Volkswagen Motorsport Weekend Roundup

FIA World Rally ChampionshipFinnish celebrations in France: Latvala/Anttila win on Corsica

Volkswagen duo Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila (FIN/FIN) claimed back-to-back victories at the Rally France. Following last year’s historic victory in Alsace, the pair currently second in the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) was this time successful on Corsica. Andreas Mikkelsen/ Ola Fløene (N/N) finished third to complete a successful few days for Volkswagen and the Polo R WRC. Second place went to Elfyn Evans/Daniel Barritt (GB/GB, Ford). World champions* Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (F/F) initially lost 1:40 minutes on Friday due to a slow puncture. The local favourites were then handed a ten-minute penalty for re-joining the race under Rally 2 regulations after having to change the gearbox outside of the regular service. Although this dashed any hopes of finishing in the points, Ogier/Ingrassia did win the Power Stage for the ninth time this season to pick up three bonus points. The teams and drivers faced extreme weather over the course of the three-day rally: two of just nine scheduled special stages were cancelled due to landslides, with up to 361 litres of rain falling in parts of the Mediterranean island. The next round of the World Rally Championship will take place in Spain from 22 to 25 October.

Global RallycrossFoust wins twice ahead of Speed, championship now a two-horse race

The 2015 Red Bull Global Rallycross Champion will be a Volkswagen driver: the double-header in Barbados (USA) saw Tanner Foust (USA) win both races at the wheel of his Volkswagen Beetle GRC, finishing ahead of his team-mate Scott Speed (USA) on both occasions. The success of the two drivers from the Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross Team means one thing is certain: with one event remaining this season, only a Volkswagen driver – Speed or Foust – can be crowned 2015 Global Rallycross Champion. Speed tops the overall standings after his seventh podium of the season and now leads Foust by 36 points. For two-time Global Rallycross Champion Foust, the latest two successes were wins number two and three of the season with the Volkswagen Beetle GRC. Speed has two victories to his name, courtesy of his brace at the latest double-header in Los Angeles (USA). The showdown will take place on 04 November, when Las Vegas (USA) will host the finale of the 2015 season.

FIA World Rallycross ChampionshipPodium for Kristoffersson in Turkey

Back on the podium again: Johan Kristoffersson finished third at the eleventh round of the FIA World Rallycross Championship at Istanbul Park (TR). The Swede from Volkswagen Team Sweden, who recently scored a brilliant second place in Barcelona, came home behind winner Timmy Hansen (S, Peugeot) and Andreas Bakkerud (N, Ford). Kristoffersson’s team-mate Tord Linnerud (N) made it through to the semi-final in the second Volkswagen Polo WRX, but finished fifth and failed to qualify for the final. Swedish Rallycross team Marklund Motorsport endured a disappointing weekend in Istanbul. Toomas “Topi” Heikkinen (FIN) clocked top-three lap times in the Volkswagen Polo RX Supercar, but he and his team-mate Per-Gunnar “P-G” Andersson (S) ultimately missed out on the semi-final. Kristoffersson remains third in the overall standings on 201 points. Heikkinen (124 points) is eighth, Andersson (67) eleventh and Linnerud 14th overall with 40 points.

Volkswagen Golf Cup PolandKruger champion, Pereira wins both races in Poznan

Jeffrey Kruger clinched the title in the final race of the Volkswagen Golf Cup Poland. A third and a second place at the Poznan Circuit (PL) proved enough for the South African to win the championship. Kruger’s closest rival, Dylan Pereira of Luxembourg, won both races on the 4.083-kilometre circuit, but ultimately finished 26 points behind Kruger (480 points) in the overall standings. “It was an amazing season,” said Kruger. “It started well, but with every race was getting better and better. Good that it happened that way, because in the end I lost a bit of pace, but the points gathered to this moment proved to be sufficient.” Also on the podium in Poznan: local favourite Piotr Parys, who finished runner-up in race one, and Finland’s Simo Muhonen, who was third in race two.

Volkswagen Fun Cup FranceEurodatacar wins twice in Lédenon

Two races, each with the same winners: the team of Philippe Loriquer/Olivier Lamirault/Jean Charles Redele/Antoine Hubert was successful twice on the penultimate race weekend of the Volkswagen Fun Cup France. The French outfit won the opening race at the Circuit de Lédenon (F) before adding a second victory in race two, which was held over three and a half hours. The Eurodatacar team won Sunday morning’s first race in sunny conditions, finishing ahead of the FC 199 Groupe Lemoine team, with Philippe Lemoine/Alain Ferté/Elliot Hoffet at the wheel, and FC 261Défi Performance with its drivers Pascal Amant/Julien Suzanna/Julien Menart. In race two on Sunday afternoon, FC 199 Group Lemoine again finished runner-up behind Eurodatacar. Third place this time went to the Zosh FC team and drivers Didier Robin/Arnold Maxime/Jean René Defournoux. The final eight-hour race will take place in Nogaro (F) from 17 to 18 October.

Volkswagen Fun Cup BelgiumDouble for Allure Team 2 in Alsace

Allure Team 2 bagged a brace of wins at the penultimate race weekend of the Volkswagen Fun Cup Belgium. Guillaume Mondron/Cédric Bollen/Frédéric Caprasse won both three-hour races at the Circuit L’Anneau du Rhin (F). The Socardenne team (Kevin Balthazar/Renaud Martin/Christophe Nivarlet) finished runner-up in both races, while the AC Motorsport 2 team and its drivers Alix Fraiture and Sébastien Ryhon claimed two third places. In total, 29 cars lined up in sunny conditions at the racetrack near the French, German and Swiss borders. The final round of the Volkswagen Fun Cup Belgium is set to be a real marathon: a ten-hour race in Mettet (B) from 23 to 24 October.

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


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