The successful duo lead the WRC2 category and head into the final two days of the most famous and oldest rally in the world with a lead of 2:47.4 minutes over ŠKODA team-mates Jan Kopecký / Pavel Dresler.
The 27-year-old Norwegian was part of the Volkswagen Motorsport team that won the World Rally Championship in each of the past four years. However, Mikkelsen’s route to becoming one of the top rally drivers in the world started with titles in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge in 2011 and 2012 with ŠKODA.
Returning to his roots, the fan favourite won his first special stage in the ŠKODA FABIA R5 shortly after the official start in glamorous Monte Carlo on Thursday. On Friday, ŠKODA works driver Kopecký was the fastest man at first, but Mikkelsen then upped the pace on the narrow, winding roads. The Norwegian was a full 46.5 seconds faster than second-placed Frenchman Bryan Bouffier the first time the drivers tackled “Aspres les Corps – Chaillol” – at 38.94 kilometres the longest stage on the Monte. Mikkelsen has won six of the seven special stages so far.
Jan Kopecký lost a lot of time due to a puncture on Friday morning, but fought his way back to end the opening day in second place in WRC2.
ŠKODA works duo Pontus Tidemand / Jonas Andersson, who are not eligible to score points for WRC2 championship at this rally, also impressed. Tidemand showed his potential with a number of top-three times in the RC2 class on his first outing at the Monte. His goal is to present ŠKODA Motorsport with another world championship title this year. In 2016, the works team from Mladá Boleslav won the Drivers’ and Co-Drivers’ Championship in WRC2 for the first time, courtesy of Esapekka Lappi / Janne Ferm in the ŠKODA FABIA R5.
The thousands of fans lining the route were treated to a special livery on the works team’s three ŠKODA FABIA R5s. The blue and red stripes on the rally cars are a nod to the manufacturer’s class victory at this event 40 years ago. Four decades ago, Václav Blahna and his co-driver Lubislav Hlávka triumphed in the 1,300cc class in their ŠKODA 130 RS. The works team is now well on track to repeat this feat in 2017. However, they have yet to complete half of the kilometres against the clock: another 175 kilometres await Mikkelsen and Co. on Saturday and Sunday.
ŠKODA MOTORSPORT AT THE RALLYE MONTE CARLO 2017
The successful duo lead the WRC2 category and head into the final two days of the most famous and oldest rally in the world with a lead of 2:47.4 minutes over ŠKODA team-mates Jan Kopecký / Pavel Dresler.
The 27-year-old Norwegian was part of the Volkswagen Motorsport team that won the World Rally Championship in each of the past four years. However, Mikkelsen’s route to becoming one of the top rally drivers in the world started with titles in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge in 2011 and 2012 with ŠKODA.
Returning to his roots, the fan favourite won his first special stage in the ŠKODA FABIA R5 shortly after the official start in glamorous Monte Carlo on Thursday. On Friday, ŠKODA works driver Kopecký was the fastest man at first, but Mikkelsen then upped the pace on the narrow, winding roads. The Norwegian was a full 46.5 seconds faster than second-placed Frenchman Bryan Bouffier the first time the drivers tackled “Aspres les Corps – Chaillol” – at 38.94 kilometres the longest stage on the Monte. Mikkelsen has won six of the seven special stages so far.
Jan Kopecký lost a lot of time due to a puncture on Friday morning, but fought his way back to end the opening day in second place in WRC2.
ŠKODA works duo Pontus Tidemand / Jonas Andersson, who are not eligible to score points for WRC2 championship at this rally, also impressed. Tidemand showed his potential with a number of top-three times in the RC2 class on his first outing at the Monte. His goal is to present ŠKODA Motorsport with another world championship title this year. In 2016, the works team from Mladá Boleslav won the Drivers’ and Co-Drivers’ Championship in WRC2 for the first time, courtesy of Esapekka Lappi / Janne Ferm in the ŠKODA FABIA R5.
The thousands of fans lining the route were treated to a special livery on the works team’s three ŠKODA FABIA R5s. The blue and red stripes on the rally cars are a nod to the manufacturer’s class victory at this event 40 years ago. Four decades ago, Václav Blahna and his co-driver Lubislav Hlávka triumphed in the 1,300cc class in their ŠKODA 130 RS. The works team is now well on track to repeat this feat in 2017. However, they have yet to complete half of the kilometres against the clock: another 175 kilometres await Mikkelsen and Co. on Saturday and Sunday.
