ENG: Škoda Official MotorSport news

[Karlheinz]

Portugal Rally: ŠKODA in the lead after Friday

4/12/2013

After Day 1 of the gravel event in the area of Algarve, Finland´s Esapekka Lappi/Janne Ferm (factory crew) are top of the WRC-2 standings.​
​Sepp Wiegand & Frank Christian of ŠKODA AUTO Deutschland are sixth after two defects.
Leg 1 of the fourth event of the FIA WRC-2 saw Esapekka Lappi win all of Friday´s five special stages: “Our main ambition in today´s first run was to get the right rhythm. It was the right decision, we were much more confident in the second runs.”

Sepp Wiegand had bad luck on Friday - a tyre defect in Stage 2 slowed the current leader of the WRC-2 down: “We were the first WRC-2 crew to have appeared on the start line today, so we mainly concentrated on our speed.” A crash into a wall in today´s last stage in Lisbon resulted in an unplanned wheel replacement. “I did not expect the track to be this slippery ... I am so fed up with myself!” Yet Wiegand had “good luck in bad luck”, because he was able to continue and will start Day 2 in sixth place.

Saturday´s programme includes six special stages, 158 kilometres in total. “This rally will be long and very, very difficult,” says Lappi. The drivers will get to the finish line on after four stages on Sunday the most exciting of which is the 52.3-kilometre long Almodovar stage known as the “royal” stage.

[Karlheinz]

Portugal Rally: ŠKODA in first two places

Vilamoura/Mladá Boleslav, 13 April, 2013. ŠKODA has reinforced its lead at the Portugal Rally after Day 2. Just like on Friday, ŠKODA´s factory crew, Esapekka Lappi/Janne Ferm (FIN), won all of the special stages in their WRC-2 category. After a thrilling chase ride, Sepp Wiegand & Frank Christian are second.

[Karlheinz]

ŠKODA wins in Portugal
 
Vilamoura/Mladá Boleslav, 14 April, 2013 – ŠKODA has won the WRC-2 category at the Portugal Rally. Its factory crew, Esapekka Lappi & Janne Ferm (FIN), celebrate their first FIA World Championship victory after leading the rally from to start to finish. Germany´s Sepp Wiegand/Frank Christian came third to wrap up a great weekend for ŠKODA and reinforce their position top of the WRC-2 standings.

[Karlheinz]

ŠKODA to appear at the Azores Rally as the ERC leader

Mladá Boleslav, 22 April, 2013 – ŠKODA´s factory crew, Jan Kopecký/Pavel Dresler, will appear at the Azores Rally as the current ERC leaders, their ambition before the fourth event of the 2013 ERC being to continue their success story in this year´s European Championship. The SATA Rally Azores is scheduled for April 25 – 27.

[Karlheinz]

ŠKODA driver Kopecký leads Rally Azores
 
Ponta Delgada, 26 April, 2013 – Despite extreme weather conditions and challenging special stages: ŠKODA leads the Rally Azores with driver duo Jan Kopecký/Pavel Dresler (CZ/CZ) at the two-thirds mark.

[Karlheinz]

Simply Kopecký – ŠKODA wins on the Azores, and extends ERC lead

Ponta Delgada, 27 April, 2013 – Third rally, third victory – by winning on the Azores, ŠKODA and Jan Kopecký/Pavel Dresler (CZ/CZ) claimed the FIA European Rally Championship (ERC) season’s highlight event. Simultaneously Kopecký celebrated his maiden gravel victory. However, the victory champagne was hard-earned: Kopecký and ŠKODA needed to master extremely challenging gravel stages, adverse weather conditions and strong opposition to claim victory on the Azores with the Fabia S2000.

[Karlheinz]

ŠKODA to field two crews in the Asia-Pacific Championship
 
Mladá Boleslav, May 2, 2013 – ŠKODA is reinforcing its portfolio of motorsport activities in the Asia-Pacific region. The newly formed ŠKODA-MRF team is to make its first appearance in the APRC this year with full-fledged factory support and two crews. ŠKODA’s factory crew Esapekka Lappi/Janne Ferm (FIN) and Gaurav Gill/Glen Macneall (India/New Zealand) will both start in ŠKODA Fabia Super 2000. The APRC season starts with the Rally Whangarei in New Zealand on May 18-19.
 
› ŠKODA boosts its motorsport activities in the Asia-Pacific region
› The ŠKODA MRF team to appear in the 2013 APRC
› Two ŠKODA crews on the start line: Esapekka Lappi/Janne Ferm and Gaurav Gill/Glenn Macneall
› Championship starts in New Zealand on May 18-19

2013 APRC schedule:
May 18-19: Rally of Whangarei – New Zealand
June 15-16: Rallye de Nouvelle Caledonie
July 13-14: Queensland Rally – Australia
August 24-25: Malaysia Rally
September 28-29 Hokkaido Rally– Japan
November 2-3: China Rally

[Karlheinz]

ŠKODA team: APRC debut in New Zealand
 
Mladá Boleslav, 14 May, 2013 – ŠKODA is getting ready for a very special motorsport premiere: the Rally of Whangarei in New Zealand (May 17 – 19) will see the ŠKODA MRF team make its debut in the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship (APRC). Having received full-fledged factory support, the team will field two crews, ŠKODA´s factory crew Esapekka Lappi/JanneFerm (FIN) and Gaurav Gill/Glen Macneall (India/New Zealand).

[Karlheinz]

ERC leader ŠKODA wishes to succeed also in Corsica

Mladá Boleslav, 14 May, 2013 –Three appearances, three victories – ŠKODA´s performances in the ERC have been perfect so far, and the brand´s factory crew, Jan Kopecký & Pavel Dresler in a ŠKODA Fabia Super 2000, wish to succeed also in Corsica. The fifth event of this year´s ERC takes place in Corsica over 16-18 May.

Kopecký/Dresler have converted their three appearances in the ERC this year into three wins, completing the hat-trick of victories at the Azores Rally, one of the world´s most difficult gravel events. Kopecký´s first-ever victory on gravel has reinforced ŠKODA´s lead in the ERC. Earlier on, the brand triumphed also in Austria and the Canary Islands.

Both drivers are confident also before the Corsica Rally: “Our ambition is to continue our success story and finish as high as possible. The event in Corsica has its specifics, as we´ve known since last year. However, our ambition is to put in a good performance,” says Jan Kopecký, second at the Corsica Rally last year.
The route of the Corsica Rally is 248 kilometres long and is divided into 11 special stages.

[Karlheinz]

ŠKODA driver Kopecký in the lead in Corsica !
 
Ajaccio, 17 May, 2013 – Half way through the Corsica Rally, ŠKODA’s driver duo Jan Kopecký/Pavel Dresler (CZ/CZ) is in the lead, despite the sometimes slippery asphalt making the driving conditions challenging. The pair clinched the top spot by winning the last special stage.

[Karlheinz]

ŠKODA dominates in New Zealand

Whangarei, 18 May, 2013 – The newly created ŠKODA MRF teams had a perfect start to the Rally Whangarei in New Zealand. At the end of the first day and after eight of 16 special stages Esapekka Lappi/Janne Ferm (Finland) on the ŠKODA Fabia S2000 lead teammates Gaurav Gill/Glenn MacNeall (India/New Zealand) by 33.3 seconds.

Picture of Esapekka Lappi.

[Karlheinz]

ŠKODA driver Kopecký extends his lead in the ERC
 
Ajaccio, 18 May, 2013 –ŠKODA and driving duo Jan Kopecký/Pavel Dresler (CZ/CZ) finished runner-up at the iconic Corsica Rally to extend their overall lead in the FIA European Rally Championship (ERC).

[Karlheinz]

ŠKODA scores double in New Zealand

Whangarei, 19 May, 2013 – The first competition for the newly formed ŠKODA MRF team has turned into a total triumph. Esapekka Lappi/Janne Ferm (Finland) won the Rally Whangarei in New Zealand on their Skoda Fabia S2000. Their teammates Gaurav Gill/Glen Macneall (India/New Zealand) came second in what was a perfect weekend for the Czech manufacturer.

[Karlheinz]

ŠKODA set for tough test in the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship
 
Mladá Boleslav, 11th June 2013 – Following the one-two at the opening round of this year’s Asia-Pacific Rally Championship (APRC), the newly formed ŠKODA MRF team is now set for its next big test at the rally in exotic New Caledonia from 14th to 16th June. The ŠKODA crews, with driving pairs Esapekka Lappi/Janne Ferm (Finland) and Gaurav Gill/Glenn Macneall (India/New Zealand), head to the second leg of the APRC as favourites.

[Karlheinz]

Team ŠKODA MRF leads at halftime of Rally New Caledonia

Noumea, New Caledonia, 15. Juni 2013 – After the one-two at the start of this year’s Asia-Pacific Rally Championship  (APRC) the newly formed ŠKODA MRF team dominated again on the first day of the rally in exotic New Caledonia. Defending Champion Gaurav Gill (India) and his navigator Glenn Macneall (New Zealand) lead the competition by a solid margin after eight special stages in their ŠKODA Fabia Super 2000. Their team mates Esapekka Lappi/Janne Ferm (Finnland), who had won the first Rally in New Zealand, had to retire after an accident.

​Gill was totally satisfied after the first day. “The car was perfect. The rally is very demanding but it is a lot of fun to drive here.” The Indian continuously extended his lead during the eight special stages and was more than five minutes ahead of the next competitor at the end of the first of a total of two days. The originally scheduled ninth special stage was cancelled because of heavy rain. That reduced the total length of the special stages to 225.74 kilometres.

Eight more special stages are planned for Sunday about 35 kilometres north of the capital Noumea. According to the weather forecast there is a chance of more rain. Therefore very difficult conditions have to be expected. More than half the competitors in the APRC had to give up on Saturday already. Even before the rain started Gill had reported that the course was “extremely slippery”. Since only the best car of each team is included in the scoring for the APRC team competition ŠKODA can still achieve the full points.

For Czech automobile manufacturer ŠKODA, entering the APRC represents an important step in the company’s growth offensive in international markets. ŠKODA has set its sights on increasing its global sales to at least 1.5 million units per year by 2018, with particular emphasis on the growth markets in Asia. “The APRC, as one of the region’s most important motorsport events, provides us with outstanding opportunities to present the ŠKODA brand to a large public,” said Dr. Frank Welsch, Member of the Board of Management for Technical Development at ŠKODA.