| For many it is the essence of rallying: the Rally Finland. The Volkswagen works duos go into the eighth round of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), from 31 July to 3 August, in first, second and third place in the championship. Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (F/F), Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila (FIN/FIN) and Andreas Mikkelsen/Ola Fløene (N/N) face one of the biggest challenges of the year at what is often termed “Formula 1 in the Forest”.
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Thee rally route takes the cars over countless jumps, on long forest straights and along the banks of the proverbial 1000 lakes, as they cover 360.94 kilometres over 26 special stages around the city of Jyväskylä in southern Finland. The goals are clear for Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia and Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila, as they take on such legendary stages as “Mökkiperä”, “Ruuhimäki” and “Myhinpää”: one pair is out to pull clear at the top of the Drivers’ and Co-Drivers’ Championship, while the other has its sights on closing the gap at the top, preferably with a home win. Ogier/Ingrassia lead the championship, 50 points ahead of second-placed Latvala/Anttila and a further 33 points clear of Andreas Mikkelsen, who currently lies third overall in the Polo R WRC with Ola Fløene in the passenger seat.
“The first thing that comes into many fans’ heads when you mention rallying is the WRC round in Finland,” said Volkswagen Motorsport Director Jost Capito. “High speeds and big jumps in the dense Finnish forests demand ultimate precision from the drivers, and push the World Rally Cars to the limit like no other rally. This is why the event in Finland has enjoyed truly iconic status for decades. It has everything that defines the essence of rallying. Winning it last year, with what was at the time the brand-new Polo R WRC, was a very special moment for Volkswagen. We now return as defending champions and are more determined than ever to win the Rally Finland. We have three impressive driver/co-driver pairings, who are full of confidence as they take on the strong opposition. All three are capable of winning and, in the Polo R WRC, have ‘Das Rally Auto.’ at their disposal.