The international rallying community is becoming increasingly excited as the first weekend of March is approaching – the newly established Red Bull Skoda team is going to have a premiere. The team around IRC Champion Juho Hanninen is going to make its debut as part of Red Bull Skoda, and Hanninen & Markkula will make their first-ever appearance in Mexico. The Mexico Rally is one of the most exciting and also one of the most challenging events of the entire S-WRC series. Juho Hanninen & Mikko Markkula are going to face strong international competition with a Skoda Fabia S2000. Their team colleagues, Hermann Gassner jr. & Katharina Wustenhagen, are going to appear at the following event in Jordan.

The gravel event in the surroundings of Leon is indeed difficult, because the stages take place at high altitudes and the air temperatures are high as well, and so the race is going to be a test of endurance for both the cars and the drivers. The biggest portion is going to take place in Sierra de Lobos and Sierra de Guanajuato that offer a beautiful mix of mountain-peak sceneries and fast stretches in open valleys. The highly competitive field of drivers will have to cope with total of 22 stages (365 km) and more than a thousand kilometres of transfers.

Juho Hanninen underlines the importance of the team’s appearance in the S-WRC series: “Our appearance in S-WRC is a big challenge for the whole team. We have high ambitions, i.e. we want to be among the leaders of the field, and so the start of the season is extremely important. The competition is going to be strong, but we are prepared well. The reality will show where we stand in comparison with the other teams.”

Head of the team Raimund Baumschlager adds: “The Mexico Rally is going to be no fun ride, but we are prepared for that. We have top-class resources, state-of-the-art technology and – thanks to the massive support we are getting from the Skoda Motorsport (factory team) – we also have Juho Hanninen, one of the best drivers on gravel these days. I believe that our position in the final rankings will be high“.

Hermann Gassner jr.: “We are going to do some more testing to make good use of the time remaining until the Jordan Rally – after all, the car is new to me. The appearance in S-WRC is a big step forward, it is the first time that we will be part of an international series. The goal is to gain as much experience as possible and gradually climb up to the top of the field“.

As for Red Bull Skoda, the Jordan Rally will only see Hermann Gassner. The events planned for both of the drivers include Sardinia, Greece, Finland, Germany, France and Spain.

- Skoda Motorsport

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Skoda made a thrilling comeback in the German Rally Championship (DRM) with its two drivers Matthias Kahle and Mark Wallenwein.

Matthias Kahle won the Wikinger Rally, held in the extreme north of Germany, from Sandro Wallenwein (Subaru). ‘Star of tomorrow’ driver Mark Wallenwein was the surprise of the DRM opener. The 22-year old won three special stages and set top times immediately with the Fabia S2000.

Leading into the final stages only a few seconds separated the six-time German rally champion Matthias Kahle, the youngster Mark Wallenwein and his brother Sandro. However, in the final two stages of a total of 12 the positions consolidated allowing Matthias Kahle to win with co-driver Peter Göbel by 6.3 seconds.

“That was a very demanding rally,” described AvD driver Matthias Kahle of the opener. “The first stage on Friday evening was one of the toughest I have ever contested.” His team mate Mark Wallenwein, who is supported by the ADAC Stiftung Sport, was separated by a mere 13 seconds from first place. “We are satisfied with third position,” said the happy talented rally driver from Stuttgart. “It’s a shame that we lost overall victory with the mistake this morning.”

Skoda Auto Deutschland Sport Boss, Nikolaus Reichert, was delighted about the successful season opener marking the Skoda’s DRM comeback after a five year break: “A start made in heaven. We pick up exactly there where we left-off five years ago,” stressed Reichert. “The result of young talent Mark Wallenwein is particularly promising, this shows that we are backing the right drivers.”

- Skoda Auto

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Škoda Auto continues its successful project Fabia Super 2000 by building a team for Czech rally Championship. The official partner of the team is Delimax, a major Czech-based food manufacturer.

The company’s Fabia Super 2000 for the International Championships of the Czech Republic will be used by a prospective crew made up of Pavel Valoušek and Zden?k Hr?za.

Commenting on this initiative, Head of the Škoda Motorsport team Michal Hrabánek says: ‘Since the very start, the entire Fabia Super 2000 project has been focusing on two key sides – rallying and sales to customers. The objective on the sports side is to use the Fabia Super 2000 at both international and national levels in selected countries. After achieving very good results in 2009 and involving Škoda importers in order to get their support in countries like the UK, Italy, France, Sweden, etc., this is another logical step that is in line with our strategy – taking the Fabia Super 2000 project to the domestic market. We are pleased that we could help to find an opportunity to present the Fabia Super 2000 to Czech fans.’

‘Delimax, a.s. has been providing Pavel and Zden?k with long-standing support and wishes to continue last year’s success story. We therefore wanted to create adequate conditions so that the drivers can efficiently promote our brands (Jan Varmuža and St. Johann) and have good chances of succeeding on the rally side, too. That, however, is no more possible without a top-class vehicle like the Škoda Fabia Super 2000 these days,’ says Delimax General Manager Jan Vrba.

- Skoda Auto

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With a great success of the S?koda Fabia Super 2000 crews ended the 36th Rally Bohemia, when they have taken all the first three positions of the winner stand. The Finnish duo Juho Ha?nninen – Mikko Markkula rejoice from the first position.

Since the year 1995 we are witnessing again the Rally Bohemia winning by an abroad competing crew. Then the Italian Enrico Bertone had rejoiced the victory. This year, after the winning 3 out of 5 special stages, the crew from S?koda Motorsport Team Juho Ha?nninen with his co-driver Mikka Markkula have fought out the first place. Also the other two positions are taken by S?koda Fabia Super 2000. Jan Kopecky? – Petr Stary?, Ha?nninen’s team colleges ended up the second and Norwegians Andreas Mikkelsen – Ola Floene took the third place.

The last time, when we were witnessing the S?koda brand ruling the winner stand, was in the year 2001. Then Roman Kresta had won, Emil Triner the second and Bruno Thiry the third. All of them were driving S?koda Octavia WRC.

A great achievement on the track was given by Va?clav Pech and Petr Uhel on the fouth position, the fastest duo in the class N car. But even that wasn’t enough for gaining the title, for which they have been fighting for on the 36th Rally Bohemia.

The absolute rally champions of the Czech Republic have become Roman Kresta and Petr Gross, who even with a small hesitation in today’s initial special stage defended the same success from the last year.

- Rally Bohemia

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