Cookie Consent by Free Privacy Policy website Arctic Rally Finland: ŠKODA Motorsport supported Andreas Mikkelsen increases WRC2 overall lead
marzo 01, 2021 - Skoda Racing

Arctic Rally Finland: ŠKODA Motorsport supported Andreas Mikkelsen increases WRC2 overall lead

Comunicato Stampa disponibile solo in lingua originale. 

  • ›  Andreas Mikkelsen and co-driver #olafloene (ŠKODA FABIA Rally2 evo) from Norway finish category second on first ever world championship winter #rally in Finland

  • ›  Team mates Eyvind Brynildsen/Veronica Gulbæk Engan (NOR/NOR) in category fourth bag even more points for defending WRC2 Team Champion Toksport WRT

  • ›  Finnish ŠKODA customer team Teemu Asunmaa/Marko Salminen (ŠKODA FABIA Rally2 evo) wins WRC3 category reserved for private crews

  • ›  Next round is another FIA World #rally Championship premiere: #rally Croatia, 22 – 25 April

Rovaniemi (FIN), 28 February 2021 – Finishing #arcticrallyfinland (26 – 28 February 2021) in category second, Norwegians #andreasmikkelsen und co-driver #olafloene (ŠKODA FABIA Rally2 evo) increased their overall lead in the FIA World #rally Championship’s WRC2 standings. Toksport WRT team mates Eyvind Brynildsen/Veronica Gulbæk Engan (NOR/NOR) took fourth WRC2 position in the series’ first ever winter #rally in Finland. On snow and ice covered forest roads close to the Arctic Circle, local heroes Teemu Asunmaa/Marko Salminen (ŠKODA FABIA Rally2 evo) won WRC3, the category reserved for pure private crews.

With the category win from the season opening Rallye Monte-Carlo and second place on this weekend’s #arcticrallyfinland, #andreasmikkelsen and co-driver Ola Fløene (ŠKODA FABIA Rally2 evo) clearly top the overall standings of WRC2. After the second round of the 2021 FIA World #rally Championship, which came into the calendar as late replacement for cancelled #rally Sweden, the ŠKODA Motorsport supported Norwegians lead with a 24 points advantage from Esapekka Lappi/Janne Ferm (FIN/FIN). “I like competition, but this weekend I couldn’t really match the speed of Esapekka. Second best was all I could do,” Mikkelsen congratulated WRC2 winner Lappi. “It looks, like we have some work to do to improve the car’s setup on loose surface events.”

Team mates Eyvind Brynildsen/Veronica Gulbæk Engan (NOR/NOR) finished the #rovaniemi based #event fourth in WRC2, adding more championship points to the tally of reigning WRC2 Team Champion Toksport WRT. “I’m happy with the points scored by both crews. Great from Andreas to win the Power Stage, he was also clever enough to bring second place to the finish. Considered that Eyvind came into the car on short notice, he also delivered a very good job,” team principal Serkan Duru commented.

ŠKODA customer teams dominated proceedings in WRC3, the category reserved for pure private crews. Seven of the top ten cars in the final result sport the logo of the Czech brand. In first place: Teemu Asunmaa/Marko Salminen (ŠKODA FABIA Rally2 evo), who took the lead during the second leg and defended it to the finish after ten stages. The Finns are now share the lead in the WRC3 overall standings, equal on points with Rallye Monte-Carlo winners Rossel/Fulcrand from France. Mikko Heikkilä and co-driver Topi Luhtinen, also driving a ŠKODA FABIA Rally2 evo and from Finland as well, made it to the last step on the #arcticrallyfinland podium. Former FIA World Rallycross Champion Mattias Ekström (ŠKODA FABIA Rally2 evo) from Sweden finished his first world championship #event after a 15 years break fifth in WRC3.

The next round of the 2021 FIA World #rally Championship is another newcomer to the series’ calendar. From 22 to 25 April, the ŠKODA FABIA Rally2 evo crews and their competitors meet again at the all-asphalt #rally Croatia, based in the country’s capital Zagreb.