Volkswagen round off debut season with 1-2 finish: WRC

Volkswagen Motorsport rounded off a near-perfect debut season in the FIA World Rally Championship with an emphatic one-two on Wales Rally GB. Newly-crowned FIA World Rally Champions* Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia claimed their ninth win of the season while team-mates Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila claimed second. Third overall was taken by the Qatar World Rally Team crew of Thierry Neuville and Nicolas Gilsoul.

In the FIA World Rally Championship, the fight was for second position and Neuville’s podium points were sufficient to secure the Belgian the coveted spot ahead of Latvala. In the Manufacturers’ Championship, Volkswagen had already secured the title in its debut season*, overhauling the Citroën Total Abu Dhabi World Rally Team.

Today’s route was by far the shortest and took in just 51.92 competitive kilometres, concluding on the famous Great Orme stage. The Power Stage ran on the 7.52 kilometre Clocaenog stage and awarded additional Championship points to Neuville, Evgeny Novikov and Mads Østberg for being the fastest three drivers through this single stage. Behind the leading trio, Mads Østberg moved into fourth after Andreas Mikkelsen spun in the first stage, and maintained position ahead of his fellow Norwegian to the finish of the event. Martin Prokop claimed sixth and Dani Sordo did well to claim seventh after incurring a five-minute penalty before the start of the event.

The 2013 FIA World Rally Championship has now drawn to a close with new champions on the trophies. Next season kicks off in its traditional home of Monte Carlo in January 2014.

* Subject to official publication of the results by the FIA

Wales Rally GB – Final Classification (Subject to the result of a complete engine inspection for car No. 8, Ogier/Ingrassia)