Posts Tagged ‘skoda fabia’

Interview: Patrik Sandell goes for Portugal win

Monday, March 30th, 2009
Patrik Sandell/Skoda Fabia Super2000 in Cyprus Rally 2009, Photo: Red Bull Rally

Patrik Sandell/Emil Axelsson in Skoda Fabia Super2000 in Cyprus Rally 2009, Photo: Red Bull Rally

Rally of Portugal is getting closer, and Swedish Red Bull Skoda driver Patrik Sandell arrived in Algarve on Sunday evening. He spent the Monday just chilling in the sun to gain energy and focus for the event:

- I always try to get one extra day before the recce and other preparations begin. With my full-speed lifestyle it’s important to get some time off to focus. We’re back in Portugal after quite a disappointment in 2007 when I ended up retiring from all three days. However, I liked the event very much and it fits both me, Emil and the car perfectly, I think so I think it will be just fine.

Looking back on the close fight with Araujo in Cyprus, how different are the circumstances here in Portugal?

- Considering Araujos car, I think it will be harder for him, at least as far as it’s dry. We know that the Super2000 cars have a little bit of a problem when it’s wet, since we lose some traction – while group N cars can rely on low revs and still go very fast. Besides that, Araujo also have the advantage of being in his home roads. At least, the weather forecast is for nice weather…

Besides Araujo, for the first time this season there’s some real opposition with a number of drivers in Super2000 cars. What’s your view on that?

- It’s only fun! Looking at last years IRC result in Portugal, Magalhaes led after three stages, and even though he rolled on the 4th stage he has proven himself to be fast. I’ll look out for him. Of course also Flodin is in place and he is always good on finding the throttle, so it’ll certainly be a tough weekend!

Have there been any technical changes to the car since Cyprus?

- No, not really. We’ve made some small adjustments to the suspension, but since we haven’t had time to do any tests after Cyprus, most of the fine-tuning will have to be done on shakedown. I’ve got some small ideas…

So, do you have any worries for the event?

- Actually no, none at all. The roads are nice, the car is 100%, Emil is in good shape and I’m in an unusually good shape too! We can’t change what the others are doing, we can just go out and drive the car to 100% – and that’s what we’re gonna do. Of course I’m here to win – but at the same time I’m not prepared to take too big risks this time. If I’ve got 8 points easily in my hand and the chance for 10 points with high risks, then I’ll probaby just settle for the second position. However, the goal is to never get into that situation at all, instead we’ll try to get the speed high from the beginning and see how far we get… I think it will be enough for quite much!

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Posted in Swedish Rallying, WRC | No Comments »

Al-Attiyah negotiating with Skoda – may bring Tina Thörner back into the WRC

Monday, February 2nd, 2009

Nasser Al-Attiyah from Qatar, reigning FIA Baja Champion, did a decent run in this years Dakar before missing out on some waypoints because of technical problems, that later on made the organisers exclude him and Swedish co-driver Tina Thörner from the rally. However, besides rally raid Al-Attiyah is also a very experienced competitor in the PWRC – and now he want’s to come back there. Currently he is negotiating with Skoda with the aim to do the full PWRC championship 2009 in a Skoda Fabia Super2000.

Nasser has previously been co-driven by different people – but this time Tina Thörner would be his choice. Tina is a unique profile and her co-driver career started already in 1990. She has gone with different drivers in both rally raid and WRC, including legendary names as Ari Vatanen, Colin McRae, Jutta Kleinschmidt and this years Dakar winner Giniel DeVilliers.

So, let’s hope that Al-Attiyah, Thörner and Skoda get their pieces together. To start in Norway is too late, but for PWRC you can exclude two events of the year – so that’s not a problem. To see them going into the PWRC could make up for a decent fight and comparison with Thörner’s countryman Patrik Sandell – who drives Skoda for the Red Bull Team. Taking into account that also Flodin competes in the PWRC with the Uspenskiy Rally Team, it would mean three Swedes able to fight in the PWRC top.

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Sandell doing Fabia Super2000 test next week

Sunday, February 1st, 2009
Patrik Sandell

Photo: Tomas Hejdenbäck/patriksandell.com

Rally Ireland ends today, and with only two weeks to go before Rally Norway get’s running – many drivers are starting to warm up. One of them is Patrik Sandell, who recently presented his newly signed contract with the Red Bull team doing the full PWRC season in a Skoda Fabia Super2000. Patrik has driven the Fabia S2000 once earlier in  a very small test, but during the next week Patrik will be testing it for real in Sweden, most probably close to his home in Kall, Jämtland. It will be interesting to hear about his feelings in the car, especially considering the impressive performances of the Skodas in Monte and since I expect the class to be really close with a lot of good drivers in Norway.

A few days ago, Patrik launched his new website. He has always been good in PR and marketing, and – no offence – I think this has often saved him in the hard rally business. I know people have doubted his driving skills, but he has always been a very good representative for his sponsors brands. His new site is contains an MMS-blog, a video section and quite a lot of info – so Patrik keeps up his good marketing work. More can absolutely be done, but if all privateer drivers had a look at Patrik’s site – I think many of them would give a little bit more professional impression to their sponsors and potential sponsors. No matter what people think about Patrik’s driving skills and style, it’s quite obvious that he has proved that he has a place in the world top.

Check out Patriks website: www.patriksandell.com

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Posted in Rally promotion and media coverage, Rally testing, WRC | No Comments »

Confirmed: Patrik Sandell drives Skoda Fabia Super2000 for the Red Bull team

Thursday, January 8th, 2009

As previously rumoured in this blog (link), Patrik Sandell will drive a Skoda Fabia Super2000 in the full production car world rally championship 2009 (except two rallies which he is allowed to skip, Argentina and Australia). The previous junior world rally champion has signed a deal with the Red Bull Rallye team to drive a Fabia for them in the championship. The Red Bull team boss, Raimund Baumschlager, is delighted with the deal and considers Patrik Sandell a potential World Rally Champion in the future. Sandell himself seems at least as delighted as Baumschlager – and he should be! Here is why:

  • Red Bull has proven to be one of the most loyal of all motorsport sponsors the last few years. They have spent huge amounts of money in both the WRC and the Formula 1 Championship, and if Sandell can impress here – money wont be a problem. Also, long time Red Bull protegee Andreas Aigner has left the team, and that opens for Sandell to be the star driver for Red Bull not only for one year, but for many…
  • Super2000 will be the main class in the WRC from 2010 and on. The WRC Super2000 class will be modified with turbocharger etc, but experience from Super2000 will still be a big advantage – and the Red Bull deal now means that Patrik Sandell has two years of full championship experience from two different Super2000 cars. According to Sandell himself, no other driver at all have two years of S2000 experience in a row. No matter what, no driver have driven two different Super2000 cars in competition – and Sandell has done it a lot.
  • Sandell drives the PWRC, not the IRC. Most S2000 drivers do the IRC, which is quite logical. However, to get a good start for the WRC 2010 it’s much better to have driven the car in the very same championship. That gives more experience from the rallies used in the championship (some rallies may match in IRC too, for example Monte Carlo, but not as many). Also, the WRC is more attractive to sponsors, and I consider it much more likely for Sandell to meet sponsors willing to spend their money on the WRC in the WRC than in the IRC. It’s not a big secret that the WRC as a true world championship is a lot more prestigeous for a rally driver than the IRC.
  • The Skoda Fabia S2000 is a quite new, and interesting, car. Skoda do have quite a lot of experience from the World Rally Championship with their WRC Fabia’s and Octavias, and the factory seems to have high ambitions on supporting motorsport projects. They haven’t been very successful, but they know what it takes and now, when classes are changing, costs are being reduced and everyone starts at zero they have the chance to impress. It seems like one of the best S2000 cars to be in.
  • Everyone else is going down – Sandell is going up. Just the fact that Sandell manages to challenge despite a lost contract with Peugeot Sweden and the financial crisis striking at it’s best is a proof of Sandell’s talent to open the right doors.

The PWRC 2009 starts off in Norway, which I guess will be a huge party for Sandell and his sponsors. The season then continues with Cyprus Rally, Rallye de Portugal,Rally Argentina (excluded for Sandell), Rally d’Italia-Sardegna, Acropolis Rally, Repco Rally Australia (excluded for Sandell) and last off Wales Rally GB. If Sandell can manage to get some good testing in the car the season could be really good to him allowing him to shine in the PWRC and most important create a very good platform for the WRC 2010.

Read more at Sandell’s own website, www.patriksandell.com, or Red Bull Rallye, www.redbullrally.com.

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Posted in Silly season, Swedish Rallying, WRC | No Comments »

Will Patrik Sandell do the PWRC in Skoda Fabia Super2000?

Saturday, January 3rd, 2009

Swedish driver Patrik Sandell is rumoured to drive the Skoda Fabia Super 2000 in all rounds of the production car world rally championship (PWRC) 2009.

Sandell has already done a year in Peugeot Sweden’s 207 S2000 during 2008, but was left without a drive in december when Peugeot Sweden decided to redraw from all motorsport activities.

It’s just a rumour, but it would really be nice to have these awesome news confirmed. Do you have more info? Leave a comment or contact…

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Posted in Silly season, WRC | No Comments »