Andreas Mikkelsen Fansite: Skoda

Showing posts with label Skoda. Show all posts

Showing posts with label Skoda. Show all posts

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

Meet Andreas Mikkelsen!

You're invited to a unique day of entertainment with SKODA UK's 2011 IRC drivers' Champion, Andreas Mikkelsen.

Come and join us!

Andreas & Ola are ready for action ...

We are proud to announce that our ŠKODA UK Motorsport Fabia S2000 driven by the reigning IRC champions Andreas Mikkelsen/Ola Fløene will carry Go Motorsport decals this year. “We are hugely grateful for all the support Go Motorsport has received and would like to thank ŠKODA UK for helping us to promote the campaign via its title winning IRC team,” said Colin Hilton, Chief Executive of the MSA. More photos here - Photoshoot 2012.

Source: Skoda UK Motorsport FB

Result - KNA Rally Finnskog 2012 - SS 2 - SS3

SS2:

1	1	Mikko Hirvonen	Jarmo Lehtinen	Citroen	A	0	3:54.6	0:00.0
2	2	Mads Østberg	Jonas Andersson	Ford Fiesta WRC	A	0	3:57.8	0:03.2
3	53	Henning Solberg	Ilka Minor	Mitsubischi EVO 6,5	A	0	4:00.8	0:06.2
4	7	Andreas Mikkelsen	Ola Fløene	SKODA S2000	A	2	4:07.0	0:12.4
5	6	Per Gunnar (PG) Andersson	Emil Axelsson	PROTON	A	2	4:08.7	0:14.1
6	5	Craig Breen	Gareth Roberts	Ford	A	2	4:12.4	0:17.8
7	8	Marius Aasen	Veronica Engan	Ford Fiesta S2000	A	2	4:16.0	0:21.4
8	4	Eyvind Brynildsen	Cato Menkerud	Ford Fiesta WRC	A	0	4:17.6	0:23.0
9	40	Anders Grøndal	Trond Svendsen	Subaru Impreza STi	N	3	4:23.0	0:28.4
10	42	Petter Kristiansen	Ole Kristian Brennum	Skoda Fabia R2	A	5	4:36.7	0:42.1

Full result - KNA Rally Finnskog 2012 - SS 2

SS3:

1	1	Mikko Hirvonen	Jarmo Lehtinen	Citroen	A	0	12:50.9	0:00.0
2	53	Henning Solberg	Ilka Minor	Mitsubischi EVO 6,5	A	0	13:05.5	0:14.6
3	2	Mads Østberg	Jonas Andersson	Ford Fiesta WRC	A	0	13:17.1	0:26.2
4	4	Eyvind Brynildsen	Cato Menkerud	Ford Fiesta WRC	A	0	13:36.1	0:45.2
5	8	Marius Aasen	Veronica Engan	Ford Fiesta S2000	A	2	13:43.0	0:52.1
6	5	Craig Breen	Gareth Roberts	Ford	A	2	13:44.3	0:53.4
7	6	Per Gunnar (PG) Andersson	Emil Axelsson	PROTON	A	2	13:44.4	0:53.5
8	40	Anders Grøndal	Trond Svendsen	Subaru Impreza STi	N	3	13:53.8	1:02.9
9	7	Andreas Mikkelsen	Ola Fløene	SKODA S2000	A	2	13:57.3	1:06.4
10	42	Petter Kristiansen	Ole Kristian Brennum	Skoda Fabia R2	A	5	14:55.4	2:04.5

Full result - KNA Rally Finnskog 2012 - SS3

Result - KNA Rally Finnskog 2012 - SS 1

1	1	Mikko Hirvonen	Jarmo Lehtinen	Citroen	A	0	7:34.5	0:00.0
2	53	Henning Solberg	Ilka Minor	Mitsubischi EVO 6,5	A	0	7:36.1	0:01.6
3	2	Mads Østberg	Jonas Andersson	Ford Fiesta WRC	A	0	7:36.4	0:01.9
4	7	Andreas Mikkelsen	Ola Fløene	SKODA S2000	A	2	7:50.9	0:16.4
5	4	Eyvind Brynildsen	Cato Menkerud	Ford Fiesta WRC	A	0	7:58.4	0:23.9
6	6	Per Gunnar (PG) Andersson	Emil Axelsson	PROTON	A	2	8:04.2	0:29.7
7	8	Marius Aasen	Veronica Engan	Ford Fiesta S2000	A	2	8:09.0	0:34.5
8	40	Anders Grøndal	Trond Svendsen	Subaru Impreza STi	N	3	8:09.2	0:34.7
9	5	Craig Breen	Gareth Roberts	Ford	A	2	8:13.1	0:38.6
10	19	Ole Morten Korsmo	Tore Hellerud	Volvo 240	NAS	10	8:55.9	1:21.4

Full result here - KNA Rally Finnskog 2012 - SS 1

Volkswagen to run Kevin Abbring and Andreas Mikkelsen in WRC this year

Volkswagen Motorsport has confirmed that it will run Kevin Abbring and Andreas Mikkelsen as official junior drivers in this year's World Rally Championship.

The pair, who were both part of last year's inaugural FIA Institute Young Driver Excellence Academy, will alternate drives in the sister Skoda Fabia S2000 to VW team leader Sebastien Ogier.

Abbring will drive the car on next week's Monte Carlo Rally, while reigning Intercontinental Rally Challenge champion Mikkelsen gets his first outing of the season on round two, Rally Sweden, in February.

Discussing the Valence and Monaco-based event next week, 22-year-old Dutchman Abbring said: "Sebastien Ogier and [his co-driver] Julien Ingrassia are fantastic driver colleagues. Sebastien is currently one of the world's best three rally racers. It's a great honour for me to be in the same team with him and to compete in the same car."

In addition to his VW commitments, Mikkelsen will make a full defence of his IRC title as the Norwegian hopes to become the first driver to take back-to-back crowns.

VW has been tipped to contest all rounds of this year's WRC with its Skodas while at the same time developing the Polo R WRC. Neither of the cars have been registered for the Super 2000 World Rally Championship.

Source: Autosport

Fresh new-look for Andreas’ Fabia S2000 in 2012

Andreas Mikkelsen’s ŠKODA UK Motorsport Fabia S2000 will feature a crisper factory-designed colour scheme in 2012, as he attempts to become the first driver to win back-to-back Intercontinental Rally Challenge driver titles.

Co-driven by Ola Fløene, Andreas will join Jan Kopecký/Pavel Dresler and Juho Hänninen/Mikko Markkula in the three factory-prepared Fabia S2000s that will spearhead ŠKODA’s attempt to win the IRC Manufacturers’ title for a third consecutive season. It’s an incredibly strong driver line-up, as Mikkelsen, Kopecký and Hänninen finished 1-2-3 in the final 2011 driver standings.

Andreas’ car will retain its unmistakable ŠKODA UK Motorsport identity with the familiar Union Flag appearing on the roof and bonnet once again. In addition, a new black side detail incorporates elements of the flag to make the car even more recognizable for spectators. Other changes for the 2012 car include the introduction of a thin black keyline that frames the lower bodywork’s green panels. At the rear, a Union Flag has been incorporated into the rear tailgate with the bottom edge now featuring a matt black stripe.

The ŠKODA UK Motorsport team will continue to be run on events separately from ŠKODA Motorsport, with Andy Rogers moving to position of Team Manager and Pierfranceso Zanchi and Nicolas Roux continuing as Team Principal and Chief Engineer respectively.

There are a number of changes to the 2012 IRC calendar that Andreas is looking forward to next season, the biggest of which being the expansion of the series from 11 to 13 rallies and four all-new events.

The Donnelly Group Circuit of Ireland Rally has become ŠKODA UK Motorsport’s home round of the IRC, which is perfectly located for its buoyant Northern Irish retailer network. The event, which ran for the first time in 1931, is one of oldest rallies in the world and attracts huge support. It’s also a good event for Andreas, who in 2007 contested several rounds of the Irish Tarmac Championship and has experience of the unique nature of the bumpy and narrow asphalt roads.

Rally San Marino has also been added to the IRC itinerary – an event Andreas won last year on his way to becoming Italian Gravel Rally Champion.

Next year’s IRC contains nine asphalt, three gravel and a mixed surface event. The series begins with the Rally Azores in February and contains more events in the emerging Eastern European marketplace, visits unchartered territories as well as several classics such as Rallye Sanremo and Tour de Corse, before finishing in Cyprus in November.

Andreas: “Next season there are a lot of rallies that I know, plus four new events. The new round in Ireland will suit me very well, because I’ve done some rounds of the Irish Tarmac Championship and also the WRC event over there before. I’ve not done these actual Circuit of Ireland stages, but I know the nature of the roads and know what to look for in terms of set-up of the car, so I think Ireland will be a really strong event for us.

“San Marino is in, and I won that rally last year in the Italian Gravel Championship, so that will be another strong event for us. The other two new rounds in Romania and Bulgaria I don’t know and I’m not sure what to expect, but we’ve performed well in the past on rallies we’ve never done before and we’re confident there are a lot of strong rallies on next year’s calendar for us.”

Source: Skoda Media UK

Skoda squad is Ready for 2012!

Skoda will retain Juho Hanninen and Jan Kopecky in its factory team for the 2012 Intercontinental Rally Challenge.

Both have driven for the team since it came into the IRC in 2009, with Hanninen taking the '10 championship and Kopecky finishing second in the standings for all three years.

Skoda will also continue to provide factory-specification equipment for reigning champion Andreas Mikkelsen, who drives under the Skoda UK banner.

Hanninen also delivered the World Rally Championship S2000 title this year, but team boss Michal Hrabanek said the IRC would be the main focus for 2012.

"Skoda's top priority will be to defend the IRC titles we have won in the last two years," he said.

"Three drivers in factory-prepared Fabia Super 2000s are going to fight for points in the manufacturers' category - Jan Kopecky and Juho Hanninen of Skoda Motorsport and Andreas Mikkelsen of Skoda UK Motorsport.

"With future prospects in mind, we want to gain experience in selected events of the European championship."

Source: Autosport

Photos & Video: Andreas Mikkelsen on Fifth Gear

Source: 3d-Car-Shows

Andreas collects IRC drivers’ trophy in Paris

Andreas Mikkelsen collected his 2011 Intercontinental Rally Challenge winning drivers’ trophy at the official end of season gala prizegiving ceremony in Paris last night, and revealed that his title winning achievement with ŠKODA UK Motorsport didn’t sink in until a week after the final round in Cyprus.

“Straight after Rally Cyprus I went to London for a big media event and there has been things happening all the time ever since,” said Andreas. “When I eventually returned to Norway I was alone at home for a couple of days and watched the rally videos on YouTube. Only after I saw what we had done on-line did winning the IRC drivers’ title really begin to sink in!”

The IRC Awards took place at the stunning Maison des Arts et Métiers, where Andreas and co-driver Ola Fløene were presented with their trophies. It had been a fantastic season for the pair who, in their first full season in the IRC and their first with ŠKODA UK, led the last six rounds of the series, won the final two rallies and set fastest time on an unequalled 38 special stages.

In addition to the prizegiving, Andreas attended a number of media engagements during his visit to Paris, including a meeting with Olivier Fisch (Eurosport Managing Director) and Laurent-Eric Le Lay (Eurosport Chairman), and enjoyed a tour of the Eurosport headquarters. He also signed 200 IRC Yearbooks, which were distributed to guests at the gala dinner.

Andreas: “It’s a great honour to be in Paris to collect the IRC drivers’ trophy. It’s an award the entire ŠKODA UK Motorsport team has been working so hard for this year, and finally we won it on the last rally in Cyprus. It was a great team effort and I’m really proud to have won the drivers’ title in my first year with ŠKODA. I’m also proud to have helped ŠKODA retain its IRC manufacturers’ title, as both awards mean so much to the ŠKODA UK staff and retailers.”

Andreas and Ola will now travel to the UK to attend this Sunday’s Autosport Awards at the Grosvenor House Hotel on London’s Park Lane.

Source: Andreas Mikkelsen Official Website

IRC champion Andreas Mikkelsen visits Eurosport

Intercontinental Rally Challenge champion Andreas Mikkelsen visited the offices of Eurosport in Paris earlier today ahead of this evening’s IRC Awards Ceremony in the French capital.

During his visit, the 22-year-old ŠKODA UK Motorsport driver met members of the Eurosport Events team – the company responsible for promoting the IRC – was given a guided tour of the Eurosport studios, answered questions from fans on Eurosport’s Facebook page and signed copies of the IRC Yearbook for Eurosport employees when he recalled some of his memories of his title-winning season in the IRC.

One of the highlights of Mikkelsen’s visit was a short meeting with Laurent Eric Le Lay, chairman and CEO of Eurosport.

Afterwards Mikkelsen said: “For me it was very interesting to see what it takes to make Eurosport’s fantastic television coverage. There is a lot of hard work behind the scenes and everyone is very professional. There is also a great team effort because it’s nice that people all around the building know what the people at Eurosport Events do and what happens in the IRC.”

Source: irc series

Exciting IRC calendar for 2012 revealed

Source: ircseries

Four all-new events in Bulgaria, Ireland, Romania and San Marino *Five rounds in Eastern Europe *Classics such as Rallye Sanremo and Tour de Corse remain *Extra rounds on gravel

More events in the emerging Eastern European marketplace, visits to unchartered territories plus the inclusion of several classics, such as Rallye Sanremo and Tour de Corse, are among the highlights of the revamped Intercontinental Rally Challenge schedule for 2012.

In addition, ground-breaking SimulCam technology – which was pioneered this season and allows viewers to watch two cars tackling the same section of a stage at the same time – will be used in the television coverage from eight of the 13 events next year, thereby underlining Eurosport’s growing commitment to the all-action series.

Starting with the gravel-based Sata Rallye Açores in February and concluding with the mixed-surface Cyprus Rally in early November, the calendar will feature 13 rounds with events in Canary Islands, Ireland, Corsica, Hungary (Mecsek), Belgium (Ypres), San Marino, Romania, Czech Republic (Zlín), Ukraine (Yalta), Bulgaria (Sliven) and Italy (Sanremo).

In total there will be four new rallies on next season’s calendar: Donnelly Group Circuit of Ireland Rally, Rally San Marino, Sibiu Rally Romania and Rally Sliven in Bulgaria. The inclusion of newcomers Bulgaria and Romania means that along with the existing IRC rounds in Czech Republic, Hungary and Ukraine there are now five events in the increasingly important Eastern European region.

As well as featuring two more events than this year, there is a greater number of gravel rounds planned for 2012 with three loose-surface qualifiers, up one from this year, plus one mixed-surface event appearing on the new list of dates. The extra event on gravel will raise the challenge facing crews as well as the spectacle for fans watching stage-side or at home on television.

There are nine rounds based purely on asphalt, while the Cyprus Rally will be the only event to use a combination of gravel and asphalt stages.

The inclusion of the Circuit of Ireland Rally will maintain an IRC round in the United Kingdom with many of the stages taking place in Northern Ireland. The event, which ran for the first time in 1931, is one of oldest rallies in the world and attracts huge support.

François Ribeiro, Eurosport Events’ Motorsport Business Director, said: “We are very pleased to have finalised the 2012 IRC calendar during what is a very exciting time for the IRC. With new territories, more gravel rallies, the continued inclusion of some of the sport’s most iconic events, plus the increased use of SimulCam technology in the live television broadcasts, IRC season six is set to be a big hit with the fans, drivers and teams.

“With more events in Eastern Europe the IRC will also benefit from new marketing and promotional opportunities, not to mention the huge numbers of spectators that attend those events. The new calendar will create an ideal platform for drivers to demonstrate their talents and for manufacturers and customer teams to showcase their products and services. We can’t wait for the action to get underway.”

2012 Intercontinental Rally Challenge calendar *

Round 1, 23-25 February: Sata Rallye Açores (gravel)
Round 2, 15-17 March: Rally Islas Canarias El Corte Inglés (asphalt)
Round 3, 6-7 April: Donnelly Group Circuit of Ireland Rally (asphalt)
Round 4, 11-12 May: Tour de Corse (asphalt)
Round 5, 2-3 June: Canon Mecsek Rallye (Hungary, asphalt)
Round 6, 21-23 June: GEKO Ypres Rally (Belgium, asphalt)
Round 7, 6-7 July: Rally San Marino (gravel)
Round 8, 20-22 July: Sibiu Rally Romania (gravel)
Round 9, 31 August-2 September: Barum Czech Rally Zlín (asphalt)
Round 10, 15-16 September: Prime Yalta Rally (Ukraine, asphalt)
Round 11, 29-30 September: Rally Sliven (Bulgaria, asphalt)
Round 12, 12-13 October: Rallye Sanremo (Italy, asphalt)
Round 13, 2-3 November: Cyprus Rally (gravel/asphalt)

* Subject to FIA World Motor Sport Council approval.

Seb Ogier & Andy Mikkelsen partners in Volkswagen?

Source: The Sun

The mighty Volkswagen group are aiming to storm the World Rally Championship after signing fast Frenchman Sebastien Ogier to lead the new team.

Og

ier, who endured a fraught time with Citroen as he battled team-mate Sebastien Loeb for this year's WRC title, may well be joined for the attack by honorary Brit Andreas Mikkelsen.

Andy Mick is well known to SunSport readers as he won this year's Intercontinental Rally Challenge for The Sun's motorsport partners Skoda.

He will return to the Skoda UK squad to defend his title in 201 but may also have a few WRC outings in the second-tier S2000 class.

It is clear the brilliant 22-year-old is a favourite son of VW, Skoda's parent company.

And although he is not a dead cert for the company's second Polo WRC car, he has to be a top contender.

VW will launch their onslaught in 2013 after using 2012 as a development and experimental year.

It means the WRC is poised to return to its former glory with four manufacturers — VW, Citroen, Ford and BMW Mini — battling for honours.

Ogier, 27, said: "Volkswagen will soon be No1 in the world.

"I'm sure they are going to compete with the goal of clinching the WRC title and I'm happy to be part of this from the outset."

Mikkelsen, who is not counting his chickens, has avoided talking about VW's aspirations.

He just is simply happy to have repaid Skoda's faith in him by winning the IRC championship.

Mikkelsen added: "The aim now is to try to become the first driver to successfully defend his title."

Andreas Mikkelsen signs for VW Group

Andreas Mikkelsen has signed for Volkswagen Group United Kingdom according to his team manager. He will compete the IRC and whole SWRC with a Skoda Fabia S2000 next year, as well as start the testing of the PoloWRC and potentially then becoming an official VW driver in 2013.

Well, Andreas did a really great job on second half this season and deserves this chance. Hopefully we'll see him doing another fantastic season again in 2012.

I can't wait for 2012 ...\o/\o/ Keep pushing Andy!

Official: Mikkelsen is fastest IRC driver

Source: irc series

Not only did Andreas Mikkelsen win the Intercontinental Rally Challenge title following a dramatic five-way battle for the title on the Cyprus Rally earlier this month, he also ended the 2011 IRC season as the fastest driver.

Mikkelsen, who drove a ŠKODA UK Motorsport Fabia Super 2000 on all 11 rounds alongside co-driver Ola Fløene, was quickest on 38 out of the 157 special stages scheduled during the course of the season. Thierry Neuville was fastest on 24 stages, while former champion Juho Hänninen set the pace on 21 occasions.

The full list of IRC stage winners in 2011 follows:

Andreas Mikkelsen: 38

Thierry Neuville: 24

Juho Hänninen: 21

Jan Kopecký: 19

Freddy Loix: 18

Guy Wilks: 10

Bryan Bouffier: 9

Stéphane Sarrazin: 4

Patrik Sandell: 3

Nasser Al-Attiyah: 1

Giandomenico Basso: 1

François Delecour: 1

Bruno Magalhães: 1

Nicolas Vouilloz: 1

Meeke congratulates new star Mikkelsen

Source: ircseries

Former Intercontinental Rally Challenge champion Kris Meeke has told how he watched Andreas Mikkelsen capture this year’s title on the Cyprus Rally live on Eurosport – and then sent a text message to the ŠKODA UK Motorsport driver to offer him his congratulations.

Meeke claimed the IRC crown in 2009, putting the title beyond doubt with victory on Rallye Sanremo. Mikkelsen was one of five drivers competing in Cyprus last week in contention for top IRC honours.

“I sent him a text message saying I knew how good it felt,” said Meeke. “I was watching on TV and it brought back lots of emotions from when I won the title. Andreas went to hug his brother after completing the stage and I did the same to my brother at the end of the last stage in Sanremo.”

Of Mikkelsen’s achievement this season, Meeke said the Norwegian’s triumph was richly deserved. “He was a class act on the last two rallies,” added the former Peugeot UK ace.

Mikkelsen Donates To Cyprus Red Cross Children’s Home

Source: CyprusRally

Andreas Mikkelsen, the winner of last week’s thrilling Cyprus Rally and the new Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC) Champion, has kindly donated €2000 to the Cyprus Red Cross Home for Sick Children.

After winning the Cyprus Rally and taking the IRC title, Mikkelsen opted not to compete in Sunday’s Cyprus Golden Stage Rally – withdrawing from the event so that his crew could have a night of fun instead of working all night on his Skoda Fabia S2000, while the rest of the British Skoda team were out celebrating.

Mikkelsen was entitled to claim back his Golden Stage entry fee, but has chosen instead to donate it to the Red Cross in Lemesos, an act of considerable kindness.

‘The management and staff of the Children’s Home would like to express their gratitude to Andreas Mikkelsen for his generous offer’, said the head of the Children’s Home, Mrs Katerina Christodoulou. ‘The donation will go towards the purchase of necessary equipment for the various treatments that our children need.’

The Cyprus Red Cross Home for Sick Children offers physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, horse-riding therapy for children with mobility problems and will soon have a fully equipped multi-sensory room. MIkkelsen’s donation will be especially welcome as all of the therapies offered require expensive specialised equipment, which must be renewed on a regular basis.

Andreas Mikkelsen Interview in London at NRK (Norwegian)

Fabia Super 2000s bag all three top honors at 2011 IRC Championship

Andreas Mikkelsen of Skoda UK Motorsport is the winner of 2011 Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC). The driver was in a Fabia Super 2000 prepared by the ŠKODA Motorsport factory team, and went on to win the last rally at Cyprus. While Andreas Mikkelsen bagged the championship title, Jan Kopecký of ŠKODA Motorsport finished 2nd overall. This is the 3rd consecutive time Jan has bagged the IRC Vice-Champion. 2010 IRC Champion and 2011 SWRC Champion Juho Hänninen, came in third at the IRC series.

With 5 drivers for the title, four were in Fabia Super 2000s. Hänninen's crash, Neuville's Peugeot technical problems saw the number of competitors for top spot reduced to three, Mikkelsen, Kopecký, and/or Loix in Fabia Super 2000s. At the end of day, it was the Fabia Super 2000s that coveted top three spots.

Of eleven rally's at the 2011 IRC Championship, ŠKODA won 8. The winners are as follows. Three time winner Juho Hänninen won at Canary Islands, the Ukraine, and Azores. Kopecky got two, at the Czech Republic, and Hungary. Mikkelsen got top honors at Scotland, and the last rally at Cyprus, while Loix picked up his lone trophy at Belgium. This year will see Skoda Motorsport be part of the Race of Champions. The motorsport event is scheduled for 3rd-4th December 2011 at Düsseldorf, Germany.

Andreas Mikkelsen had this to say. "I can't believe it, it's a fantastic feeling and I am full of emotions. We've had a great year and I wish to thank all of the members of our team. Special thanks go to ŠKODA, we've had a fantastic car."

Jan Kopecký had this to say. "We knew we had to win in Cyprus to win the Championship title, but Andreas was simply too fast here. The car has been fantastic throughout the year and I want to thank the whole team for preparing everything excellently."

Juho Hänninen had this to say. "Although we haven't been appearing regularly in the IRC this season, we had a good chance to win the title in the end. Considering the double portion of points available here in Cyprus, my stupid mistake really had a major impact on the final standings. Anyway, I am pleased that we have helped the team win the Manufacturers Cup".

Michal Hrabánek, Head of the Skoda Motorsport team had this to say. "Congratulations to Andreas on winning the Championship, we are pleased that the winner is a Fabia Super 2000 driver, just like last year. I am sure that Andreas' prospects for the future are great. We have repeated our last year's victory in the IRC Manufacturers Cup and our thanks for that go to all of the drivers who have contributed to this achievement. In addition, Hänninen & Markkula in a Fabia Super 2000 have won the World Championship, which means that this season has really been very successful for us. Our year's results are in the same league with the greatest achievements made over those 110 years of our motorsport efforts. I believe we have promoted ŠKODA really excellently and showed that the importer programme produces great results even at the highest level. I wish to thank the entire team, this season has been long and tiring and the team's professional attitude and commitment was the base for all of our achievements."

Source: RushLane

Q&A: with Andreas Mikkelsen - The IRC Champion!

Source: IRCSERIES

Andreas Mikkelsen became the youngest Intercontinental Rally Challenge champion following a thrilling five-way fight for the title on the Cyprus Rally, which finished in Pafos on Saturday evening. This is what he had to say…

Andreas, the 2011 IRC champion and the youngest ever driver to take the IRC title, how does it feel?

“It’s hard to describe with words. It’s been a long weekend. After Juho went off everything was possible. We had a fight with Thierry but when he had his problems things were a little bit easier for us. Then it was Nasser and Jan. In one way we got it go a little bit easy when the others had their problems, but especially on the last three stages I must say when we got the puncture I must say for sure Jan is going to take the title but then he also had a puncture.”

What was it like crossing the finishing line of the final stage realising you were champion?

“The last two stages I heard so much noise, which I’d never heard before in the car. I was thinking of all the problems that we can have. It was two long stages and crossing that finish line on the last two stages was something special. I was crying like a baby but when you have worked so hard for something for five years now after I quit my alpine skiing to try and be really good in rallying and to be on top here in the IRC. It was a very special moment for the whole team. We’ve been working really hard this year so I’m very happy it happened here.”

How much confidence did it give you when Juho, Thierry and Nasser retired?

“When we had a little gap it’s always hard to keep the concentration level at 100 per cent. But we managed to do that in a good way. As I said crossing the finish line it was after three of the longest stages of my life. It was special.”

You mentioned thinking Jan might beat you to the title when you had your puncture but after your crash on Rallye Monte-Carlo did you ever doubt you could hit back?

“To become IRC champion is such a fantastic feeling, the likes of which I have never felt before. It’s been a tough season, which didn’t start so well in Monte Carlo but which has just kept getting better and better. We’ve had a fantastic second half of the year and wow, to finish with a win in Cyprus and the IRC drivers’ title, I can hardly believe it has happened. It’s like a dream.”

You effectively dominated this event from the start. What would you say is the key to success in Cyprus?

“Well it’s definitely possible to go faster than we have done but at the risk of breaking the car. We found a good balance between going fast and saving the car at the same time. That is the key to success here in Cyprus.”

How did the mixed surface nature of the event affect your drive?

“It was actually very, very fun. I really enjoyed it. To have Tarmac and gravel on the same stage and doing Tarmac on gravel tyres was fun. You can slide a little bit so I really enjoyed it.”

What’s next for you and your career?

“I don’t know, apart from a big dinner. Of course there will be some more IRC events next year but I don’t really know more than that.”

Now you’ve had a lot of support this season and during your career. Do you have a message for those people who have helped you?

“I’d really like to thank everyone at ŠKODA UK Motorsport and ŠKODA Motorsport for and giving me this opportunity this year. It’s a special moment for everyone. So much effort has been put in over the last five years of my rallying career, not just by me, but the people around me. To give this title back to everyone who has been involved is incredible.”

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