Before the 2015 season came to a close, we witnessed Sebastien Ogier’s error that handed teammate Andreas Mikkelsen his first WRC win in Rally Catalunya.
It is hard to tell which way the pendulum swings in motorsport sometimes. Many factors come into play regardless of the discipline but Volkswagen’s dominance of the FIA World Rally Championship has become predictable. Hyundai has committed a lot in their quest to topple the Germans but the going has not been easy for their current generation i20. While the new car continues its development, Polo WRC has been the class of the field as was apparent in Andreas Mikkelsen and Sebastien Ogier taking wins in the last two rounds of 2015 in Spain and Wales, respectively. We went to the former to witness one VW driver pick up the slack after another faltered.
SPANISH EXPOSURE
As we all know that World Rally Championship is all about racing against time and we ourselves got a taste of this, in our own way, as we fought against the clock to get our visa on time and attend Rally Catalunya. As dramatic as all this may sound, we ultimately didn’t get the Schengen visa on time, but our hosts, Hyundai, didn’t take no for an answer and booked us on the next day’s flight and thankfully by then we had our passport with visa stamped on it and we were on our way to Barcelona.
After 12 hours of flying, including a quick flight change in Dubai, I finally reached the capital of Catalonia only to find out my luggage was still in Dubai. With assurances given that it will reach the hotel at night, I rushed to the street stage. Thierry Neuville gave Hyundai fans a reason to cheer as he clocked the fastest time around the 3.2 kilometre asphalt course, but before the day came to an end, 2015 world champion, Sebastien Ogier burst Neuville’s bubble and clocked a faster time. Still it wasn’t a bad result for the Belgian, who finished second ahead of Volkswagen’s Andreas Mikkelsen. As the sun began set behind Palau Nacional, the national museum, all the cars began to head to the service park. This was our cue to call it a day and head to the hotel, with a hope that my luggage arrives tonight, which thankfully was there.
Rally Catalunya is one unique race as the drivers first combat on gravel and then switch to asphalt. So managing tyres is even more important. It was refreshing to see Mads Ostberg’s Citroen DS3 charging down the gravel on day 1 and even winning a stage. But call it bad luck or fate, a slow puncture marred his run as he dropped 28 precious seconds.
The world champion, on the other hand was slow off the blocks and was trailing behind team mate Jari-Matti Latvala and M-Sport’s Ott Tanak. But at Terra Alta stage, which included both gravel and asphalt, Ogier clocked the fastest time and took the overall lead. Unfortunately, team mate Mikkelsen was struggling to find his rhythm on the gravel track and finished sixth. Like Ogier, at Terra Alta stage he put the pedal to the metal and made some serious ground. The local favourite, Hyundai’s Dani Sordo, was using all his experience and wits as he finished fourth.
It was the same old script on Day 2 with Volkswagen in control of the race. With Ogier “Far from the madding crowd”, it wasn’t all smooth sailing for Latavala as he first suffered brakes problem and then later hit a rock and damaged a rim. With Tanak crashing out and Latavala’s bad luck, Sordo was in second place. Could this be the upset the fans were hoping for? Sadly no, as Latavala consistently clocked three fastest times which helped him retain his second spot. His Norwegian team mate comfortable in asphalt conditions and there was nothing Sordo could do but see Mikkelsen pass him and finish third.
It was business as usual for Ogier on day 3 as he maintained his overnight lead over Latvala, and continued to clock fast time in three different stages. It looked like the Frenchman was all set to take the crown, but unfortunately, Ogier crashed into a roadside railing just 4km away from the finish line.
With an intense fight for second position brewing between Latvala and Mikkelsen, the Finn saw the gap reduce from 2.9s to 0.9s. Mikkelsen drove the first two stages like a man possessed as he won both the stages. Latvala’s safe option of carrying an extra spare wheel was also back firing as he could feel considerable understeer and ended up battling with his car. Mikkelsen won four stages from six, which meant he finished ahead of the Finn. But with Ogier’s unexpected error, the 26-year-old Norwegian was in the driving seat and won his first WRC rally. With patience, skill, speed and a bit of luck, it was quite evident Mikkelsen is the future world champion in the making. He is not the youngest to win a WRC rally as that honour goes to Latavala, who won Sweden in 2008 at 22 years of age. But what Mikkelsen offers is not just a world class talent but also a mature head, which should result in a lot more victories in the future.
After the win, Mikkelsen was left dazed as he said, “I still can’t believe this has happened! It was a great ending for me. It’s been a long ride. It feels like the weight has gone from my shoulders. Now I’ve done it, it should be easier to do it again.”
With all the pomp and celebration, one couldn’t overlook Sordo’s achievement as well as he finished third and quite frankly he was one of the most consistent driver in the entire rally. We sign off here by congratulating Mikkelsen, tipping our hat to Latvala for being the ever competitive team mate and Sordo for keeping the Spanish flag soaring high.
Chat with Thierry Neuville
How competitive will the new Hyundai i20 be against the Polo?
It is a complete new car with a new chassis and better weight distribution. The aim is to stay as close as possible, if not do better than the Volkswagen Polo R.
Do you prefer gravel or tarmac racing conditions?
Tarmac, but in Spain it’s only one day of gravel, so it’s not a problem. Major hurdle will be for the mechanics for setting up the cars for two different conditions — suspension, brakes and gear ratios.
Why will you race for the second Hyundai WRC team in Wales Rally?
This decision was taken to prep me up for 2016 and regain my confidence. This will allow me to get my pace back and enter the winter period in the perfect mindset.
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