of 2m11.8s at the wheel of his ŠKODA Fabia Super 2000.

Sepp Wiegand impressed with the second fastest time, 0.2s slower than Kopecký, in his ŠKODA Auto Deutschland Fabia.

ŠKODA UK Motorsport’s Andreas Mikkelsen was third fastest, 1.2s behind Kopecký with Craig Breen fourth in his Saintéloc Racing Peugeot 207 S2000, 3.5s down on the Kopecký.

Garry Jennings was the leading IRC Production Cup runner in fifth with Josh Moffett sixth in a Ralliart Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX. Former Intercontinental Rally Challenge champion Juho Hänninen was seventh with Robert Barrable eighth in his ŠKODA Ireland-backed entry.

Sam Moffett took ninth with Alastair Fisher completing the top 10 after a cautious effort in his M-Sport Ford Fiesta S2000.

Robert Consani was the leading IRC 2WD Cup runner in 12^th overall at the wheel of a Renault Mégane RS.

Crews are now heading to the Drummond stage south of the town of Dungannon. The 12.96-kilometre test goes live at 18:30hrs local time.

Source: irc series.com

Comment after SS 1:

Mikkelsen Andreas / Floene Ola: "Very slippery. Difficult start, because there wasn't the start clock, so we will see."

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

Mikkelsen takes positives from Canarias misfortune

Andreas Mikkelsen says he will use missing out on victory on Rally Islas Canarias El Corte Inglés in a dramatic final-stage showdown with Jan Kopecký earlier this month as a positive.

The ŠKODA UK Motorsport driver, the defending Intercontinental Rally Challenge champion, was one stage away from winning the asphalt event when a sudden loss of a power, caused by a rare mechanical failure, dropped him to second overall behind his Czech rival.

Despite missing out on victory, Mikkelsen heads the IRC drivers’ standings after two events.

“We have a first place and a second place so it’s a very good start for us in the IRC this year, because it’s a lot of points,” said the 22-year-old from Norway. “This time last year to have these points I used seven rallies or something so it’s a much better start for me this year.”

Mikkelsen returns to IRC action on round three, the Donnelly Group Circuit of Ireland Rally, which takes place from 6/7 April.

Source: IRC Series

Formula One driving tips boost Mikkelsen

Co-driver Ola Fløene says Andreas Mikkelsen’s speed on asphalt has improved significantly following sessions with ex-Formula One racer Alex Wurz.

The reigning Intercontinental Rally Challenge champion is one of the fastest drivers in the sport but has yet to win a round of the IRC on Tarmac. However, he’s getting close and came within one stage of winning Rally Islas Canarias El Corte Inglés last week until a mechanical failure forced him to settle for second place.

“Alex Wurz helped Andreas when he was in the FIA Academy Institute last year with his driving technique and it’s paying off,” said Fløene. “Before Andreas used to attack every corner like he was driving on gravel but now he’s less aggressive into the corner, braking earlier with less left-foot braking. Because of this the tyres survive longer and don’t overheat and he has more speed.”

Mikkelsen, who drives a Fabia Super 2000 for ŠKODA UK Motorsport, currently holds an 18-point advantage in the IRC standings after two rounds.

Source: IRC Series

Mikkelsen Extends IRC lead with 2nd Place on the Rally Islas Canarias

Las Palmas, 17 March, 2012 – ŠKODA UK Motorsport’s Andreas Mikkelsen has extended his lead in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, after finishing 2nd on the Rally Islas Canarias El Corte Inglés.

Co-driven by Ola Fløene, the IRC champion enjoyed an incredibly close battle with Jan Kopecký (ŠKODA Motorsport), as the two factory-prepared Fabia S2000 drivers set the fastest time on all 15 special stages. Despite driving flat out for more than two hours over the fast and twisty asphalt mountain roads high above the host town of Las Palmas, the gap between the leading two drivers was never more than 5.1 seconds – until an engine misfire on the final stage settled the battle in Kopecký’s favour. Andreas lost over 30 seconds on the final test and dropped to 2nd place – although the ŠKODA duo were still over three minutes ahead of the rest of the field.

The 1-2 result sees ŠKODA score maximum points for the second time this year, increasing its lead at the top of the IRC Manufacturers’ table.

Andreas had identified the Canary Island-based event as one of the most difficult IRC rounds to win, yet, running as car number 1 for the first time in his IRC career, he began by setting fastest time on the opening three stages. After the loop of stages had been repeated, his advantage was 5.1 seconds.

Andreas went into the overnight halt 1.2 seconds behind Kopecký, but regained the lead on Leg 2’s opening stage. A further two fastest times re-established a 4.4 second advantage, before Kopecký fought back on SS13 and 14. Kopecký was just 0.1 seconds quicker on the penultimate stage, despite Andreas running with a misfire for the last 3kms. He and Ola attempted to diagnose the fault before entering the final stage, but had to complete all 16.12kms with a misfire, costing them all hopes of victory. At the final service, the ŠKODA UK Motorsport engineers discovered the problem was a broken injector connector.

Andreas: “The whole team did such a fantastic job on this rally, so we are very unlucky to pick up a misfire so close to the finish. To finish second and score eighteen points is of course good, but I really wanted to win this rally and so did the team. I improved my driving on Tarmac a lot last year and also during this event, and whilst I’m really disappointed not to have scored my first IRC win on Tarmac here in Gran Canaria, I promise to come back stronger. Hopefully the Circuit of Ireland will be a good rally for us.”

The next round of the IRC is ŠKODA UK Motorsport’s home event, the Donnelly Group Circuit of Ireland Rally (6-7 April).

Source: Rally Buzz

Kopecky wins Rally Islas Canarias as misfire robs Mikkelsen

Jan Kopecky picked up a last-gasp Rally Islas Canarias win when rival Andreas Mikkelsen's Skoda UK Fabia developed a misfire on the very last stage.

Mikkelsen appeared to have done enough to win his event-long battle with fellow works Skoda driver Kopecky, taking a 3.6-second lead into the final stage despite his Czech sparring partner being fractionally quicker on the deciding afternoon.

But the misfire cost Mikkelsen nearly half a minute, robbing him of what would have been his first victory on asphalt, and halting his streak of Intercontinental Rally Challenge wins. Kopecky was therefore able to repeat his 2010 Canarias victory and claim a win on his first IRC appearance of 2012.

Event promoter and 1991/'94 Canarias winner Luis Monzon secured an impressive third place in his Peugeot 207, comfortably ahead of Sepp Wiegand (Skoda Deutschland).

Leading finishers:

Pos Driver Team/Car Time/Gap

1. Jan Kopecky Skoda 2h21m46.5s
2. Andreas Mikkelsen Skoda UK + 28.3s
3. Luis Monzon Canarias Peugeot + 3m13.6s
4. Sepp Wiegand Skoda Deutschland + 4m32.0s
5. Jonathan Perez AMP Classic Peugeot + 7m29.3s
6. Joan Vinyes Suzuki Iberica + 9m00.3s
7. Gorka Antxustegi Suzuki Iberica + 9m18.9s

Source: Autosport

After SS10: Mikkelsen fastest, Gassner Jr crashes

Andreas Mikkelsen has shot back into the lead of Rally Islas Canarias El Corte Inglés by winning Saturday’s first test, the 13.28-kilometre Maspalomas stage.

The reigning Intercontinental Rally Challenge champion was 3.1s quicker than overnight leader Jan Kopecký, also in a ŠKODA Fabia Super 2000, to move 1.9s ahead in the overall classification.

“It was a good push, on the limit sometimes, it’s a good fight,” said Mikkelsen.

Kopecký said: “I have to say it was quite quick. In the recce I said it would be a fast stage but it was actually more quick than I thought.”

While Luis Monzón completed the stage without issue with the third fastest time in his Peugeot 207 S2000, Hermann Gassner Jr was less fortunate, crashing his Red Bull Team Fabia and inflicting substantial damage to the left-rear corner.

Fellow German Sepp Wiegand, who was running behind Gassner Jr on the road, said: “I think he went off, there was left-rear damage and he’s out. I’m really sorry because it was a nice fight and we are fighting together. He’s okay, he stands out of the car.”

Maspalomas is an all-new stage for 2012 and is described as been fast and flowing with a big drop in one section.

Source: IRC Series

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