Will the Formula One world champion strike back in the Scirocco R-Cup race car in 2011? After the premiere last year the bio natural gas coupe will again be fielded at the 2011 Race Of Champions: a good opportunity for Formula One world champion Sebastian Vettel to get revenge in the 275-HP Scirocco for last year’s defeat against U.S. motocross star Travis Pastrana.

Besides Vettel and Pastrana the list of the top drivers who will meet at the Dusseldorf Football Arena on 3 and 4 December reads like the international motorsport hall of fame. In addition to Vettel, the new Volkswagen rally factory driver Sebastien Ogier, the Formula One world champions Michael Schumacher and Jenson Button, the eight-time Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen and the DTM champions Timo Scheider, Martin Tomczyk and Mattias Ekstrom will be competing at the race, among others.

“We’re proud that the organizers of the Race Of Champions have again selected the Racing Scirocco as a car to be fielded at the event. This shows the prestige which the Scirocco R-Cup enjoys worldwide as a one-make cup,” says Volkswagen Motorsport Director Kris Nissen.

Duel in the Scirocco: Vettel vs. motocross super star Travis Pastrana

However, in 2010, it was a Scirocco of all cars in which Formula One world champion Vettel had to accept one of his few defeats. In a direct duel, motocross star Travis Pastrana, not least thanks to clever use of the push-to-pass button that allowed each driver to activate an additional 50 HP for four seconds four times during the race, had achieved a surprise victory against Vettel. “The push-to-pass button is a brilliant idea. By using it I was able to beat Sebastian as late as on the finish straight,” said Pastrana last year as he expressed his enthusiasm about the power boost at his fingertips.

80 per cent less CO2: bio natural gas drive at Race Of Champions

Thanks to the use of bio natural gas the two-litre engine of the Volkswagen Scirocco R-Cup reduces the overall carbon footprint, consisting of the fielding at the race and logistics, by 80 per cent – compared with conventional petrol fuels. At the Race Of Champions the Cup Scirocco is the only vehicle featuring an alternative drive concept. The Scirocco R-Cup (www.volkswagen-motorsport.com) is entering its third season in 2012, being held as part of the DTM programme. Spectacular races are guaranteed by the Pro, Junior and Legends Cup, and the innovative push-to-pass system.

- Volkswagen Motorsport

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Dr Ulrich Hackenberg, Member of the Volkswagen Board of Management for Technology, and the two-time World Rally Champion and “Dakar” winner Carlos Sainz (Spain) completed the first test kilometers in the vineyards of Veldenz near Trier, the location that normally plays host to the ADAC Rallye Deutschland, without any problems today. Prior to competing in the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) from 2013 onward, Volkswagen will intensively test and continue to develop the four-wheel drive vehicle that delivers an output of about 300 HP.

“The first test with the new Polo R WRC is a special moment and marks an important milestone in the preparations for our entry in the WRC,” comments Dr Ulrich Hackenberg, Member of the Volkswagen Brand Board of Management for the Development Division. “We’re well on schedule and are now able to start testing our concepts and developments in reality. The WRC is the top category in rally sport and a great challenge for the team, the drivers and the technology. We’re taking on this challenge and will be making efficient use of the time before we start into our first competition.”

“The first Polo represents a preliminary stage of the subsequent rally car and during the upcoming months will serve as a test vehicle for various components such as engines, gearboxes or suspension parts. The findings obtained in these tests will be directly fed into the first thorough-bred Polo R WRC,” explains Volkswagen Motorsport Director Kris Nissen. “Next year we’ll be running an extensive testing program on tarmac, gravel, mud and snow in order to prepare ourselves for the 2013 season as best we can.”

On the first test day Dr Ulrich Hackenberg and Carlos Sainz, both with co-driver Timo Gottschalk (Rheinsberg, Germany) at their side, drove about 100 kilometers on the 2.8- kilometer tarmac circuit. An initial functional test was followed by tuning and set-up work on the engine and the suspension, all of which was performed without any problems. “I immensely enjoy being involved in the development and testing of the new Polo R WRC – and having the privilege of driving the first kilometers is naturally a great honor,” says Carlos Sainz. “The car is still in an early stage but already feels very good. For the whole team, whether engineers, mechanics or drivers, it’s very important to get to know the first real car as early as possible and to test and continue to develop it.”

In parallel to the tests with the Polo R WRC Volkswagen is continuing its trial runs in the World Rally Championship. Next week the German Sepp Wiegand with Dakar winner Timo Gottschalk as co-driver and the Dutchman Kevin Abbring with co-driver Lara Vanneste will be competing in the Great Britain Rally in Wales (10–13 November). At the fourth WRC test run this year the Volkswagen factory team is again fielding two Fabia cars of the Group’s Skoda brand in order to evaluate talents and gather valuable experiences with the team at this famous gravel rally.

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41 victories in a total of 75 races – this is Volkswagen’s successful tally in the three Formula 3 racing series, the ATS Formula 3 Cup, the British Formula 3 Championship and the Formula 3 Euro Series, in the 2011 season. In total, Volkswagen has achieved seven championship wins, 124 race victories and 344 podium finishes since 2008.

At the last race weekend at Hockenheim that featured a total of three rounds Volkswagen driver Marco Wittmann from the Signature team secured the position of the runner-up in the Formula 3 Euro Series. At the first race Volkswagen driver Laurens Vanthoor took third place, which put him on the podium for the fifth time this season. At the second round the German Daniel Abt managed the same result, thus taking his third podium in 2011. At the subsequent third round on Sunday Volkswagen driver Marco Wittmann only needed to finish in fourth place to secure the “runner-up’s title” with a score of 285 points behind champion Roberto Merhi.

Rookie Carlos Sainz jr. was struck by misfortune: The son of World Rally Champion and “Dakar” winner Carlos Sainz had caused a sensation by clinching third place in the first qualifying session but was forced to retire in the first race due to a defect on the right rear suspension. Things went better for the 17-year-old Spaniard in the race on Sunday when he finished in fifth place.

Kris Nissen, Volkswagen Motorsport Director

“On the whole, Volkswagen’s overall tally as an engine manufacturer in Formula 3 is again outstanding. The result in the British Formula 3 Championship where we won the title for the third consecutive time is fantastic. We dominated the season in the German Cup as well and successfully defended the title. And in the Formula 3 Euro Series a ‘runner-up’s title’ is a good result, although we were not represented on the podium there often enough. Considering that we won almost everything there last year, this is disappointing. But we’ve got a strong rival in Mercedes-Benz and as a manufacturer in factory-supported customer sport we obviously can’t control all the parameters. On the whole, we consider the entire Formula 3 an outstanding junior series and talent incubator.”

Carlos Sainz jr.
Race 1: retirement – race 2: retirement – race 3: 5th place

“I was super happy with third place in qualifying. Unfortunately, I had a mechanical problem on the car in the first race. That’s too bad but these things can happen. In the second race I wanted to attack but then, after touching a rival, I unfortunately had to retire. By finishing the third round on Sunday in fifth place I managed a pretty good result in the end. Although I had some minor problems at the start I was pleased with my race pace. I’d like to thank Volkswagen for making it possible for me to run as a guest entrant.”

- Volkswagen Motorsport

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Volkswagen continued the preparation for its entry in the World Rally Championship in 2013 with the Polo R WRC: At the Spain Rally, the twelfth and penultimate round of the World Rally Championship (WRC), the factory team again fielded two Fabia S2000 cars of the Group’s Skoda brand in order to gather valuable experience in the top category of rally racing.

We quickly got used to the car on gravel and were able to seriously attack on tarmac.

With Christian Riedemann/Michael Wenzel (both from Germany) and Yeray Lemes/Rogelio Penate (both from Spain) in the cockpits, two young driver pairings again had the chance to prove their skills in a professional environment on an international stage. And they successfully did so: Lemes/Penate took fourth place in their class and 14th overall while Riedemann/Wenzel crossed the finish ramp in Salou on position eight in class and 20 in the overall classification.

“We’ve got more than twelve months to go before our entry into the World Rally Championship. We’re using this time efficiently by participating in WRC rounds with vehicles of the Volkswagen Group’s Skoda brand and familiarizing ourselves with the WRC in competitive conditions in parallel to the development of the Polo R WRC,” says Volkswagen Motorsport Director Kris Nissen. “Every rally has its own character. The special aspect of the Spanish rally is that the vehicles first run on gravel and then on tarmac, plus it has incredibly enthusiastic fans. Our two young pairings did well in the competition. Yeray Lemes in particular showed that he can keep the pace of the quickest cars in different terrain whereas Christian Riedemann was running well especially on tarmac. For the whole Volkswagen team the participation in the rally has been a valuable experience and now we’re preparing for our next run in Wales.”

The 47th Spain Rally featured a varied profile over a 406.52 kilometer distance of special stages. On Friday the gravel sections were on the agenda. They culminated in a spectacular leg in the dark of the night. On Saturday and Sunday the terrain changed to quick, winding tarmac roads. Yeray Lemes and his co-driver Rogelio Penate marked three fastest stage times at their home round but due to a puncture lost the chances of clinching an even better result. “We’re more than pleased. We quickly got used to the car on gravel and were able to seriously attack on tarmac. The result makes us very happy, particularly in front of so many fans from my home region, the Canary Islands. I want to thank Volkswagen, we’d like to repeat this at another venue,” said the 24-year-old Lemes. After competing in the ADAC Rallye Deutschland this was Riedemann and Wenzel’s second run for Volkswagen. “In the beginning we didn’t do the best job of handling the gravel, but we learned from this. On tarmac we clearly managed to improve and were even able to keep the pace of the more experienced drivers some of the time,” says the 24-year-old as he summed up the event. From 10 – 13 November, Volkswagen will continue the preparation of the team: Sepp Wiegand with “Dakar” winner Timo Gottschalk as his co-driver and the Dutchman Kevin Abbring with co-driver Lara Vanneste will compete at the Rally Great Britain.

- Volkswagen Motorsport

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In 2013 Volkswagen will start to contest the FIA World Rally Championship with the Polo R WRC. Until then a rally car with about 300 hp based on the Polo is being developed. To gather initial experience in the World Rally Championship, the team will be contesting selected rallies in 2011 with vehicles from the Volkswagen Group’s Skoda brand. At these rounds top talents are to be given the chance to qualify for a cockpit in the Polo R WRC in a new talent assessment program under competitive conditions.

“In addition to a few top-calibre rally racers we want to present top talents in our 2013 driver line-up,” says Volkswagen Motorsport Director Kris Nissen. “Therefore, we will be giving young racers in particular an opportunity to show their skills at our runs in competitive conditions. This is the best way to see who is doing a good job of driving and would fit into the Volkswagen rally team. It would be great if we could find a new Walter Rohrl or Michèle Mouton using this approach.”

The first run will be at the Finland Rally from 28 to 31 July for which Volkswagen Motorsport has submitted entries for two Scandinavian driver pairings. The rally car will be the 270-hp Skoda Fabia S2000 from the SWRC, a subcategory of the World Rally Championship for vehicles with normally aspirated 2.0-litre engines.

The first car will be driven by the pairing Andreas Mikkelsen/Ola Floene (driver/co-driver). Mikkelsen, aged 22, in his early youth was active in alpine skiing and motocross events and a member of the Norwegian national youth team in both sports. In 2006 he made his debut in rally racing at the WRC round in Great Britain. In the 2011 season the Norwegian who lives in Oslo is driving for Skoda England in the IRC (Intercontinental Rally Challenge).

The second cockpit crew carries the Finnish national flag. Joonas Lindroos/Pasi Kilpelainen will drive down the starting ramp in their native country. Like Mikkelsen Lindroos ranks among the top young drivers in rally sport. The 26-year-old from the small town of Jamsa has been successfully driving in the national championship in the team of the four-time world champion Tommi Makinen since 2010.

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Need to know more about Volkswagen’s WRC efforts? Will they be at Dakar 2011? Here’s a small interview with the Head of Volkswagen Motorsport, Kris Nissen. New pics in the gallery as well.

Why is Volkswagen entering the WRC?

“The new Technical Regulations of the World Rally Championship ideally fit Volkswagen’s philosophy with respect to the development of production vehicles. Downsizing, reliability and high efficiency are top priorities for our customers. The timing of the WRC entry is optimal for Volkswagen. The sporting challenge of designing a vehicle that is competitive and in contention for victory in a large field of challengers holds great appeal for us.”

Will Volkswagen continue to contest the Dakar Rally?

“There will be no factory commitment at the next Dakar Rally in 2012. The entry of a customer team is being considered at the moment. There are several parties interested in such a project. Volkswagen has achieved all of its aims at the Dakar Rally. We are the first and so far only manufacturer to have won the world’s toughest cross-country rally with innovative diesel technology. And not just once but three consecutive times – Volkswagen has gone down in history with this hat-trick. The “Dakar” will always be near and dear to our hearts and remain a part of our success story. Now, we are tackling a new sporting challenge with great enthusiasm.”

For how many years is the WRC commitment designed?

“Initially, our program is designed until 2015. After that time, the Management Board will take further decisions according to schedule.”

What are Volkswagen’s aims? For which time frame?

“Like in any other sport, victory can be the only aim in motorsport. We definitely want to be in contention for the title, and win it too, within the ­foreseeable future. Please bear with us while we are not able to state an exact date of shooting for the title.”

When will the car be used for the first tests? What is the schedule for Volkswagen’s first rally run?

“The concept and vehicle design for the Polo R WRC started in February. The roll-out is planned before the end of 2011. Before in-depth trials in an extensive testing program start with the vehicle in 2012 the team will already receive an opportunity in 2011 to gather initial experiences in the World Rally Championship. At the end of the season entries with vehicles of the Volkswagen Group’s Skoda brand are planned at selected rallies.”

Has Volkswagen already signed drivers for the WRC?

“At the moment we do not have a driver line-up. There is no reason to hurry because we are at a very early stage of our rally commitment. We are taking the time to carefully look at the market. We are, however, already receiving a lot of inquiries. There is keen interest in our project, and we are pleased about that.”

Will there be a German driver at Volkswagen?

“We are carefully watching the market here as well. It would be great if we had a new Walter Rohrl in Germany. While that would no doubt be helpful to us and to the WRC the drivers’ skills are more important to us than their nationalities. In this area we will no doubt be taking a decision within the next 20 months as well.”

- Volkswagen Motorsport

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“We have invited you to join us here in Olbia to announce Volkswagen’s entry in the World Rally Championship starting in 2013.” – These were the words used by Volkswagen Management Board Member Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg as he declared Volkswagen’s entry into the most versatile of the four automobile world championships (World Rally Championship, WRC).

In front of 200 journalists he unveiled the concept of the Polo R WRC, the car with which Volkswagen will compete from 2013 onwards, together with Luca de Meo, Head of Marketing of Volkswagen AG, and Volkswagen Motorsport Director Kris Nissen. Luca de Meo: “Almost exactly two years ago, in May 2009, the most recent model of the Polo was presented here in Sardinia. Today we are proud to show you the hottest Polo of all time – the Polo R WRC.” For Kris Nissen and his team the World Rally Championship entry marks a new commitment. “We look forward to this new challenge and are working on this project with the same passion with which we won the Dakar Rally in the past three years,” said Kris Nissen.

After three consecutive victories at the Dakar Rally, Volkswagen has set itself new aims in top-calibre sport. With three car corporations currently involved in the championship and global media coverage, the WRC offers an attractive, highly competitive environment for Volkswagen. By 2013 the Wolfsburg-based brand will develop a near-300-hp rally vehicle with a 1.6-litre TSI engine and four-wheel drive based on the Polo.

Universal technological challenge, new rules

The World Rally Championship offers the most diverse technological challenge in worldwide car racing to the manufacturers involved. Various types of ground have to be considered during the concept design of a WRC vehicle such as all manner of gravel, scree, tarmac, ice, snow and mud. The calendar this season features 13 WRC rounds on four different continents. Hence a world rally car has to function in extremely different climatic conditions, from the blazing heat of South America to the icy ride in Scandinavia.

In addition, new technical rules have come into effect in the WRC this year. For the first time, engines with a maximum displacement of 1,600 cc, direct injection and turbochargers are prescribed.

“The new Technical Regulations of the World Rally Championship are an ideal fit for Volkswagen’s philosophy with respect to the development of production vehicles,” says Dr Ulrich Hackenberg, Member of the Management Board of the Volkswagen Brand, Development Division. “Downsizing, high efficiency and reliability are top priorities for our customers. The timing of the WRC debut is optimal for Volkswagen. The big task of engineering a vehicle that is competitive and capable of winning at a large number of challenges holds great appeal for us.”

Proven squad, new aims: Volkswagen Motorsport’s factory commitment

Volkswagen will prepare and enter the Polo R WRC as a factory commitment. In doing so, the Wolfsburg-based squad can build on structures which have been established over the past few years. The World Rally Championship is a new ambitious aim for the team that has won the “Dakar” in the past three years. “We can draw on an experienced and proven squad which has done an outstanding job in top-calibre sport in the past few years,” says Volkswagen Motorsport Director Kris Nissen. “Even though the WRC is new territory for us and involves learning in many areas the team already meets some important prerequisites now as it brings an unwavering professional attitude and resolve to deliver absolute perfection to this commitment.”

Volkswagen in the WRC: a success story

Volkswagen looks back on a small yet impressive rally tradition. Production-based vehicles from Wolfsburg celebrated rally racing successes in the middle end of the 1980s. The most important one: In 1986 the Swede Kenneth Eriksson and his German co-driver Peter Diekmann in the Volkswagen Golf GTI 16V claimed the world champion’s title in the newly incepted Group A. In addition, Volkswagen vigorously promoted young rally talent through the Golf Rally Cup. The fielding of the Volkswagen Polo R WRC from 2013 onwards closes the loop: Today’s WRC vehicles are still based on the philosophy of the Group A introduced back then, which enables rally sport to be conducted with vehicles based on production models.

- Volkswagen Motorsport

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Volkswagen has added two Scirocco GT24-CNG’s to the mix for the 24 hour race. This will complement the three 440hp Golf24‘s, one of which will be racing at this weekends VLN. These five cars are factory efforts.

Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, Vanina Ickx and Peter Wyss will be in one car, while Giniel de Villiers, Nasser Al-Attiyah and Klaus Niedzwiedz. If you recall, Volkswagen celebrated a one-two-three finish in the class last year.

The Scirocco GT24-CNG power-trains are powered by eco-conscious bio natural gas running at 330hp.

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Big names for the comeback: When the Volkswagen Golf returns to the legendary 24-hour race on the Nurburgring-Nordschleife (23–26 June) well-known Volkswagen drivers like Rene Rast and Peter Terting will be joined on the grid by former Formula 1 racers Johnny Herbert and Mark Blundell as well as DTM driver Edoardo Mortara. The spectacular Golf24 with a power output of 440 hp and four-wheel drive will make its racing debut in the “Green Hell” as early as at the Nurburgring Endurance Championship this weekend.

“We’ve managed to put together a very strong driver line-up for the 24-hour race,” says Volkswagen Motorsport Director Kris Nissen. “With Johnny Herbert and Mark Blundell joining our ranks we have two former Formula 1 racers competing for us whose track records include victories at the Le Mans 24 Hours. Both contested the Volkswagen Scirocco R-Cup as Legends in 2010. So it’s fitting that on the Golf GTI’s 35th anniversary they compete on the Nordschleife which, like the GTI itself, is truly a legend. With our other driver line-up we’re perfectly set. All of our drivers have plenty of experience on the world’s toughest race track and will give everything to make a strong showing at the eagerly awaited 24-hour race.”

Strong mix: young guns, seasoned campaigners and legends in the Golf24

Volkswagen will field three Golf24 cars at the 24-hour race in June. The car designated as number 35 will be driven by Rene Rast, Volkswagen Junior and winner of the 2010 Porsche Supercup, Nicki Thiim, the son of former DTM champion Kurt Thiim, who most recently was successful with Volkswagen at the 24-hour race on the Nurburgring, plus the former DTM and World Championship driver Peter Terting, who is a firm component of Volkswagen’s 24-hour driver squad as well. “I’m looking forward to the race because due to its atmosphere and history it’s an absolute highlight,” says Rast, who participates in the one-day classic in the Eifel for the second time. “After not being able to run due to conflicting commitments in the past two years, it’s great to be returning this year in the Golf24. The car is incredibly good fun to drive and was very fast in the initial tests.”

Car number 135 will be driven by the Swede Fredrik Ekblom and the two Germans Thomas Mutsch and Patrick Simon, who are thoroughly familiar with the Nordschleife. “It’s a great honor to be able to contest the 24-hour race in the new Golf24. The car not only looks fantastic but also handles that way,” says Ekblom, who was victorious in last year’s Swedish Touring Car Championship with Volkswagen. “The race on the Nordschleife is unique. Its importance has continually increased in the past few years and the field is sensational. This will be my third run, so I know that you can’t make any predictions. Anything is possible on the Nordschleife.”

The number 235 Golf24 has a prominent crew in the cockpit. It is occupied by the Formula 1 legends Johnny Herbert and Mark Blundell who take turns with two young guns from Volkswagen’s formula school. Edoardo Mortara won the Formula 3 Euro Series in 2010 and is driving for Audi in the DTM in 2011. After a career in Formula 3, Franck Mailleux established himself as a sports car racer, at the Le Mans 24 Hours among others. “The 24-hour race on the Nordschleife is a big thing. I’m very much looking forward to it,” says Johnny Herbert. “I clinched my last Formula 1 victory on the Grand Prix circuit of the Nurburgring in 1999, so I always like coming back to the Eifel track. The Nurburgring has a very special meaning for me.”

- Volkswagen Motorsport

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As we move closer to the 24 Hours of Nurburgring, Volkswagen is giving us more and more info on the Golf24. The latest comes in the form of on-board cameras attached to the “beast” for your viewing pleasure.

*Audio seems to be only on the right side

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