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WRC: Rally Spain Gets Underway in Barcelona

  • Impressive backdrop for impressive racing as Rally Spain opens in Barcelona
  • Ogier fastest at penultimate round of 2015 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC)
  • Mikkelsen third, Latvala seventh after day one’s sprint

Wolfsburg. Goosebumps at the Rally Spain: the twelfth and penultimate round of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) kicked off with the popular opening stage in the heart of Barcelona. Roared on by thousands of spectators at the foot of Montjuïc, the site of the 1992 Summer Olympics, three-time world champions* Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (F/F) were fastest in their Polo R WRC on the first stage of the rally. Their Volkswagen team-mates Andreas Mikkelsen/Ola Fløene (N/N) were third on the short asphalt sprint, with Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila (FIN/FIN) seventh.

The short, 3.20-kilometre special stage led past the world-famous German Pavilion, designed by architect Mies van der Rohe, over a stepped section and across the famous Plaça de Carles Buïgas. The Rally Spain’s first asphalt stage is followed by eight stages held almost exclusively on gravel on Friday – and without the usual interim service at midday. In the evening, the mechanics will face a race against the clock to convert the World Rally Cars from gravel to asphalt mode, before Saturday and Sunday see them tackle stages more akin to circuit racing on asphalt. This mixture of surfaces is unique to the Rally Spain on the WRC calendar.

* Subject to the official publication of the results by the FIA.

Quotes after the start of the Rally Spain

Sébastien Ogier, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #1
“A really good start for us, against a truly fantastic backdrop. We had a very clean drive on the opening stage in Barcelona, and I am very happy with the time. However, the rally really gets going tomorrow, and we will have to be at our best if we are to come out on top again. As always, that is our goal.”

Jari-Matti Latvala, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #2
“Others focussed more on getting their tyres up to temperature before the short special stage at the start of the Rally Spain than we did. That is probably why we lost a bit of time compared to the leaders. However, the serious business does not begin until tomorrow, with eight special stages scheduled. That is what we are concentrating on.”

Andreas Mikkelsen, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #9
“The special stage on Montjuïc is definitely one of the best starts on the WRC calendar. Thousands of passionate fans and an outstanding backdrop always give us drivers goosebumps. After this emotional start, I am looking forward to the first real special stages of the Rally Spain on Friday. Not a bad start – from a sporting point of view too.”

Jost Capito, Volkswagen Motorsport Director
“The backdrop was spot on, the reception given by the spectators was spot on, the result was spot on – the Rally Spain got off to a perfect start for Volkswagen. This evening has made everyone hungry for more Rally Spain. We are really looking forward to this unique rally, with its mixture of gravel and asphalt. After this special stage on Montjuïc, I believe the fans feel exactly the same way.”

And then there was …

… this particular sentence: “Ten Euros say I will win.” It came from the lips of Andreas Mikkelsen before the three Volkswagen drivers went head to head on the simulator for the official World Rally Championship game “WRC 5”, which has recently been released. The bet was accepted, and lost: Mikkelsen (2:57.767 minutes) was the clear winner of both attempts at the five-kilometre “Els Guiamets” stage, finishing over a second ahead of his team-mates Sébastien Ogier and Jari-Matti Latvala (both 2:59.098 minutes). It goes without saying that the author of this text, and loser of the bet, settled his debt there and then.

FIA World Rally Championship (WRC),
Rally Spain – Results
 
Thursday,
22 October 2015		 km #1 
Ogier/
Ingrassia		 #2 
Latvala/
Anttila		 #9 
Mikkelsen/
Fløene
SS 01 Barcelona
(asphalt)		 03.20 P01 P07
(+ 5.2s)		 P03
(+ 2.9s)
Overall classification P01 P07
(+ 5.2s)		 P03
(+ 2.9s)
FIA World Rally Championship (WRC),
Rally Spain – TV broadcast
Western Europe
Andorra (Canal +); Austria (ORF, Servus TV, Sport1, N-TV, LAOLA1.tv); Belgium (Canal +, RTBF); Denmark (Viasat); Europe (MOTORS TV); Finland (YLE, Nelonen); France (Canal +, France TV, Léquipe 21); Germany (Sport1, N-TV, Servus TV, LAOLA1.tv, Sky); Greece (OTE); Italy (RAI, Fox Sports, Dinamica); Ireland (BT Sport); Lichtenstein (N-TV, Sport1, Servus TV); Luxembourg (Canal +, N-TV, Servus TV, Sport1); Israel (Charlton); Monaco (Canal +, France TV, Léquipe 21); Netherlands (RTL7); Norway (VIASAT); Portugal (Sport TV, RTP); Slovakia (Sport 5); Spain (Canal +, TVE, TV3); Sweden (SVT); Switzerland (Canal +, N-TV, Sport1, Servus TV); Turkey (NTV); UK (BT Sport, itv4); Wales (S4C)
Eastern Europe
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan (Auto Plus); Bosnia and Herzigovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Slovenia (Arena TV); Czech Republic (Czech TV, Sport 5); Hungary (Sport1); Lithuania (Auto Plus, BTV, LNK); Poland (TVP); Romania (Dolce Sport); Ukraine (First Automotive Channel, Auto Plus)
Middle East and Africa
Angola, Cap Verde, Mozambique (Canal +, Sport TV, SuperSport); Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, São Tomé, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe (Canal +, SuperSport); Ethopia, Mauritania, Seychelles (Canal +); Lesotho, Liberia, Mayotte, Reunion, Socotra, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, St Helena & Ascension, Sudan, Swaziland (SuperSport)
Asia Pacific
Australia (Fox Sports); American Samoa, Baker Island, Guam, Howland Islands, Jarvis Island, Kingman Reef, Micronesia, Midway Islands, Navassa Island, Norther Marianas, Palau, U.S. Virgin Islands, Wake Islands (MAV TV); China (PPTV); Indonesia (MNC); Japan (J Sports); Malaysia (Astro); New Zealand (Sky Sports, TV 3); Thailand (Truevision)
North and Latin America
Argentina, Uruguay (Channel 12, Fox Sports); Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Haiti, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Trinidad & Tobago (MAV TV); Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Columbia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Venezuela (Fox Sports); Mexico (Fox Sports, TV4); Paraguay (Fox Sports, Telefuturo), USA (MAV TV, Fox Sports)

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