WRC Rallye Deutschland ,étape 1 : VW et Ogier s’échappent / VW and Ogier pull clear (+vidéo)

Les Volkswagen Polo R WRC/Michelin ont dominé la première journée de l’ADAC Rallye Deutschland 2015. Après quatre meilleurs temps d’affilée cet après-midi, Sébastien Ogier est leader avec 9.5 secondes sur Latvala et 34.9 secondes sur Mikkelsen.

Après deux échecs consécutifs au Rallye d’Allemagne, l’équipe Volkswagen est bien décidée à laver l’affront.

Bien sûr, seuls 28% du parcours chronométré ont été parcourus aujourd’hui, et demain, la deuxième journée s’annonce longue et éprouvante avec la terrible Panzerplatte (46,61 km). Mais les VW Polo R WRC ont montré leur supériorité sur asphalte en remportant les huit spéciales de cette étape.

Leader à la pause déjeuner avec 1/10e de seconde d’avance, Jari-Matti Latvala n’a pu tenir le rythme de Sébastien Ogier sur le second tour. Le Français a enchaîné quatre meilleurs temps pour conclure l’étape avec 9s5 d’avance : « On a signé sept meilleurs temps sur huit spéciales, alors c’était une bonne journée, oui. Ca faisait longtemps que je n’avais pas attaqué aussi fort sur asphalte », a reconnu Ogier à l’arrivée.

Jari-Matti Latvala reste toutefois à moins de 10 secondes du leader et continuera à mettre la pression sur son équipier. Derrière, Andreas Mikkelsen (+34s9) assure un triplé provisoire pour la marque allemande. « Bonne journée pour moi, bonne journée pour le team », résumait  le Norvégien qui a signé sept 3e meilleurs temps et remporté son duel avec Kris Meeke après une escapade du pilote Citroën dans un champ (ES6). 

Le Britannique a bouclé les ES7 et 8 au ralenti et perdu 10 bonnes minutes. Derrière les trois VW, le duel Hyundai bat son plein entre Dani Sordo (4e) et Thierry Neuville (5e). L’écart était de 7/10e de seconde après l’ES7. Il est ce soir de 1s9.

Un autre duel est en cours, interne à l’équipe M-Sport cette fois, entre Elfyn Evans et Ott Tanak dont les Fiesta RS WRC ne se sont pas montrées à leur avantage dans le vignoble. L’Estonien a perdu 15 secondes au début de l’ES1, mais il est revenu à 5s7 d’Evans qui a signé le 3e meilleur temps dans l’ES8.

Hayden Paddon (Hyundai) est 8e, à seulement 3s6 de Tanak et avec 4s d’avance sur Mads Ostberg. Ce sera une autre bagarre à suivre demain dans le top-ten. Pénalisé de 5 minutes avant le départ (changement moteur), Robert Kubica (Ford) est sorti dans les vignes (ES7) et a perdu de nouveau 5 minutes. Pour ses débuts en World Rally Car, Stéphane Lefebvre (10e) aurait vécu une journée idéale sans un tout-droit à une chicane (ES7).

En WRC-2, Jan Kopecky (Skoda/Michelin) compte une confortable avance de près d’une minute et demie sur Craig Breen (Peugeot). Eric Camilli (Ford) est excellent 3e à 14s3 de l’Irlandais. Esapekka Lappi (Skoda) est sorti dans l’ES2 et Nasser Al-Attiyah (Skoda) a perdu plus d’une minute dans l’ES1 (touchette).

En Fiesta Trophy, le Belge Gislain de Mevius est en tête devant les Hollandais Van den Brand et Van Deijne. Tom Cave est sorti violemment de la route. Enfin, en R-GT, Romain Dumas (Porsche 997 GT3) a signé des chronos parmi les meilleures WRC-2. Il 20e au général malgré une touchette (ES7). François Delecour a abandonné (différentiel).

Day 1 of the 2015 Rallye Deutschland was dominated by Volkswagen’s trio. A score of four consecutive fastest times this afternoon has promoted Sébastien Ogier to top spot, chased by Jari-Matti Latvala (+9.5s) and Andreas Mikkelsen (34.9s).

After returning blank scorecards on home soil in 2013 and 2014, Volkswagen Motorsport is clearly intent on making it third time lucky this week in Germany. 

Today’s action amounted to barely 28% of the event’s total competitive distance ahead of Saturday’s copious menu which includes the awesome Panzerplatte test (46.61km). Even so, the three Michelin-equipped VW Polo R WRCs demonstrated clear superiority by posting all today’s fastest times.

Latvala led at the lunchtime break, albeit by a one-tenth of a second, but the Finn was unable to palm off team-mate Ogier on the second loop. The Frenchman was effectively quickeston the afternoon’s four tests the afternoon’s as he built up an overnight cushion of 9.5s. “We were fastest on seven of today’s eight stages, so – yes – it’s been a good day. It’s been a long time since we last pushed like that on asphalt,” he admitted this evening.

Even so, Latvala is less than 10s short of his colleague and will continue to apply as much pressure as possible tomorrow. 

Mikkelsen (+34.9s) is the third VW representative on tonight’s podium. “A good day for me and for the team,” commented the Norwegian who claimed seven top-three times to win his personal duel with Kris Meeke whose Citroën visited a field on SS6. The Briton was forced to limp through SS7 and SS8 which cost him a good 10 minutes. 

There are some interesting fratricidal scraps going on further down the order. Hyundai’s Dani Sordo and Thierry Neuvilleare just 1.9s apart in the battle for fourth, while Elfyn Evans (6th) and Ott Tanak are very close in their Fiesta RS WRCs which seemed ill at ease on the vineyard stages. The Estonian squandered 15s on SS1 but has since fought back to within 5.7s of his M-Sport team-mate who was third-best on SS8.

Hayden Paddon (Hyundai) is eighth, 3.6s short of Tanak but 4s clear of Mads Ostberg. 

Robert Kubica (Ford) started the rally with a five-minute penalty (engine change) and lost a further five minutes with an off into the vines on SS7. It would have been a perfect day for the World Rally Car rookie Stéphane Lefebvre (10th) had he not gone straight on at a chicane, again on SS7.

In WRC2, Jan Kopecky (Skoda/Michelin) enjoys a comfortable lead of almost a minute-and-a-half over Craig Breen (Peugeot). Eric Camilli (Ford) is up to third, a further 14.3s adrift. Esapekka Lappi (Skoda) crashed out on SS2 and Nasser Al-Attiyah (Skoda) dropped more than a minute with an ‘off’ on SS1.

The Fiesta Trophy classification is provisionally topped by Belgium’s Ghislain de Mevius, ahead of Dutchmen Van den Brand and Van Deijne. Tom Cave suffered a big crash. 

Last but not least, in the R-GT class, Romain Dumas (Porsche 997 GT3) has been posting times similar to those of the fastest WRC2 runners. He is 20th overall despite an ‘off’ on SS7, but François Delecour has retired (differential).

8h d'Oschersleben ; LE MONSTER ENERGY YAMAHA YART DOMINE LES ESSAIS / MONSTER ENERGY YAMAHA YART DOMINATES QUALIFYING

Les essais qualificatifs des 8 Heures d’Oschersleben, troisième manche du FIM EWC, se sont déroulés sous le soleil sur ce tracé très technique.
A l’issue de deux journées de qualifications, le Monster Energy Yamaha YART s’est révélé le team le plus rapide en piste devant le SRC Kawasaki et le GMT94 Yamaha.

Après leurs mésaventures lors des 24 Heures du Mans puis des 8 Heures de Suzuka, le Monster Energy Yamaha YART met toute son énergie pour tenter de décrocher un bon résultat en Allemagne. « Nous ne donnons plus de consigne pour le championnat car nous sommes très loin au classement », explique Mandy Kainz le team manager. « Un seul mot d’ordre : aller vite, dominer nos adversaires et prouver que notre Yamaha et nos pilotes sont les meilleurs du plateau. » Et cela a payé puisqu’ils ont réussi à placer leur machine officielle en tête à l’issue des qualifications. « La moto est nouvelle, » confirme Broc Parkes le pilote australien. « Cela a été difficile, mais nous avons tout donné et nous avons progressé tour après tour pour mettre au point notre R1 afin qu’elle convienne aux trois pilotes. »

Le SRC Kawasaki, victime de plusieurs chutes à Suzuka qui ont totalement détruit la moto, a dû en reconstruire deux en un laps de temps très court pour pouvoir disputer l’épreuve allemande. « Notre deuxième place sur la grille est inespérée vue les circonstances, » commente Gilles Staffler, le team manager, « nous avons mis toute notre énergie à mesurer les performances des motos et à les régler pour être compétitifs. Cette deuxième place nous rassure et nous sommes confiants pour la course. »

Deuxième du championnat à 29 points derrière le Suzuki Endurance Racing Team, le GMT 94 Yamaha, champion du monde en titre, a réalisé une belle troisième place sur la grille. « Nous ne bénéficions pas de pneus de qualification, » explique le pilote espagnol David Checa, « et c’est pénalisant par rapport à certains de nos concurrents. Mais les essais sont une chose et la course en est une autre. On sait par expérience qu’il nous faudra être performants et réguliers tout en respectant une stratégie de course si nous voulons nous imposer. »

Le Suzuki Endurance Racing Team, actuel leader du championnat, s’est quelque peu laissé déborder par excès de prudence lors de ces essais. Après la chute d’Anthony Delhalle hier, le SERT ne place sa machine qu’en septième position sur la grille. Mais l’expérience de cette équipe lui permettra sans aucun doute de rectifier le tir en course.

Malgré le pilote le plus rapide du plateau, puisque Markus Reiterberger a le meilleur temps individuel en 1.26.330, le BMW Motorrad France Team Penz13.com n’est que quatrième à la moyenne des temps des pilotes sur les deux jours.

Le Honda Racing, en septième place hier, a complètement changé la configuration de sa machine et a réussi à se hisser en cinquième position, Sébastien Gimbert réalisant le meilleur temps de sa série aujourd’hui. Mais leur gros atout reste la gestion de la consommation en course qui leur permet de réaliser entre deux et quatre tours de plus par relais par rapport à leurs concurrents.

Côté Superstock, si le Junior Team Le Mans Sud Suzuki, actuel leader du championnat, n’est que deuxième de la catégorie en se plaçant neuvième sur la grille de départ, c’est l’équipe locale Völpker NRT 48 & Penz13 by Schubert Motors qui crée la surprise. Elle s’impose en réalisant une excellente sixième place devant quelques grands teams de la catégorie EWC. « C’est la première fois que je roule en Endurance, » s’exclame Dominik Vincon, l’un des pilotes. « Notre BMW fonctionne vraiment bien, nous avons de bons pneumatiques et nous sommes réguliers. C’est étrange de se retrouver coéquipiers alors qu’habituellement nous sommes concurrents sur le championnat allemand IDM. Et nous sommes en train de devenir de bons amis ! »

Weather conditions were sunny as qualifying wrapped up at the Oschersleben 8 Hours, the third round of the FIM EWC, on this very technical track. After qualifying sessions spread over two days, Monster Energy Yamaha YART emerged as the fastest team, ahead of SRC Kawasaki and GMT94 Yamaha.

After their mishaps at the 24 Heures Motos in Le Mans and the Suzuka 8 Hours, the Monster Energy Yamaha YART squad went all out to notch up a good result in Germany. “We’re not giving championship-targeted instructions anymore, since we’ve fallen so far behind in the standings,” said Mandy Kainz, the team manager. “Our only aim right now is to ride fast, dominate our rivals and prove that our Yamaha and our riders are the best in the line-up.” That approach has paid off: they’ve managed to get their official bike to top place after the qualifying sessions. “We have a new bike,” Australian rider Broc Parkes confirmed. “It was tough, but we gave it everything we had, and improved our R1 set-up lap after lap to suit all three riders.”

The SRC Kawasaki team had several crashes at Suzuka that totally destroyed the bike, and had to rebuild two bikes in a hurry to get back into the fray in Germany. “In the circumstances, second place on the grid is an unhoped-for result,” said Gilles Staffler, the team manager. “We focused all our attention on measuring the performance of the bikes and setting them up to be competitive. This second place is reassuring, and we’re feeling confident about the race.”

Currently second in this year’s championship standings, 29 points behind the Suzuki Endurance Racing Team, reigning champions GMT94 Yamaha won themselves a handsome third place on the grid. “We didn’t have qualifying tyres,” Spanish rider David Checa explained, “and that gave some of our rivals an edge over us. But qualifying is one thing, the actual race is another. We know from experience that we’ll have to put in a great, consistent performance while sticking to our race strategy if we want to win.“

Current championship leader Suzuki Endurance Racing Team erred on the side of caution during the qualifying sessions. After Anthony Delhalle’s fall yesterday, the SERT bike will be starting the race all the way back in seventh place. But the experienced squad will undoubtedly make up for lost time during the race.

The BMW Motorrad France Team Penz13.com riders’ average times over two days put them in fourth place, even though they have the quickest rider in the line-up: Markus Reiterberger lapped the fastest individual time of 1.26.330.

The Honda Racing team managed to climb from seventh place yesterday to fifth after totally changing the bike set-up, with Sébastien Gimbert lapping his best time today. But their fuel strategy during the race remains their biggest advantage: they squeeze in two to four laps more than their adversaries between stints.

In the Superstock class, current championship leader Junior Team Le Mans Sud Suzuki slipped to second in the category by placing ninth on the starting grid – not least because local squad Völpker NRT 48 & Penz13 by Schubert Motors created an upset, zooming to first in the category by placing sixth on the grid, ahead of some EWC heavyweights. “This is my first endurance race!” exclaimed Dominik Vincon, one of the riders. “Our BMW is working really well, we’ve got good tyres, and we’re consistent. It’s funny to find ourselves being team members: we usually compete against each other in the German IDM championship. And we’re becoming good friends here!”

Ecuador with Bikes part 3

The next morning we woke up well rested and tucked into an enjoyable breakfast at our hostel. Josh oiled the bikes, and then we were off on the third day of our adventure. The route out of Baños was beautiful and took us through green winding roads. Shortly out of the city, we hit a traffic jam which was caused by failing debris that had slid down the rock face.

On our way to Puyo we decided to stop and see a waterfall Lauren had heard about called Pailon del Diablo which means “Cauldron of the Devil”. Since we had all of our things with us Josh elected to stay behind and watch the bikes while Lauren and I went down to check it out. The waterfall was pretty amazing and Lauren got some great shots from above by crawling through a small cave that climbed about 20 ft up from the viewing landing.

While Lauren and I were hiking around viewing waterfalls, Josh was bored back at the bikes and decided this would be a great time to buy me a gift - a small Hello Kittyesque tom tom drum, which I found elaborately strapped to my bag for the rest of the ride. Hilarious.

After exploring for a bit we were back on track, riding through the Amazon Basin jungle. We stopped in Puerto Misahualli to see the local mischievous monkeys - our friend who used to live in Ecuador said that she had her earring stolen out of her ear without even noticing, so we kept our distance. The day had been pretty sunny up until then, but while in Misahualli clouds began to drift in so we decided it was time to leave.

As we neared our final destination for the night, Papallacta, we began to ascend in elevation again, and it began to get cold, drizzly and darkness began to fall. After some close calls winding around slow moving semi trucks on 2 lane roads, one of which we had to pass on the right side next to a ravine, we finally made it to Papallacta, a small village only a few hours drive from Quito that is famous for its thermal hot springs and spas.

Unfortunately the hotel that we had planned on staying at was presumably booked for the night, which was upsetting. As we left in the cold dark we wondered if our drenched, muddy attire had played a factor in none of the rooms being available for us.

Fortunately we found a cute little hostel with a restaurant inside almost immediately and went in and asked about rooms for the night. Through our broken Spanish and the innkeeper’s non-existent English we determined prices and also we came to understand that she wanted us to bring our bikes in for the night and park them in her little restaurant so they wouldn’t be stolen. The rates were fairly reasonable and there was also a hot spring swimming pool in the back. It was a great deal and we agreed to take the rooms.

We had a delicious dinner and some kind of weird corn thing with cheese called Choclo con queso and then climbed into our swimsuits for some thermal spa time. It was wonderful after a long, cold day of riding. After that we went up to our freezing cold rooms and went to sleep in anticipation of our last day of riding.

Ecuador 2013 - Bikes Day 3 from adventuresofjb2 on Vimeo.

tomorrow part4

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Kawasaki W650 ‘Superrench’ – Angry Lane

Written by Marlon Slack.

For the last few years French brothers Ben and G have been running Angry Lane, a Hong Kong-based store specialising in bike parts and all manner of low-key riding apparel. Keen to expand their business they’ve moved into modifying motorcycles, hoping their creations will act as a showcase for the products they have on hand. Now 16 bikes in, they’ve produced this unusual Kawasaki W650 dubbed ‘Superrench’ – a slammed down tracker that ticks off the motorcycle axis of evil – polished aluminium, header wrap and Firestones – and still comes out looking fantastic.

This W650 had originally been imported from Japan by a local motorcycle workshop. ‘The mechanic had tried to modify it himself, and failed’, the brothers say. ‘Then shop owner called us to see if we’d be interested in taking it from there.’ The response from the brothers was an unequivocal ‘Hell yes!’ On inheriting the failed project they also took on the customer, an Uzbekistani ex-patriot who had a simple brief, ‘Just make it low and compact, for the rest you can do whatever you want.’ It was just the kind of vague guidelines the brothers wanted to hear.

Unlike many, Ben and G don’t wax lyrical about their approach to customizing bikes, being firmly of the belief that anyone can turn out special custom. ‘If you are passionate and have some creativity, you can easily turn an average looking motorcycle into something with more style’. They’re probably right, but I think they’re being a little humble. Especially when considering a new distraction at Angry Lane, a new shop dog dubbed ‘Clutch’. The Bug-eyed, gremlin-eared French bulldog had developed a penchant for munching on motorcycle sidestands, so much so that the brothers made up a steel bone for him to chew on instead of the W650.

Dog underfoot, Angry Lane started their work by lowering the bike 2 inches at the front and rear, fitting a short fiberglass fender over the standard front wheel before capping the rear with a modified Moon Eyes cover purchased from the United States. To keep the whole bike close to the deck, a slim AN-BU custom leather seat was mounted behind a polished, slab-sided tank.

Underneath the new seat and tank combination, the gorgeous W650 engine hasn’t had too much work lavished on it, with the undersquare bevel driven beauty offering limited returns on more serious engine work. A fat Megaton 2 into 1 exhaust was fitted, coupled with the appropriate jets and a pair of K&N air filters. But that’s about it in the engine department.

The front end is a different story, with the stock instrument cluster and headlight being ditched in favor of Biltwell grips on MX controls, Grimeca master cylinder and a PIAA ‘extreme white’ driving light. Tucked in behind the headlight cowl and in front of the shaved top triple clamp sits a ubiquitous Motogadget mini speedometer. The ignition unit was detached and mounted into the new bent aluminum sidecovers.

Despite the interferences of Clutch, Angry Lane have made a neat little custom W650 that’ll serve as inspiration for anyone lucky enough to be kicking around on one of the best built and most underrated motorcycles produced in the last 20 years. And they’ll make it a little bit easier to modify, with plans to put up the dimensions of their aluminum work on their website when it relaunches soon, a nice, rare touch in the sometimes secretive world of custom bike building.

[Photos by Jason Bonello from Velocity Image] via PIPEBURN

PAOLO BERGAMASCHI - BMW OFF-ROAD

TON-UP GARAGE KIWI

words by Ross Sharp · Bike by Ton-Up Garage · Posted on 11/08/2015

Another week, another bike rolls off a Portuguese bench and into our inbox, before too long they’ll be an argument for two wheels to feature on the national flag. We’re not complaining though if the calibre of builds is up to the standard of those produced by Ton-up Garage. Kiwi is the latest custom to be signed off by Pedro & Daniel, a carburettored Triumph Bonneville with an exotic twist.

Ton-Up have produced some stunning bikes over the last few years, across a range of donors but as we’ve come to expect, a Triumph needs to feature in a builder’s arsenal at some point. Whether you like them or not, there’s no denying the modern Hinckley’s credentials. Have personally been without a bike this week, despite having more than a couple of options, I borrowed an older Bonnie to deal with London’s network of traffic jams and came to the simple conclusion that, they just work. Plain and simple. But so does a pair of Rohan zip-off-leg hiking trousers, but those cargo pockets aren’t exactly going to be bursting with ladies phone numbers so one needs to keep at least a passing observation on looks, at the very least.

Pedro & Daniel set about this project with that in mind, a slight deviation from the dark and moody desert sled theme that frequents the current scene. We are now starting to see frames coated in colours other than black, here gold sets the hue for the rest of the autumnal palette. The oft truncated seat rails have been neatly looped on this occasion, allowing for the curved seat, fit for two to cruise in comfort. The sumptuous suede and leather saddle was made exclusively by renowned Portuguese shoemaker Nobrand.

Builders across the globe must have breathed a sigh of relief when Biltwell released their Thruster grips, offering the chance for handle bars to finally match not only the colour but also the diamond stitch so popular with customers. Here they’re fitted to wider, classically swept back tracker style bars.

Wafer thin, hand-rolled mudguards tie in the bronze of the engine and rocker covers, again something different from the norm without going over the top. The scheme is crowned with a green, brown, black tank, pinstriped in gold.

The guys have been working on a few plug-and-play components and these 1950s inspired silencers are available to buy in the rather gentlemanly Ton-Up shop in Porto and very soon from the website. Handmade from stainless steel and highly polished, a pair of these make a change from the omnipresent reverse megaphone. I wonder if flipped the other way and mounted high-up they’d work on a Scrambler… chaps, we’ll happily receive the royalties on that one if they sell like hot cakes.

As is the expectation these days, stock wheels will never do, so the Kiwi’s have been rebuilt with stainless spokes on black hoops, with classically treaded Avon Safety Mileage tyres front and back.

Refreshed forks prop-up the front and new, adjustable coilovers ensure a taught rear. From this angle you can make out the differing gloss and matt paint finishes.

Stock clocks are plasticy and horrid so best disposed of and replaced with something smaller and more stylish, here a tiny unit nestles behind the amber glow from the small, Bates style headlight.

Like what you see? Well you have some options. If you’re feeling flush pick up the phone and give Pedro a call as the Kiwi is for sale. Like what you see but want to tweak the style? Give Pedro a call and book a build slot, the last Ton-Up bike was built and shipped to Angola, so they’re experienced in international dispatch. Like the exhaust pipes and don’t live in Porto? Keep your eye on the Ton-Up website as the all new webshop will be live in September.

via The Bike Shed

Back(flips) to the future with the Lexus Hoverboard

When Lexus announced its prototype hovering skateboard earlier this year, some wrote it off as a figment of PR fantasy. But now, the company has released a short film showing the sci-fi curio in action, at the hands (well, feet) of a professional skateboarder…

As you can see from the video, such innovative technology (magnetic levitation aided by liquid nitrogen, if you were wondering) has a steep learning curve, even for a professional. “I’ve spent 20 years skateboarding, but without friction it feels like I’ve had to learn a whole new skill,” explains pro skateboarder Ross McGouran, “particularly in the stance and balance you need to ride the hoverboard.” He was the man chosen to test the new prototype at a purpose-built ‘hoverpark’ near Barcelona. 

Photos / Video: Lexus

Prefer your futuristic machines a little more... time-tested? You can find several DeLorean DMC-12s for sale in the Classic Driver Market.

WRC Rallye Deutschland 2015 :Jamais deux sans trois pour VW ?/ third time lucky for VW?

Le directeur de Volkswagen Motorsport dit « Nein ». Jost Capito a répondu à quelques questions avant le départ de l’ADAC Rallye Deutschland qu’il a coché comme un des objectifs prioritaires de la saison 2015.

« Le team a préparé ce rendez-vous comme les autres, comme elle a pu le faire ces deux dernières années, c’est-à-dire le plus sérieusement possible. Pour moi, nos deux échecs consécutifs ici sont de la malchance, pas un manque de compétitivité ni de travail. Jari-Matti Latvala était leader et n’avait qu’à rallier l’arrivée l’an passé. Que pouvions-nous faire de plus ? »

Jamais deux sans trois pour VW en Allemagne ? « Pas question. Bien sûr, nous avons une pression supplémentaire ce week-end. Quand tu gagnes tous les autres rallyes sauf ton épreuve nationale… Mais la Terre ne va pas s’arrêter de tourner si on ne gagne pas dimanche. »

« Pour Volkswagen, une victoire en Amérique du Sud est tout aussi importante, je dirais même peut-être plus car les fans de rallye sont plus nombreux en Argentine qu’en Allemagne. Notre objectif principal reste les titres mondiaux. Mais par fierté personnelle, j’aimerais vraiment gagner en Allemagne !»

Volkswagen Motorsport pourrait décrocher un 3^e titre Pilotes ce week-end avec Sébastien Ogier qui a besoin de marquer 23 points de plus que son dauphin au championnat. Mais Capito n’y croit guère. « Pour moi, Sébastien Ogier ne sera pas champion ce week-end. L’an passé, il avait encore plus d’avance au championnat et il n’avait pas été titré ici. »

Soit, mais tôt ou tard, Volkswagen devrait garder ses deux couronnes mondiales pour la 3^e fois consécutive et le patron de VW voit l’avenir avec sérénité. « 2017 s’annonce très intéressante avec quatre des cinq plus grands constructeurs mondiaux engagés en WRC, plus GM via Opel qui est de plus en plus impliqué dans la discipline. Les voitures seront plus spectaculaires, plus performante, le niveau général va s’élever. » Volkswagen Motorsport va démarrer les tests de la Polo R WRC 2017 (moteur) dans les jours prochains, en Finlande, avec Marcus Grönholm.

Au passage, Jost Capito nous a confirmé que ses trois pilotes actuels ne seraient pas sur le marché, qu’il avait un œil sur Esapekka Lappi, mais qu’il n’y aurait pas une 4^e VW Polo R WRC engagée : « Nous n’avons pas les capacités. En revanche, le règlement 2017 permettra de nominer le 2^e pilote en fonction des rallyes et de changer le 1^er pilote sur trois rallyes. Il faudra donc trois pilotes compétitifs pour pouvoir choisir ceux qui marqueront des points. Je pense que nos trois pilotes actuels sont heureux chez nous… »

Sur ce, Andreas Mikkelsen est venu saluer son boss. « J’ai répondu à ton email », lui a dit Jost, qui nous a expliqué que le Norvégien voulait une attestation de son employeur pour son assurance auto. « Je leur ai fait parvenir le nombre moyen de crashes par saison et j’ai joint les photos du dernier Rallye de Finlande, j’ai bien fait ? »

Before the start of the 2015 Rallye Deutschland, we spoke with Volkswagen Motorsport director Jost Capito who says that winning his team’s home round is one of the priority boxes he wants to tick in 2015.

“We have prepared for this event just like any other, just like we have done for the last two years, i.e. as carefully as possible,” says Jost Capito. “I put our failures here in 2013 and 2014 down to bad luck, not because of poor work or because we weren’t competitive. Jari-Matti Latvala led last year and only had to cruise to the finish. What more could we have done?”

Third time lucky this week? “Of course! We are obviously under extra pressure, but the world won’t stop turning if we don’t win on Sunday. For Volkswagen, a victory in South America is just as important, perhaps even more important because there are more rally followers in Argentina than in Germany. Our main objectives are still the two world titles, but I would really like to win Rallye Deutschland out of personal pride!”

There is a chance that Volkswagen might pick up a third Drivers’ crown this week if Sébastien Ogier manages to score 23 more points than his team-mate Latvala, but Jost doesn’t think that will happen. “Last year he had an even bigger cushion in Germany but he didn’t succeed.”

Whichever way it goes on Sunday, VW is highly likely to win both championships for the third year running and the boss is upbeat for the future. “The 2017 season will be interesting. Five of the world’s biggest carmakers will be involved in the WRC, while GM – through Opel – has a growing presence. The cars will be more spectacular and faster, too, so the level will be higher.”

For information, Volkswagen Motorsport plans to begin testing the Polo R WRC’s 2017-spec engine very soon, with Marcus Grönholm, in Finland.

Meanwhile, Jost has confirmed that his three current drivers will not be on the market and that he is keeping a close eye on Esapekka Lappi, although he doesn’t intend to run a fourth Polo R WRC… “We haven’t got the resources. However, the 2017 regulations will enable us to nominate a different second driver for individual rallies and to change our number one driver on three rallies. We will therefore need three competitive drivers in order to select the ones who will score points. I think all three of our existing drivers are happy with us.”

On cue, Andreas Mikkelsen comes over to shake hands with his boss. “I’ve answered your e-mail,” Jost tells him. He goes on to explain that the Norwegian needed a letter from his employer for car insurance purposes. “I told them how many times Andreas crashes in an average year and sent photos of his car after Rally Finland. I hope I did the right thing!”

Honda....