Rally2 (ex-R5) News

[John Williams]

In English:

Mladá Boleslav, 15 April 2015 – Green light: the new ŠKODA Fabia R 5 celebrates its debut on the world's rally tracks. ŠKODA Motorsport will contest three elite rally championships this year. Fans can see the new high-tech four-wheel drive Fabia R 5 in action in the WRC 2 category of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) and the Czech Rally Championship (MČR). The new car hoping for victories will also contest the FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Championship (APRC) during the course of the season. New recruited Swedish super talent Pontus Tidemand will represent ŠKODA in the prestigious championship, with the final being held in the core market of China. Asia-Pacific Champion Jan Kopecký (CZ) and European Champion Esapekka Lappi (FIN) will also take the wheel for the ŠKODA Motorsport works team – now in the new Fabia R 5.
​"We are delighted that the International Automobile Federation, the FIA, homologated our new ŠKODA Fabia R 5. Now we want to see how competitive our new rally car is," said ŠKODA Motorsport Director Michal Hrabánek. He is hoping that the new Pontus Tidemand/Emil Axelsson (S/S) team will be a breath of fresh air: "We already have the Asia-Pacific champion and the European champion driving for us, who have both delivered strong performances over the past few years. In Pontus Tidemand and Emil Axelsson we have added another very talented duo to ensure we have an even better standing for the future."

Former Junior World Rally Champion Tidemand and his co-driver will contest the APRC for ŠKODA. His season gets underway with the rally in New Zealand from 17 to 19 April - initially in the Fabia Super 2000. Jan Kopecký's victory in ŠKODA's core market of China clinched the title hat trick in the APRC in the Fabia Super 2000 for the Czech car manufacturer last year. "I am really looking forward to the new challenge. I am proud that my name has been added to the list of drivers for a brand as successful as ŠKODA," said 24-year-old Tidemand, regarded as one of the most talented rally drivers in Europe.

Esapekka Lappi, who is the same age, achieved something sensational when he won the European title in 2014. Alongside his co-driver Janne Ferm, this year he will compete with the world's elite in selected races in the WRC 2 category of the FIA World Rally Championship. ŠKODA Motorsport makes its return to the WRC at the Rally Portugal from 21 to 24 May in the new ŠKODA Fabia R 5, after a break of almost two years.

"We can't wait for our first race in the new Fabia R 5. We are excited about the new car, it's something really special," said Lappi. "We are delighted to return to the WRC top tier." Also in the new rally car, Jan Kopecký/Pavel Dresler will primarily compete in the Czech Rally Championship, which gets underway with the Rally Šumava Klatovy on 24/25 April.

"I am delighted that we are able to show off the new ŠKODA Fabia R 5 and what it's capable of to the fans in our home country," said Kopecký. Like Pontus Tidemand, he will also make selected appearances in the WRC 2 during the course of the season. The rally old hand believes that the Fabia R 5 will be an instant success: "We have tested the new car extensively. I am convinced that our team of many international engineers has done a great job."

After an extensive inspection, the highest authority in motorsport, the International Automobile Federation (FIA) gave the new ŠKODA Fabia R 5 the green light on 1 April. The Fabia R 5 is based on ŠKODA's spectacular new production Fabia and is the successor of the Fabia Super 2000, which went down as the most successful rally car in the 114 years of ŠKODA Motorsport's history. The Fabia Super 2000 has picked up almost 50 national and international titles in total since 2009, in part due to the successful customer programme.

The new ŠKODA Fabia R 5 is to continue the success story. The new high-tech construction is fitted with a 1.6 litre turbo engine, as stipulated by the FIA regulations. That is a significant difference to the two-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine of the Fabia Super 2000. The new car with four-wheel drive also makes use of a sequential five-speed transmission and McPherson struts. As stipulated by the regulations, the car weighs at least 1,230 kilogrammes. To ensure that everything fits together perfectly, the ŠKODA Motorsport team has invested 15 months in intensive development since the start of the project. The aim is the reward on the rally tracks around the world.


2015 Calendar

FIA World Rally Championship 2 (WRC 2)

Event Date
Rally Monte Carlo 22/01/–25/01/2015
Rally Sweden 12/02/–15/02/2015
Rally Mexiko 05/03/–08/03/2015
Rally Argentina 23/04/–26/04/2015
Rally Portugal 21/05/–24/05/2015
Rally Italia 11/06/–14/06/2015
Rally Poland 02/07/–05/07/2015
Rally Finland 30/07/–02/08/2015
Rally Deutschland 20/08/–23/08/2015
Rally Australia 10/09/–13/09/2015
Rally France 01/10/–04/10/2015
Rally Spain 22/10/–25/10/2015
Rally Great Britain 12/11/–15/11/2015


Czech Rally Championship (MČR)

Event Date
Rallye Šumava Klatovy 24/04/–25/04/2015
Rallye Český Krumlov 22/05/–23/05/2015
Rally Hustopeče 19/06/–20/06/2015
Rally Bohemia 10/07/–12/07/2015
Barum Czech Rally Zlín 28/08/–30/08/2015
Rally Příbram 02/10/–04/10/2015


Asia-Pacific Rally Championship (APRC)

Event Date
Rally Whangarei – New Zealand 17/04/–19/04/2015
Rally New Caledonia – New Caledonia 15/05/–17/05/2015
Rally Queensland – Australia 19/06/–21/06/2015
Rally Malaysia – Malaysia 14/08/–16/08/2015
Rally Hokkaido – Japan 18/09/–20/09/2015
Rally China – China 30/10/–01/11/2015

[mousti]

Sad decision of Skoda neglecting ERC.

[RS]

Sad decision of Skoda neglecting ERC.

I hope that next year they will either come back or there will be an official satellite team like BRR running cars in ERC.

I think VW wanted Lappi in WRC2 this year, i suppose with a view to a Polo seat in the near future. For Skoda as a brand ERC makes more sense.

[Fast Eddie WRC]

I guess with missing the first few ERC events Skoda would be playing catch-up if they only entered now..

Plus they have already had so much success in the ERC in recent years, it makes sense to try some new events and be seen in the WRC2 Championship.

I bet the Peugeot Rally Academy and the Ford drivers are glad they have the ERC to themselves this year.

[Fast Eddie WRC]

ŠKODA unveiled its stunning new Fabia R5 today, saying that customers like those in the FIA European Rally Championship are “primary” to raising awareness of the brand though motorsport. "The customer programme is an important business driver for ŠKODA Motorsport,” said its Motorsport Director, Michal Hrabánek. “The revenue helps to finance further development. But our customer programme is primarily a way of increasing the advertising presence of the entire brand. Hopefully, as with the Fabia Super 2000, with many sporting successes.”

Does this mean there will be some private 'customer' Fabia R5's in the 2015 ERC, maybe for the likes of Weigand, and no ERC factory-team even next year ?

[Fast Eddie WRC]

Fabia R5 teaser: https://www.facebook.com/motorsports...2719535472739/

[Mirek]

Kopecký himself in the interview for auto.cz. It looks like some hope for ERC still exists.

Do You already know where will You compete this year?

Six rallies in Czech championship. If we could do some event of ERC I would be happy.

[br21]

any basic technical spec?
transmissions supplier, dampers, brakes, ecu etc?

[RS]

any basic technical spec?
transmissions supplier, dampers, brakes, ecu etc?

Brakes are brembo.

This is all I could find:

Car

Base car ŠKODA Fabia 3rd generation

length 3 994 mm

max. width 1 820 mm

min. weight 1 230 kg

bodyshell modified for 4x4 drivetrain

safety roll-cage

Engine

turbocharged 4-cylinder 1 620 cm3

direct injection

max. power 205 kW / 4 750 rpm

max. torque 420 Nm / 4 750 rpm

Drivetrain

4x4

5-speed gearbox

manual sequential shifting

mechanical differentials (front and rear)

Suspension

McPherson front and rear

brake discs tarmac Ø 355 mm / width 32 mm

gravel Ø 300 mm / width 32 mm

Electronics

Sensoren für Motorsteuerung

Fuel system

special fuel tank volume 82.5 l

consumption 0.6 l/km SS

[br21]

thanx! I'm still interested what drivetrain and dampers suppliers they choose, as I know they tested few different.