VW Motorsport II

[Sulland]

So VW chose to give Mikkelsen & Markkula their own WRC team, to score points in the manufacurer championship, and get their own pot of testing days!


Smart move, and maybe they will do well in the standings!


Very much looking forward to Portugal to see what level Mikkelsen starts out with. He is probably under strict orders to take her home, but where do you reckon he ends up?

[mousti]

Most think he will do it great, I need to see that first..

[Plan9]

I think Andreas will score points for a Manufacturers title as well. Probably back up JML as he is still getting used to the Polo.

[bluuford]

No-one can back-up JML, There are only up to 2 drivers in each team. JML is nr 1 in VW and he cannot be replaced during the season.

What about Mikkelsen? He lost almost always to Hänninen (over the recent years) in IRC. With more testing he should be approximately on the same level or bit faster than Hanninen was in Monte and Sweden (He gets much more testing, I am sure). So, top 6-8 is realistic expectation. Better results will be over expectations.

[Sulland]

I think Mikkelsen late in 2013 can fight for podiums, when he gets the car under his skin, and has tuned his driving style to get the best out of the Polo.

[MikeD]

I think Andreas Mikkelsen will outperform JML and do really well. I have long thought he was a potential WRC winner once he gets the experience.

[Sulland]

Will team II have the same livery as team I ?

[Gard]

They will probably also get more space in the service area. The most important, is that Andreas will take points from Citroen and Ford in the manu champ. this is also a bit of concern. Will he be allowed to push JML and Seb?

[Viking]

http://sphotos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/485945_572696736082917_1068556639_n.jpg

[Viking]

Ogier, Mikkelsen to contest Fafe Rally Sprint | WRC News | Mar 2013 | Crash.Net (http://www.crash.net/world+rally/news/189053/1/ogier_mikkelsen_to_contest_fafe_rally_sprint.html)

[Viking]

https://www.rallytheworld.com/andreas-mikkelsen-in-the-polo-r-wrc/content

[Sulland]

Not a bad debut for VW team II, driving in the middle of the road.

One or two rallies more to get the Polo under his skin, then he can start to push.

[sandokan]

I'm little bit pissed, that VW goes into WRC instead of Skoda... (Yes, I'm from Czech Republic.. :-) )

[Sulland]

Will Mikkelsen be allowed to win or split the two VW I team in a given situation?

How much testing is VW II allowed, and how much did he test last year?

[pettersolberg29]

Will Mikkelsen be allowed to win or split the two VW I team in a given situation?

How much testing is VW II allowed, and how much did he test last year?

Not sure if he'd be allowed, but also not sure he'd be able to. Showed flashes of great pace last year but still think it'll be 2015 before we see him challenging right near the top.

[rage82]

66.3.2 In the case of a Manufacturer, a maximum of 42 days in any calendar year
66.3.3 In the case of WRC Teams, a maximum of 15 days in any calendar year for a 2-car team and a
maximum of 10 days for a single car team.
I think he's entered as a WRC team si on that case only 10 days.

[Sulland]

Could VW sold the whole Polo R5 operation to a private team, and let them continue development and sell cars?

[mknight]

Well limited development within the current Rally2 could work even from private team, but that's only for 2 more years no?

[Jarek Z]

It seems possible. I remember that some private team took over Corollas WRC after Toyota had withdrawn from rallying at the end of the nineties. Who was it? Grifone? Step 2? Those cars were still being used for a few years by private drivers.
http://www.lanciarally037.com/team/grifone-05.htm
https://www.scalemates.com/products/img/8/8/6/1141886-20545-35-pristine.jpg

But Toyota Corolla was a much more successful car than Volkswagen Polo.

[pantealex]

Well limited development within the current Rally2 could work even from private team, but that's only for 2 more years no?

Spare-part service for sure will continue for few years but how, it´s still open.

[dimviii]

can a private team be competetive against works teams? No.

[Fast Eddie WRC]

Haven't M-Sport been competitive with their Fiesta R5's ?

[Jarek Z]

can a private team be competetive against works teams? No.

There are hardly any works teams left. 80% of modern rallying are private entries.

[AnttiL]

Could VW sold the whole Polo R5 operation to a private team, and let them continue development and sell cars?

Which private team would have facilities to build those cars? M-Sport maybe, but...

Also, do homologations need to be signed by the manufacturer?

[AnttiL]

It seems possible. I remember that some private team took over Corollas WRC after Toyota had withdrawn from rallying at the end of the nineties. Who was it? Grifone? Step 2? Those cars were still being used for a few years by private drivers.
http://www.lanciarally037.com/team/grifone-05.htm
https://www.scalemates.com/products/img/8/8/6/1141886-20545-35-pristine.jpg

But Toyota Corolla was a much more successful car than Volkswagen Polo.

They just bought the ex-factory cars and rented them for private drivers? Just like Printsport, TGS etc. are doing all the time with Rally2 cars? Or did Grifone start building new Corolla WRC's or homologating new parts?

[Jarek Z]

They just bought the ex-factory cars and rented them for private drivers? Just like Printsport, TGS etc. are doing all the time with Rally2 cars? Or did Grifone start building new Corolla WRC's or homologating new parts?

I don't know any details, sorry.

[Mirek]

If but only if VW cooperates on homologation of new parts than some reasonable development is possible even on private basis. I have two such examples from our country alone.

2006-2007 CRT Kopecký - the Fabia WRC homologations continued until 2007 even though the works team was not in charge anymore and was not even existing.
2011-2015 Invelt/Pech - the Mini RRC, the team developed some own solutions such as new gear ratios which were homologated by BMW/Prodrive even after the development of the car was long ended.

[dimviii]

There are hardly any works teams left. 80% of modern rallying are private entries.

service can do everybody,but you have to evolute the car.And that cant be possible when this car will fight against works cars,that evolute continiously.

[Humber]

When Markko Martin was driving the Toyota Corolla WRC in 2000, steering wheel paddleshift was homologated for the car, after the official TTE world rally program with Auriol and Sainz had ended.