The Volkswagen factory team's most successful crew to date, Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia , clinched the 2013 FIA WRC (World Rally Championship) ahead of time at their home rally in France. In their first season behind the wheel of the Polo R WRC , this pair won six of the ten competitions so far this year and, thanks to the result of the opening special stage of the Power Stage Rallye France in front of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, they can no longer be overtaken in the remaining three events, including the French Rally at the top of the standings. Ogier and Ingrassia thus became the new world champions .
The eleventh round of the World Rally Championship (WRC) got off to an exceptional start around Strasbourg with a special Power Stage special stage, in which the French crew secured the world title with two races remaining in the season (not including the ongoing Rallye France). Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia placed third in the 4.55 kilometer special stage. The only contenders with a shot at the title so far, Thierry Neuville/Nicolas Gilsoul (B/B, Ford), finished second and thus missed out on the necessary three bonus points awarded for winning this special stage. The Ogier/Ingrassia crew thus secured the world title and broke the record streak of nine consecutive overall WRC titles held by the Sébastien Loeb/Daniel Elena (F/MC, Citroën) crew. Rally France is Loeb and Elena's last WRC event and the pair finished seventh in the Power Stage. Crewmates Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia, Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila (FIN/FIN) and Andreas Mikkelsen/Paul Nagle (N/IRL) also entered the Rally France well. They are in sixth and fifth place after the Power Stage.
Dr. Heinz-Jakob Neußer , Volkswagen board member responsible for technical development, and his predecessor Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg , the father of the project of the entry of the Volkswagen brand into the WRC and, since July, the member of the Audi board responsible for technical development, did not miss the moment in Strasbourg in which the crew of the Volkswagen team won the title of world champion. "This is an incredibly emotional moment for me," said Dr. Neusser. “I am delighted to have witnessed today Sébastien Ogier's first title for Volkswagen in our very first year of participation in the World Rally Championship. I would like to thank the excellent team for their great work throughout the year."
Sébastien Ogier, Polo R WRC #8:
"I am very happy! I would hug anyone in the world! It is impossible to describe this feeling. Winning the title of world champion in France is a dream come true . I've been trying not to think too much about it these past few days so I don't make any mistakes. The relief now is huge. As a little boy I admired the cars and the fastest drivers at Rallye Monte Carlo with my dad in my home town of Gap – and now Julien and I are world rally champions. It is unbelievable. However, I am also fully aware that rallying is a team sport. This success would never have been possible without our fantastic Volkswagen team. I have to thank everyone , be it truck drivers, mechanics or racing engineers. One thing is certain – now we will celebrate everything properly!'
Julien Ingrassia, Polo R WRC #8:
“It's possibly the best day of my life – and most certainly of my career! If someone had told me at the beginning of the year that we would become world champions so far before the end of the season, I would have told them immediately that they were crazy. We were so close three weeks ago in Australia, but now winning the title is a reality."
Jost Capito, Director of Volkswagen Motorsport:
“Sébastien and Julien have almost two years of hard work at the Volkswagen team to achieve this success. They took a step back last year and subsequently performed fantastically in this year's competitions. They absolutely deserve to be the new world champions . At the same time, it is also the biggest sporting achievement in the history of the Volkswagen Motorspor t department. Our team succeeded at the first attempt and developed the winning Polo R WRC competition car, with which it defeated competitors with much more experience."
Source: Volkswagen
