Three-time world rally winner Andreas Mikkelsen wants to win this year’s WRC2 title with Toksport – but equally as important for the Norwegian is to be the fastest Rally2 driver in the world.
Mikkelsen recently signed for seven FIA World Rally Championship rounds with the German-based team in a Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo. He starts his programme in the premier support category at the season-opening Rallye Monte-Carlo (21 – 24 January).
“The WRC2 title is the priority,” said Mikkelsen, “but at the same time, I want to show that we can be the fastest Rally2 out there.
“Last year we saw some of the drivers winning WRC2 without being the fastest R5 car out there – that’s not what we want to do. I want to be the quickest, that’s really important to me and to Toksport and, of course, for Škoda.”
Mikkelsen laid down a marker for the new season in last year’s ACI Rally Monza finale. He drove a Fabia to victory in WRC3, netting a superb sixth overall.
Ultimately, Mikkelsen is hoping his step down from the main WRC field to WRC2 competition will be enough to showcase his talent and land him a seat back at the top table in 2022.
“We did this in 2017,” he said. “We came, again with the Škoda (Fabia R5) and we did really well in the early rallies, where we were the fastest R5 car and then we were back with the factory [World Rally Cars]. That’s what I want to do for next season.”
Mikkelsen is scheduled to test with Toksport, which won last season’s WRC2 team’s title, the weekend before the Gap-based season opener and then hopes to tackle as many of the early rounds as possible.
“We count six from seven rallies for WRC2,” he said, “and I want to do a lot early in the year so we can get the points on the board. It’s really exciting to be looking at a championship challenge again. You know, WRC2 is a world title and it’s one very much worth winning.
“I have a really good relationship with Škoda. I will continue to work on the development of the new car and it’s great to be working with Toksport. The plan with them has been very straightforward and uncomplicated and clearly, they are a great team to work with.”
Five years on from their last full campaign together, Mikkelsen will be co-driven by fellow countryman Ola Fløene this season, following Anders Jæger’s decision to move on.
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