Fastest time in his old “playground” – Volkswagen driver Sébastien Ogier and his co-driver Julien Ingrassia clocked the best time in the Shakedown ahead of the “Monte”, which took place on the outskirts of his birthplace of Gap. The opening round of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) is the legendary Rally Monte Carlo (14 – 19 January 2014), which starts in Gap and ends in Monaco, and team-mates Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila and Andreas Mikkelsen/Mikko Markkula in the third Polo R WRC also took the opportunity to familiarise themselves with conditions on the 3.52-kilometre section. Although this year’s Rally Monte Carlo begins in his home town of Gap, the special stages are as new to Sébastien Ogier as they are to his rivals, as the stages are making their first appearance on the “Monte” route.
Slip slidin’ away – WRC drivers and co-drivers go head to head in ice karts
Driver and co-driver form an inseparable unit working in tandem to achieve success in the World Rally Championship. At the Rally Monte Carlo, this relationship was put to the test in a completely different manner on Wednesday evening. The WRC duos went up against the clock in individual time trials in an ice kart. The times of the driver and co-driver were then added together to determine the final result. The ice kart race was held in the Alp’Arena in Gap. Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia finished third.
“From Nought to World Champion” – the book of the WRC year
World Rally Champions at the first attempt: Volkswagen, Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia go into the 2014 season as title holders in the Manufacturer, Driver and Co-driver competitions. More than enough reason to recognise the incredible motorsport fairy tale that played out last year – in a book. “From Nought to World Champion” tells the story of Volkswagen’s first season in the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) in 192 pages – from the first sketches right through to winning the title. Author Christian Schön, top photographers form the Kräling and McKlein photo agencies, Daniel Roeseler and Richárd Bálint offer exclusive insights into what goes on behind the scenes. “From Nought to World Champion” is available in book shops from 16th January – just in time for the Rally Monte Carlo.
