Andreas Mikkelsen og Ola Fløene er klare for Rally Kroatia. Der møter de blant annet Mads Østberg og Torstein Eriksen. Les mer i denne pressemeldingen fra Skoda.
Mladá Boleslav, 19 April 2021 – After ice and snow experience at Rallye Monte-Carlo and
Arctic Rally Finland, the ŠKODA teams in the FIA World Rally Championship encounter
asphalt for the first time this year at Rally Croatia (22-25 April 2021). Andreas
Mikkelsen/Ola Fløene (NOR/NOR), deployed by the reigning WRC2 team champion
Toksport WRT and supported by ŠKODA Motorsport, want to extend the WRC2 lead they
built up by winning the category in Monte-Carlo and coming second in Rovaniemi. Their
teammates Marco Bulacia/Marcelo Der Ohannesian (BOL/ARG) return to the competition
after finishing Rallye Monte-Carlo fourth in WRC2. 2019 FIA European Rally Champion
Chris Ingram (ŠKODA FABIA Rally2 evo) makes his debut in WRC3 category.
The all-asphalt Rally Croatia is part of the FIA World Rally Championship for the first time. Andreas
Mikkelsen travels to the country’s capital Zagreb as WRC2 championship leader after a category
victory at the Rallye Monte-Carlo and a second place he achieved in Finland.
«I’m already looking forward to the fast asphalt roads of Croatia, which should suit our
ŠKODA FABIA Rally2 evo and its well-balanced chassis and suspension,» says the Norwegian,
looking forward to the third round of the championship. His 20-years-old team mate Marco Bulacia
from Bolivia comes back behind the wheel after a break since Rallye Monte-Carlo. «After a long
time, I’m driving on asphalt again. I feel well prepared and see it as an advantage, that none of my
competitors has already been able to gain experience on these special stages,» emphasizes
Bulacia.
In WRC3, the category reserved for private crews using Rally2 vehicles as well, the Finnish crew
Emil Lindholm/Mikael Korhonen go head to head with their ŠKODA FABIA Rally2 evo colleagues
Kajetan Kajetanowicz/Maciej Szczepaniak. The Polish crew finished third in the WRC3
championship last year and wants to win the WRC3 title in 2021. New to this category is
Chris Ingram. The 2019 FIA European Rally Champion steps up the career ladder and shares the
cockpit of a ŠKODA FABIA Rally2 evo with fellow Briton Ross Whittock.
Rally Croatia kicks off on Thursday (22 April) with the Shakedown (Free Practice) close to Zagreb.
The teams have to complete a total of 20 special stages covering more than 300 kilometres.