Drive of the Day - Sweden day 2: Andreas Mikkelsen

By Anthony Peacock

As team leader for Volkswagen Motorsport, Sebastien Ogier isn't exactly used to being beaten by his team-mate – not when it comes to stage times at least.

But this time it looks like Ogier might just have a worthy rival in Andreas Mikkelsen, who has been given the drive in the second Volkswagen Motorsport Skoda Fabia S2000 on selected events this year.

So far Mikkelsen has taken the fight to Ogier with determination, making him one of the favourites to land the second permanent seat alongside the Frenchman next year.

"It's been a good start to this rally, but there are a few things still to come," said the 22-year-old Norwegian, who normally drives a Fabia S2000 for the Skoda UK team in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge. "I'm already used to the car and I love driving on snow, so it hasn't taken me a long time to adapt."

Mikkelsen became the youngest driver ever to score world championship points when he finished fifth on the 2008 Rally Sweden.

"It's a fantastic experience being here now in a factory team like Volkswagen: it's a huge organisation and you learn so much from it," added the 22-year-old.

"It's been great working with Sebastien Ogier too: he has been absolutely fantastic with me and we have a very good relationship. I don't know what the future holds for me with Volkswagen, but I just want to make the most of the chance that I have now."

Source: Max Rally

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Mikkelsen grateful for learning opportunity

Norway's Andreas Mikkelsen says he is not sure how often he will get to drive the Volkswagen Motorsport Skoda Fabia S2000 this year - but that it is one of the best opportunities for learning that he has ever experienced.

Volkswagen has committed to running Mikkelsen in a second car alongside lead driver Sebastien Ogier for a number of events this year, but it is not known how many. Mikkelsen will share the second seat with Kevin Abbring, and possibly some other drivers, as Volkswagen evaluates its driver line-up for the 2013 FIA World Rally Championship.

After Abbring drove the car in Monte Carlo, Mikkelsen is making the most of the opportunity in Sweden. He ends the second day 12th overall, with Ogier only just in front of him.

“It’s a fantastic experience being here in a factory team like Volkswagen: it’s a huge organisation and you learn so much from it,” said the 22-year-old. “It’s been great working with Sebastien Ogier too: he has been absolutely fantastic with me and we have a very good relationship.

"I don’t know what the future holds for me with Volkswagen, but I just want to make the most of the chance that I have now.”

Mikkelsen already has plenty of experience of the Skoda Fabia S2000 through his contract with Skoda UK. He previously drove for Volkswagen on Rally Finland last year.

Source: WRC.com

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Mikkelsen vs Ogier - Battle of the Volkswagen drivers

As team leader for Volkswagen Motorsport, Sebastien Ogier isn’t exactly used to being beaten by his team mate - not when it comes to stage times at least.

But this time it looks like Ogier might just have a worthy rival in Andreas Mikkelsen, who has been given the drive in the second Volkswagen Motorsport Skoda Fabia S2000 on selected gravel events this year.

So far Mikkelsen has beaten Ogier five-four over the first nine stages and although Ogier moved back ahead to take 11th overall on SS9, they are just 7.6s apart.

“It’s been a good start to this rally, but there are a few things still to come,” said the 22-year-old Norwegian, who normally drives a Fabia S2000 for the Skoda UK team. “I’m already used to the car and I love driving on snow, so it hasn’t taken me a long time to adapt.”

Mikkelsen became the youngest driver ever to score world championship points when he finished fifth on Rally Sweden in 2008.

Source: WRC.com

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Andreas Mikkelsen thrilled with Rally Sweden pace

Reigning Intercontinental Rally Challenge champion Andreas Mikkelsen says there is more speed to come from his Skoda Fabia S2000 as he threatens the top 10 overall on Rally Sweden.

Mikkelsen is driving for the Volkswagen Motorsport team on the second round of the World Rally Championship and has raised eyebrows in Sweden by showing the pace to race with team-mate and seven-time world rally winner Sebastien Ogier.

Heading for the final stage in Karlstad this evening, the 12th-placed Norwegian is just 7.6 seconds behind the Frenchman.

"I'm happy," said Mikkelsen. "We had a spin on the first stage this morning and then caught a car on the second stage, so we dropped time on those, but otherwise it's gone well. After competing in these conditions a couple of times already this year, I hoped to be in this kind of place. It's almost the perfect day, hopefully tomorrow we can make it the perfect day - there is more speed to come I think."

Ogier admitted he was impressed with Mikkelsen's speed.

"I already said that we would have to watch for him," said Ogier. "His speed is good, but also it's difficult to gauge the fight - he is running further back on the road and in some better conditions on the road.

"For me, I am enjoying driving and the event is going well. The only small thing we have is the wrong gearbox in the car today, this was the longer gearbox which gives us too much of a jump between second and third gear."

Fonte: Autosport

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New challenge for Volkswagen at Rally Sweden

After the successful start in glamorous Monte-Carlo the Volkswagen Motorsport squad is now setting its sights on the second round of the season from February 9th to 12th. This time the FIA World Rally Championship stops in the winter woods of Sweden. At the only snow rally on the calendar Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (F/F) will be joined by Andreas Mikkelsen/Ola Fløene (N/N) who will be competing for the Volkswagen factory team for the first time this season.

“At the season opener in Monte Carlo both drivers, Sébastien Ogier and our junior driver Kevin Abbring, showed strong performances. In Sweden Andreas Mikkelsen will take the wheel of the Junior car as planned,” says Volkswagen Motorsport Director Kris Nissen. “Sweden is a special rally: It’s the only WRC event on ice and snow and provides the best opportunity to gather valuable experiences in crisp cold. It’s an important run for us in preparation for our WRC entry with the Polo R WRC.”

Snow instead of gravel: drivers are looking forward to the winter spectacle

24 special stages across about 349 timed kilometres – and unusual challenges – are awaiting the drivers. Whereas the other events on the WRC calendar are held on tarmac or gravel the Rally Sweden due to the winter conditions and the use of studded tyres is a special event. “I really like the Rally Sweden. Because of its unique character it’s important to finish in order to give the team the opportunity to thoroughly get to know this rally,” says Sébastien Ogier (28). “In Sweden the Nordic drivers are always particularly strong because they have more experience with the conditions that exist there. But we’re well prepared.” The accident that meant an early end of the “Monte” has long been chalked up to experience. “Julien and I both are totally fit,” says the Frenchman. In 2011 Ogier/Ingrassia finished the Rally Sweden in fourth place – behind three Scandinavian teams.

The Norwegian Andreas Mikkelsen will be the second driver running alongside Ogier. For the 22-year-old and his seasoned co-driver Ola Fløene (42) this will be the second commitment for Volkswagen following the Finland Rally last year. “The Sweden Rally is almost a home round for me as part of the route leads through Norway. I’m hoping that many fans will support me. Thanks to my victory in the snow at the season opener of the Norwegian Championship I’m perfectly prepared. Running in the same team with ‘Seb’ is a special treat for me: He’s currently one of the quickest, if not to say the quickest rally driver of all. I’m looking forward to it and am hoping to be able to learn from him.”

Mikkelsen is the current IRC (Intercontinental Rally Challenge) champion. As a member of the Junior programme, the Škoda UK racer is sharing the second rally car fielded by Volkswagen Motorsport in the World Rally Championship with the Dutchman Kevin Abbring.

Volkswagen is running at WRC rounds this season with two Fabia S2000 cars of the Group’s Škoda brand in the smaller SWRC class. The commitments serve as preparation for the 2013 season in which Volkswagen will compete in the top group of rally racing with the Polo R WRC. Basically speaking, Sweden is not new territory in Volkswagen’s long motorsport tradition. In the nineteen-eighties Kalle Grundel and Kenneth Eriksson in the Golf clinched several top-ten results at this rally.

Source: Race-Dezert.Com

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Andreas Mikkelsen ready for winter warmer + Video

ŠKODA UK Motorsport driver Andreas Mikkelsen is ready for his second rally of the season – this Saturday’s KNA Rally Finnskog – which he’ll contest in an Even Rally team entered ŠKODA Fabia S2000.

Having won the recent Mountain Rally, this will be the reigning Intercontinental Rally Challenge champion’s second winter warm-up event in Norway, as he and co-driver Ola Fløene prepare for Rally Sweden (9-12 February).

Rally Finnskog is based in the village Svullrya, 85 miles (137kms) north-east of Oslo and contains eight stages (four individual speed tests run twice), covering 75 miles (120kms).

Andreas is not the only driver to use the snow rally as a test for Rally Sweden, as World Rally Championship regulars Mikko Hirvonen, Mads Østberg, P-G Andersson and Eyvind Brynildsen make it a fantastic entry.

Source: Andreas Mikkelsen Official Blog

Video by Skoda UK Motorsport You Tube Channel

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Stars flock to Finnskog

Rally Finnskog includes eight stages, four individual tests run twice, varying in length from 6.97 kilometres to 23.78 kilometres. The event will be Hirvonen’s first taste of the Citroen DS3 WRC on loose-surface competition. He will, however, have tested the car ahead of the event.

Joining the Finn in Norway will be Fiesta RS WRC drivers Mads Ostberg and Eyvind Brynildsen, both of whom drive under the Adapta team banner. Ostberg needs no introduction, having led and challenged Hirvonen all the way through last year’s Rally Sweden before finishing a close second.

Andreas Mikkelsen is likely to be among the pace-setters in the Super 2000 category on Saturday, driving a Skoda Fabia. The Norwegian will be chased hard by PROTON’s P-G Andersson, who gives the Satria-Neo S2000 its debut on a snow rally, while bagging valuable set-up data ahead of next week’s Rally Sweden. Craig Breen is another top Super 2000 competitor in his Ford Fiesta, while Anders Grondal will provide a Group N benchmark in his Subaru.

Saturday won’t be the last time Norwegian rally fans see the stars of the World Rally Championship as Rally Sweden spends much of its opening day across the border on stages centred on the town of Kongsvinger.

Source: WRC.com

"Testdrive today with EVEN Rally team mate Pontus Tidemand – good fun!," said Mikkelsen in his Official Website

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Andreas and Ola will contest on Rally Finnskog + Photos & Video from Mountain Rally

Co-driven by Ola Fløene, ŠKODA UK’s IRC-winning driver won the Gol-based event (located in the Hallingdal region of Norway, 118 miles/190kms north-west of the capital city of Oslo).

Andreas and Ola will next contest Rally Finnskog (4 February) as a final test in preparation for Rally Sweden (9–12 February). The ŠKODA UK Motorsport star will be on loan to VWM and will compete in a ŠKODA Fabia S2000 alongside Sébastien Ogier.

Andreas’ main focus for 2012 is the defense of his IRC Drivers’ title with ŠKODA UK Motorsport, which begins on the Sata Rallye Azores (23-25 February).

Click to see full gallery here - Mountain Rally Gallery 2012

Photo 1 by Per Håvard Solbakken - Photo 3&4: Benjamin A. Ward / www.benjaminward.no

NM R1 Mountain Rally Norway 2012 from Tor Andre Børresen on Vimeo.

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Mikkelsen returns to the Volkswagen Motorsport squad on Sweden

Andreas Mikkelsen returns to the Volkswagen Motorsport squad, driving one of the German firm's Skoda Fabia S2000s for the second time after his debut in Finland last season. Mikkelsen, of course, partners Sebastien Ogier.

The first day of Rally Sweden of this year is actually based in Norway - so Andreas will debut on WRC in this season in your own home country.

As part of his pre-season testing programme, Andreas Mikkelsen will contest this Saturday’s Mountain Rally in Norway in his title-winning ŠKODA Fabia S2000 - which is now owned by his manager, Erik Veiby.

Read more info about Mountain Rally here and here! To see the Rally Sweden 2012 full entry list click here Andreas is the number 34 in the list.

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