ŠKODA with three crews at Rally Argentina Tidemand wants to repeat his last year’s victory
› ŠKODA works crew Pontus Tidemand and Jonas Andersson want to regain the lead in the
WRC 2 championship standings with a second victory at Rally Argentina
› 17 years old Kalle Rovanperä and co-driver Jonne Halttunen with their second WRC 2
outing for the factory team of ŠKODA Motorsport
› ŠKODA dominates the WRC 2 standings of the FIA World Rally Championship with double
lead for factory drivers Jan Kopecký and Pontus Tidemand
› ŠKODA juniors Ole Christian Veiby and Stig Rune Skjaermoen take part in Argentina
without being registered for WRC 2 championship points
› ŠKODA Motorsport boss Michal Hrabánek: “After this season’s victories in Monte Carlo,
Mexico and Corsica, we now want to win Rally Argentina like we did last year.”
Mladá Boleslav, 24 April 2018 – The WRC 2 category of the FIA World Rally Championship
2018 so far is dominated by ŠKODA Motorsport. Jan Kopecký and Pavel Dresler (CZE/CZE)
won the category at Rallye Monte Carlo and Tour de Corse, securing the lead in the WRC 2
championship after four rounds. The WRC 2 Champions Pontus Tidemand/Jonas Andersson
(SWE/SWE) were the winners in Mexico and finished second in Sweden, currently trailing
only their teammates in the overall standings. With a repetition of their last year’s win at the
upcoming Rally Argentina (26 – 29 April 2018), they could move into the championship lead
again. Kalle Rovanperä, the 17 years old ŠKODA junior from Finland, is the youngest driver
in the Rally Argentina entry list and together with co-driver Jonne Halttunen (FIN) proved his
speed on the gravel tracks of the recent Rally Mexico. Norwegians Ole Christian Veiby and
Stig Rune Skjaermoen, another duo of ŠKODA juniors, will contest Rally Argentina without
being registered for WRC 2 championship points.
Rally Argentina, fifth round of the FIA World Rally Championship, will see ŠKODA Motorsport
competing with reigning WRC 2 Champions Pontus Tidemand/Jonas Andersson (SWE/SWE) and
Kalle Rovanperä/Jonne Halttunen (FIN/FIN). One year ago, Pontus Tidemand achieved a dominant
win in Argentina for the Czech brand in the WRC 2 category. On the other hand, ŠKODA
youngsters Kalle Rovanperä and O.C. Veiby are newcomers to Rally Argentina. Veiby finished
fourth at the recent Rally France/Tour de Corse. In Argentina he is not registered to score points for
the WRC 2 championship, however.
ŠKODA Motorsport boss Michal Hrabánek says: “So far, the 2018 Motorsport season is running
very well for ŠKODA. After winning in Monte Carlo, Mexico and Corsica we have a double lead in
the WRC 2 championship standings. And the development program for our young drivers runs
perfect as well. Kalle and O.C. have shown great performances on World Championship level.
Juuso Nordgren made a good impression finishing on the podium with an excellent third place at
the last round of the Czech Championship, Rally Šumava Klatovy. We will see him during the 2018
season on selected events including some of WRC 2.”
A strong pillar of the ŠKODA motorsport program are the activities with customer teams. The
ŠKODA FABIA R5 is currently the most successful car in its category and will do its best to keep its
position after getting a recent engine upgrade. “We’re proud, that with no fewer than seven ŠKODA
FABIA R5 in Argentina, we’re the strongest brand in WRC 2 and RC 2 category there. It absolutely
proves that our strategy is working. With the presence of our works team we demonstrate the
attractiveness and competitiveness of our rally car,” says ŠKODA Motorsport boss Michal
Hrabánek.
In Argentina, around 360 kilometres over 18 special stages – ranging from the Argentine prairie to
altitudes of more than 2,000 metres, sandy tracks across flatlands and rutted mule trails high in the
mountains – are waiting for the crews. Demanding tracks in the foothills of the Andes near Cordoba
are quite similar to those of Rally Mexico. The two ŠKODA FABIA R5, the one that carried Pontus
Tidemand to victory in Mexico and Kalle Rovanperä’s car, were transported directly from Mexico to
Cordoba. To a certain extent, they are already “acclimatised” to the Argentine environment.
The Rally Argentina starts on the evening of Thursday, 26 April, with a spectacular show stage
close to the service park in Villa Carlos Paz. The winner is expected on the podium at the shores of
Lake San Roque around 15h00 on Sunday, 29 April.
Did you know that…
... the first Rally Argentina as a round of the World Championship took place in 1980 and was won
by Walter Röhrl?
... Argentine Juan Manuel Fangio is a legendary Formula 1 driver with five World Champion titles?
... Carlos Reutemann from Argentina not only finished second in the Formula 1 championship of
1981, but also conquered a third place at Rally Argentina in 1980 and 1985?
... Jorge Recalde with his overall victory on home soil in 1988 is the only Argentine so far to win a
round of the World Rally Championship?
... crews commonly describe the iconic “El Condor” stage with its unique landscape of black rocks
and small rutted sandy tracks on more than 2,100 metres altitude like “driving on the moon”?
The 2018 calendar of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC 2)
Event Date
Monte-Carlo 24/01/–28/01/2018
Sweden 15/02/–18/02/2018
Mexico 08/03/–11/03/2018
France/Tour de Corse 05/04/–08/04/2018
Argentina 26/04/–29/04/2018
Portugal 17/05/–20/05/2018
Italy 07/06/–10/06/2018
Finland 26/07/–29/07/2018
Germany 16/08/–19/08/2018
Turkey 13/09/–16/09/2018
Great Britain 04/10/–07/10/2018
Spain 25/10/–28/10/2018
Australia 15/11/–18/11/2018
