Until the Polo R WRC is ready, the team will be taking part in selected rallies throughout 2011 to gain valuable experience, borrowing a machine from elsewhere in the Volkswagen brand, namely a 270 hp Skoda Fabia S2000 SWRC car.
“In addition to a few top-caliber 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 Röhrl 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 first car will be driven by the pairing Andreas Mikkelsen/Ola Floene (driver/co-driver).
The second crew will be formed by an all0 Finnish line-up, consisting of Joonas Lindroos/Pasi Kilpelainen. 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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