A ?kodA year in review - Skoda Auto

At home on rallycourses around theworld – and oftenvictorious: Success isvirtually guaranteedwith the ŠKODAFabia Super 2000.ŠKODA Teams delivera convincing performanceat the rallys inYpres and along theBosporus as well asin San Remo and theRally of Poland(from left to right).Friday, 12 October 2012: Everything is set for the start of the SanRemo Rally, the last-but-one race of this year’s Intercontinental RallyChallenge (IRC). This potentially decisive race could determinewhether ŠKODA Motorsport’s winning team takes home the prestigiousIRC manufacturers’ title for the third consecutive year.San Remo is known as ‘la Città dei Fiori’, the city of flowers, but, onthis particular day, no-one has eyes for the beautiful floral displaysalong the Ligurian Riviera di Ponente – and certainly not ŠKODA FabiaSuper 2000 factory drivers Jan Kopecký and Juho Hänninen, or, forthat matter, Michal Hrabánek, Head of ŠKODA Motorsport.Four special stages over 85 kilometres, including a 44-kilometrestage by night, are on the programme for the first day of the two-dayrace. Absolute concentration is needed, and the tension is writtenacross the drivers’ faces. Changing weather conditions and fog beforethe race are making the support team nervous: On a day like today,the right choice of tyres is often the difference between victoryand defeat.The race proves challenging throughout the two days of the competition,and many teams fail to cross the finishing line. But it is JanKopecký who ultimately comes in second – enough to secure overallvictory for ŠKODA: The 2012 IRC manufacturers’ title once again goesto ŠKODA Motorsport.Michal Hrabánek stands off to one side. His face shows relief anddelight at the same time: “This hat-trick is a truly historic achievement.We are now the most successful brand in the history of the IRC.That is the best possible reward for the amazing work of all our teammembers,” enthuses Hrabánek, clearly moved.The scene changes: 4 November, Cyprus. The 2012 IRC rally seasonis drawing to a close and headed towards its culmination. In a repeatof last year, the final race of the season will decide the winner of theIRC drivers’ championship.Last year, Andreas Mikkelsen and co-driver Ola Fløene overtook theleading ŠKODA pair of Juho Hänninen and Mikko Markkula in a dramaticseason finish. This time, the two Norwegians, Mikkelsen andFløene, start the race as favourites, with a clear lead in the drivers’competition. Can the 23-year-old Mikkelsen handle this unfamiliarrole and summon up his usual concentration? Cyprus is consideredone of the most challenging courses in the IRC racing cycle, withnarrow, mostly winding roads and unpredictable, rapidly-changingweather conditions.But today, history is in the making: With a resounding second placein Cyprus, Andreas Mikkelsen and Ola Fløene secure overall victory inthe IRC drivers’ championship and become the first team to accomplishthe same feat two years in a row.At the end of the 2012 season, with a total of 27 wins since 2009, theCzech automobile manufacturer is the undisputed IRC record holder.ŠKODA Motorsport’s exceptional successes in recent years are no coincidence.They are the product of sustained hard work. Only thosewho have followed the ŠKODA support team for some time know justhow hard they have worked. It is not just the cars and drivers whohave to deliver top performance – there is no room for compromisebehind the scenes, either. The demands on team members are enormous:Quick thinking and mental strength, even under extreme conditions,are crucial for every member of the ŠKODA Motorsport team– mechanics, drivers and logistics managers alike. Everyone is pushedto their limits – and sometimes beyond – on a day-to-day basis.They seem to need that, too. At ŠKODA Motorsport, the extremesoon becomes the norm: The IRC may be the most prestigious competitionon the international rally circuit – but it is not the only oneŠKODA Motorsport competes in.In 2012, ŠKODA also takes part in – and wins – the European RallyChampionship (ERC) and the Asia-Pacific Championship (APRC).The ŠKODA team’s performance in the APRC creates something ofa sensation. With the team of Australian Chris Atkinson and BelgianStephane Prevot winning the drivers’ competition and thanks to itsoutstanding performance over the entire series, ŠKODA became thewinner in the prestigious APRC manufacturers’ category.The ŠKODA factory team of Juho Hänninen and Mikko Markkula looksjust as comfortable in the ERC, and are already the clear winners withtwo races to go. ŠKODA Motorsport takes this opportunity to introducea talented new member of its racing team, young Finnish driverEsapekka Lappi, at the Rally of Poland: Only 21 years old, Lappi has50 2012 – A Škoda year in review