Volkswagen will start this weekend’s Rallye Deutschland determined to make up for a miserable outing on home ground last year and with the chance of securing a trio of FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) titles with four rallies to spare.
WRC round nine is the first opportunity for defending champions Volkswagen to seal this year’s manufacturers’ title. And with its three crews leading the drivers’ and co-drivers’ standings, a good result could guarantee that two more trophies could be had their way to Wolfsburg.
In 2013, much was expected of the team by its home crowd. But after the pre-event withdrawal of Andreas Mikkelsen, and crashes for Sebastien Ogier and Jari-Matti Latvala, it turned out to be the only round of the season in which no Polo R driver made it onto the podium.
Now, as it prepares to tackle the asphalt roads around Trier for a second time, Volkswagen Motorsport Director Jost Capito accepted that there is immense pressure on the team.
He said: “We have a score to settle with the Rally Germany since last year, as missing out on the podium at our home event is not a nice memory to have.
“The pressure is really high and we expect a better result and that’s what we are working for this year. We are working hard, with all of our energy focused.
“The approach will be the same as all rallies this season: we’ve got to do our best and to deliver to our bosses the right result on that rally.”
Capito says he would like to secure the manufacturers’ title in Germany “in style, preferably with a rally win.”
Volkswagen has a lead in the manufacturers’ standings of 175 points over Citroen. If it manages to keep a gap of at least 172 after Rally Germany, VW will win the manufacturers’ world championship.
Defending champions Ogier and co-driver Julien Ingrassia have a lead of 121 points over the best non- VW duo, Citroen’s Mads Ostberg and Jonas Andersson. If they still have a lead of 112 points after Germany, it will be a Volkswagen duo who will celebrate victory in the drivers’ and co-drivers’ standings.
Al Mutawaa in WRC 3
Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi Racing yesterday announced that Mohamed Al Mutawaa has been handed a seat to drive at two rallies in the WRC feeder series, the WRC 3.
ADR said the 21-year-old Emirati would participate in the WRC 3 category in Germany and Spain (October 24-26), enabling him to gain valuable experience of driving on different surfaces and weather conditions.
“Al Mutawaa has proved himself with a disciplined drive in our Abu Dhabi Racing-Citroen Middle East Trophy programme and shown that he is dedicated to building a new UAE generation of rally drivers,” said ADR chairman Sheikh Khalid Qassimi.
Al Mutawaa said: “I consider as a dream opportunity. I hope to use this opportunity to build my career in the right way.”
