ŠKODA Motorsport To Enter The 2012 Season At The Jänner Rally

›  Both ŠKODA Motorsport's factory crews, Hänninen/Markkula and Kopecký/Dresler, to appear in the season's opening event 

›  The Jänner Rally is part of the European, Czech and Austrian championships

›  ŠKODA's ambition is to fight for top ranks also in the new season

Mladá Boleslav, 4 January, 2012 – Ready to field both of its factory crews, the ŠKODA Motorsport team is entering the 2012 season at the Jänner Rally to take place in Austria over the first weekend of January. After the most successful season in its history, ŠKODA Motorsport wants to fight for the top ranks also in this season, and will focus on three series in total. While the priority is to repeat Škoda's last year's victory in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC), the team is also going to appear in selected events of the European and Czech championships.

Taking place in the surroundings of the Austrian town of Freistadt, the opening event of the new season is part of the European Championship for the first time in history. Furthermore, besides being part of the Austrian Championship as usual, the Jänner Rally is part of the Czech Championship again, after a three-year break. Despite the absence of the reigning Czech and European Champions, Roman Kresta and Luca Rossetti, respectively, the event will be quite special for ŠKODA and Czech drivers.

Reigning SWRC World Champion Juho Hänninen sounds very determined: “We are glad that it's all about to start again. Jänner will be a completely new experience, both the event itself and the whole European Championship. At the same time, it's a new challenge and we are not afraid of it. And it certainly would be even more interesting for all of us if there was some snow on the roads.”

IRC Vice-Champion Jan Kopecký is starting the new season with a new co-driver: “The first event of the season is always rather special. I and Pavel are looking forward to it - we have our first whole year together ahead of us. I have appeared three times in Jänner, and I realise that a lot will depend on the track conditions”.

Typically, the Jänner Rally offers variable track conditions, including snow. The programme includes 18 special stages (240 competition kilometres) and over 600 kilometres of transfers between the respective stages. The start list includes nine times Austrian Champion Raimund Baumschlager in a private Fabia Super 2000.