SKODA

New generation of the Skoda Fabia Rally2 is put to the test in the extreme Scandinavian winter

Skoda Motorsport customer teams from around the world and their cars have to face all sorts of weather conditions: heat in Africa, heavy rains in Asia, freezing cold in northern Scandinavia… Due to regulations, cars in the Rally2 category, such as the Skoda Fabia Rally2, need to withstand these conditions with a limit of technical adaptations. “That's why we tested the new generation Skoda Fabia Rally2 on as many surfaces and conditions as possible. In this way, there are no surprises for our customers when the car arrives in competition”, explains Jan Krasula, team leader for the development of the future rally car at Skoda Motorsport. With the test sessions on paved and dirt roads now complete, Krasula and his team moved to the extreme winter of northern Finland.

During the tests, which lasted for five days, temperatures in the Arctic Circle dropped to -14 degrees centigrade. Three experienced drivers took turns at the wheel of the Skoda Fabia Rally2 development unit: Andreas Mikkelsen, current WRC2 champion and European Rally Champion, from Norway; Kris Meeke, with five WRC wins from Northern Ireland, and current Finnish Rally Champion Emil Lindholm(image above). The three got behind the wheel of the new generation of the Skoda Fabia Rally2, for the first time with studded tires, generally used in Scandinavia. “The objective was not just to test the durability and performance of chassis parts and undercarriage components under these harsh winter conditions,” says Krasula. “In addition, we have to ensure that the crew find an acceptable level of comfort inside the cabin when it is very cold outside. For example, the windshield must not fog up and the temperature on board must not drop below a certain level.”

After testing all sorts of solutions, the Skoda Motorsport technicians, as well as the drivers, were satisfied with the progress. “I've already had very good feelings with the car on asphalt and dirt. And after this last test, I can confirm the same on the snow. I feel really, really good in the car. We are definitely on the right track with the development of the new generation of the Skoda Fabia Rally2”, highlighted Andreas Mikkelsen.

Kris Meeke commented, “The audition went as planned. We made a lot of progress and, once again, acquired important knowledge. Skoda Motorsport engineers have been testing different technical setups. I really enjoyed driving the new generation of the Skoda Fabia Rally2.”

Autonews