This article needs to beupdated.(October 2018) |
ŠKODA Motorsportis the sports factory team of the car manufacturerŠkoda Auto,currently focusing on the development and construction of racing cars. The latest model from Škoda Motorsport's workshops is theŠkoda Fabia RS Rally2,which was introduced on June 14, 2022, and is set to follow in the footsteps of its successful predecessor, the ŠKODA FABIA Rally2 evo, unveiled in 2019. During the factory team's existence, they have managed to secure five championship titles in theFIAWorld Rally Championshipcategory WRC 2 in the manufacturers' standings.
Full name | Škoda Motorsport |
---|---|
Base | Plazy,Czech Republic |
Team principal(s) | Michal Hrabánek |
Chassis |
More than one hundred and fifty private teams from around the world also achieve success with the Škoda racing cars. Customer teams annually claim titles not only in national and continental championships but also secure leading positions in theFIAWorld Rally Championship.
In 2021, Škoda Motorsport celebrated its 120th anniversary since its first involvement in motorsport, confirming its integral part in Škoda Auto's DNA. In the 2022 season, the Škoda Motorsport team continued its successful collaboration with the customer team Toksport WRT, providing them support in theFIAWorld Rally Championship(WRC2 category).[1]
History
edit1901–1902
editAt the start of the Paris - Berlin race, there were 110 participants in 4 categories. One of these categories was formotorcyclesand motortricycles,which saw a total of 10 riders, including Narcis Podsedníček, a mechanic and workshop master at the former factory inMladá Boleslav.After several days, Podsedníček arrived inBerlinon hismotorcyclefromParis.According to some sources, he was the only motorcyclist to complete the race, but only after the official end of the competition. This remarkable achievement by Podsedníček influenced the future racing activities of the brand.[citation needed]
The successes continued in 1902 when Klement won the first prize and Podsedníček took second place on a 4.2 km track in the race on Exelberg hill in the Austro-Hungarian territory. However, these victories did not hold much value as they were the only two riders who participated in this particular race category.[2]
1905-1935
editIn 1905, a new era began as theMladá Boleslavcar manufacturer definitively ended its official participation inmotorcycleraces and shifted its focus to carracing.Their first car was the two-seaterVoituretta Awith a two-cylinder liquid-cooled V engine, priced at 3600 crowns. In 1907, Ing. Otto Hieronimus, an outstanding designer and European-level racer, joined the company. His engagement raised the competitive spirit in the factory, and in 1908, the brand celebrated its first success in theZbraslav Jílovištěhill climb race, with the brand appearing on the results list in various categories, securing six first, five second, and one third place.
Another triumph for L&K (Laurin & Klement,the previous name ofŠKODA) came in theSemmeringhill climb race in 1908, which was won by the aforementioned Otto Hieronimus. In 1912, the Alpine Ride competition was announced, stating that the automaker whose car would win three consecutive annual races without incurring penalty points would be awarded a perpetual trophy. TheMladá Boleslavcar manufacturer participated in five races and won all of them, with Kolowrat behind the wheel in three of those victories.
Due to financial difficulties faced by the car manufacturer after the end ofWorld War I,the year 1925 marked the merger ofL&Kwith thePlzeň-based Škoda Works. This merger marked the beginning of modernizing production technologies. In 1935, the company participated in the 1000 Miles ofCzechoslovakiarace with the racing carŠKODA Rapid Six,and the crew Komár - Houšť was awarded the prize for third place in their class.
1936–1968
editThe aforementioned success of the duo Komár - Houšť resulted in the motivation to create theŠkoda Popular Sportroadster with a rear axle and a more powerful engine from the largerRapidmodel for theMonte Carlo Rallyin 1936. The crew Zdeněk Pohl - Jaroslav Hausman achieved 2nd place in the under 1500 cc class and 20th place overall. This achievement ignited enthusiasm for rallying among spectators and fans. The company quickly responded by presenting the sporty model Škoda Popular Sport Monte Carlo.
AfterWorld War II,the car manufacturer continued its sports activities and in 1946, they constructed theŠkoda 1101,later referred to as the 'Tudor,' an open two-seater sports car that won the 1000 miles ofMontevideorace in 1948. The crew Bobek - Netušil participated in the24 Hours of Le Mans racein 1950 with the Škoda 1101 Sport.
In 1959, theŠkoda Octaviamodel was introduced, and a year later, its sports version Octavia Touring Sport was released. In 1961, the crew Keinänen - Eklund took part in the prestigiousRallye Monte Carlowith this model and finished sixth overall, winning their class.
The new era in the history ofŠkodabegan in the early 1960s when theŠkoda 1000 MBwas launched in 1964, featuring rear-wheel drive and a rear-engine layout. Additionally, a single-seater car (monopost) for circuits was developed based on theŠkoda 1000 MB,and in 1968, Miroslav Fousek won the Eastern European Formula 3 Championship with it.[3]
1970-1981
editIn 1970, the special racing car, Škoda 1500 OHC B5, designed for circuit and hill climb races in the B5 category,[4]was introduced. In 1974,Škodafirst used the abbreviation 'RS.' The Škoda 200 RS racing car is considered the original RS model of theŠkodabrand. Its development was driven by the desire to compete in the top category of rallying.
In 1975, theŠKODA 130 RSwas unveiled, based on the sports coupeŠkoda 110 R.TheŠkoda 130 RSearned the nickname 'Porscheof the East' and was the most successful car of its time and in its class.[5]
In 1977, the crews Blahna - Hlávka and Zapadlo - Motal participated in theRallye Monte Carlo.The Blahna - Hlávka crew finished first in the under 1300cc class, and the Zapadlo - Motal crew, with the same car, came in second. Out of a total of 198 crews at the start, only 45 reached the finish, among them were twoŠkoda 130 RScars.
The successes continued in 1981 when the drivers Zdeněk Vojtěch - Břetislav Enge - Šenkýř - Bervid, typically using twoŠkoda 130 RScars, won six out of eight races and secured theEuropean Touring Car Championship(ETCC) title for theŠkodabrand.
1991-2008
editThe year 1991 marks one of the greatest milestones in the history ofŠkodaMotorsport as it marked the beginning of a new partnership withVolkswagen.[4]In 1994,ŠkodaMotorsport decided to enter its crews into the completeFIAWorld Cup series with theŠkoda Favoritcar, and they achieved theWorld Cupvictory for theŠkodabrand. The following year, theŠkoda Favoritwas replaced by the new model range,Škoda Felicia.
Due to the introduction of a new category, WRC (World Rally Championship), on January 1, 1999, theŠkoda Octavia WRCwas homologated. The Octavia became a suitable platform forŠkodaMotorsport to compete at the top level on the world's racing tracks. The most significant successes were achieved by the crews Thiry - Prévot, Schwarz - Heimer, and Gardemeister - Lukander.
After two years of development, theŠkoda Fabia WRCwas presented at theGeneva Motor Showin 2003, and it received homologation on July 1 of the same year.
From the year 2009
editFrom 2009 onwards, theŠkoda Fabia S2000took over as the successor to theŠkoda Fabia WRC,and it dominated the world of rallying in its category. No other car had been as successful in this category before. TheŠkoda Fabia S2000achieved 50 national and international titles worldwide, marking the most successful chapter in the history of Škoda Motorsport until it was surpassed by its successor, theŠkoda Fabia Rally2based on the 3rd generation of theFabiaproduction model. The Škoda Fabia Rally2 proved to be a highly successful continuation of its predecessor, and its crews managed to secure several valuable titles, including the manufacturer title in 2015, the year when this model was homologated. However, the most successful year was 2016 when the Thiry - Prévot crew won the WRC 2 category in theFIAWorld Rally Championship,securing both the team and driver titles. In 2017, the Tidemand - Andersson crew continued the success by winning the WRC 2 category in theFIAWorld Rally Championship,and Škoda Motorsport earned another manufacturer title in the WRC 2 category.
The Škoda Fabia Rally2 achieved victories in numerous international and national championships. A notable success was the back-to-back victory in theCzech Republicby the crewKopecký- Dresler, who won all events in theCzech Rally Championship(MČR) and became theCzechchampions in 2017. In 2018, the Czech crewKopecký- Dresler followed the success of their teammates from previous years and won the world champion title in the WRC 2 category, while Škoda Motorsport secured another manufacturer title in the WRC 2 category. Additionally, they were crowned champions in theCzech Republicin 2018.
In 2019, the Škoda Fabia Rally2 was replaced by a new version - the Škoda Fabia Rally2 evo. This model was homologated on April 1, 2019, and it debuted at one of the events in theCzech Rally ChampionshipinČeský Krumlov,where the crewKopecký- Dresler secured the first place. The final round of the MČR was theBarum Czech Rally Zlín,where the same crew won, securing the title of Czech Rally Champions 2019. Škoda Motorsport also had exceptional success in theFIAWorld Rally Championship,where they won the team title in the WRC 2 Pro category, and the Finnish crewRovanperä-Halttunenbecame the world champions in the WRC 2 Pro category for drivers and co-drivers.Kalle Rovanperäbecame the youngest world champion in history.
In 2020, the pandemic situation caused byCOVID-19significantly affected the motorsport industry, and Škoda Motorsport primarily focused on supporting its customers and developing customer sports services. Despite the challenges, Škoda Motorsport participated in theCzech Rally Championship,where the factory crewJan Kopeckýand Jan Hloušek finished in second place overall. Additionally, Škoda Motorsport began a unique collaboration with the young and talented driverOliver Solberg,providing support for selected events in theFIAWorld Rally Championship.In 2021, Škoda Motorsport focused exclusively on supporting customer teams in competitions. The team partnered with the customer teamToksport WRT,which used Škoda Fabia Rally2 evo cars in theWorld Rally Championshipand theEuropean Championship.The collaboration resulted in several victories and titles, including the WRC 2 Pro team title and the WRC 2 Pro driver title for the Finnish crewRovanperä-Halttunen,makingKalle Rovanperäthe youngest world champion. The team also achieved over 20 titles in various international and national championships. In 2021, Škoda Motorsport celebrated its 120th anniversary of involvement in motorsport, with various events and activities held throughout the year. In 2022, Škoda Motorsport focused primarily on its customer program and provided engineering and technical support to theToksport WRTteam, which achieved success in the WRC2 category. Additionally, Škoda Motorsport worked on the development of a purely electric rally car, the ŠKODA RE-X1, in collaboration with Škoda Austria, Kreisel Electric, and the Baumschlager Rally & Racing team. The team also started testing the new Rally2 spec car based on the fourth generation of theŠkoda Fabiaproduction model.
Customer support
editWithin the customer program, there is a sale of racing cars and the provision of customer services. The program was launched in 2009 with theŠkoda Fabia S2000project and continues with the Škoda Fabia Rally2 car. Since 2015, Škoda Motorsport has sold more than 470 Škoda Fabia Rally2 and Škoda Fabia Rally2 evo cars to customer teams worldwide.[6]As of 2020, Škoda Motorsport no longer has its own factory team and primarily supports its numerous customer teams in international rallies. After purchasing a rally car, Škoda Motorsport can offer its customer teams a wide range of services, from supplying spare parts to technical support, upon request. At the forefront of the customer teams is the factory-supportedGermanteam,Toksport WRT.[7][8]
Fabia S2000
editTheŠkoda Fabia S2000is a racing car belonging to theSuper 2000 class,which successfully underwent homologation at the beginning of 2009. Škoda Motorsport produced this car between 2009 and 2015. With this project, Škoda Motorsport entered the market, selling new and used cars to private teams. During the project's existence, 63 specials were sold, making this model one of the most successful in the S2000 class. Among the notable customer successes are the victory inSwedenin the World Championship forSuper 2000cars, achieved by Pre-Gunnar Andresson, and the achievements ofPatrik Sandell,who won two asphalt rallies in theSWRCinGermanyandFrance.
Fabia Rally2
editThe successes of theŠkoda Fabia S2000project were followed by the homologation of the Škoda Fabia Rally2 in 2015, which garnered great interest among customers. This car belongs to theRally2 category,formerly known as R5. Vehicles in this category are more accessible and overall cheaper to operate compared to the S2000 group.[9]In April 2019, the Škoda Fabia Rally2 evo was homologated, and the first car was officially handed over to the 1st customer in July 2019. The first customer wasToni Gardemeister,a former factory driver for Škoda Motorsport. This initial customer car was already used in theFinnish rallyat the beginning of August 2019. Many customers around the world appreciate the technical prowess and quality of the car, as they compete with the newly homologated vehicle. The most successful year for Škoda Motorsport and its customers was 2019 when 19 customers won national titles, and 4 customers claimed continental championship titles. Undoubtedly, the biggest customer success of 2019 was the victory ofPerre-Louis Loubetin theWorld Championship,where he won the WRC2 category designated for private teams. In early 2020, the car was renamed from the original versionŠkoda Fabia R5 evoto Škoda Fabia Rally2 evo. The reason for this change was the rebranding of the R5 group to Rally2, introduced by theFIAat the beginning of 2020. In 2020, a unique collaboration was established with the young talented driverOliver Solberg,who received support in selected events within theWorld Rally Championship.The year 2020 was heavily impacted by theCOVID-19pandemic, affecting various sports including rally. Many national championships were either canceled or significantly shortened. Despite these complications, customers still achieved a total of 14 regional and national titles. One of the most significant achievements was the victory of theToksport WRTteam in theWorld Championshipin the WRC2 category in the team standings.[10]
Fabia RS Rally2
editThe latest model from Škoda Motorsport is theŠkoda Fabia RS Rally2,which was unveiled during its world premiere on June 14, 2022, inMladá Boleslavat the Škoda Motorsport team's headquarters. The newŠkoda Fabia RS Rally2is a completely newly developedRally2 categoryracing car, boasting the best aerodynamics in its class and a high body stiffness derived from the production model. In addition to improved powertrain, electronics, safety, and vehicle controls, the experts from Škoda Motorsport also developed a new 1.6-liter turbocharged engine based on theEA888family of gasoline TSI engines seen in the RS models. The engine delivers approximately 214 kW of power, a maximum torque of 430 Nm, and transmits the power to all four wheels through a sequential five-speed gearbox and two mechanical differentials. The new car's livery, Mamba Green, also connects it to the RS models, following the tradition seen in the Octavia RS,Enyaq Coupé RS iV,and others. During the preparation of the newŠkoda Fabia RS Rally2for its first competitive drives, the Škoda Motorsport team completed an extensive testing program on asphalt, gravel, and snow, lasting almost a year and covering over 10,000 km of testing. From the summer of 2021, testing drives took place in theCzech Republic,France,Italy,Croatia,Germany,Belgium,Spain,and extreme winter conditions in northernFinland.The first competitive debut of the new generation rally car took place at the German Lausitz Rallye on November 5, 2022, with the customer teamToksportentering the car in the race, andAndreas Mikkelsentaking the wheel.
Team principals
edit- Jiří Kotek (1981–1989)
- Pavel Janeba (1990–2003)
- Martin Mühlmeier (2004–2007)
- Armin Schwarz/Raimund Baumschlager (2006 – Red Bull Škoda)
- Michal Hrabánek (2007–now)[1]
Major championship victories
editIntercontinental Rally Challenge
editWRC results
editFrom 1999 to 2005 the team competed in the highest category of the World Championship. In 2015–2018, the team won the second highest category of the WRC-2 with the ŠKODA FABIA Rally2.
ERC results
editŠKODA Motorsport drivers won the 2012-2014 European Rally Championship with the ŠKODA FABIA S2000.
Year | Team | Car | Driver(s) | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Place | Points |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2012 | Škoda Motorsport | Škoda Fabia S2000 | Juho Hänninen | JÄN
2 |
MIL
4 |
CRO
1 |
BUL | YPR
1 |
BOS
1 |
MAD
7 |
CZE
1 |
AST | POL | VAL | 1. | 203 | |
Jan Kopecký | JÄN
1 |
MIL | CRO | BUL | YPR | BOS | MAD | CZE
Ret |
AST | POL | VAL | - | - | ||||
Esapekka Lappi | JÄN | MIL | CRO | BUL | YPR | BOS | MAD | CZE | AST | POL
1 |
VAL | - | - | ||||
2013 | Škoda Motorsport | Škoda Fabia S2000 | Jan Kopecký | JÄN
1 |
LIE | CAN
1 |
AZO
1 |
COR
2 |
YPR | ROM
1 |
CZE
1 |
POL
3 |
CRO
1 |
SAN | VAL | 1. | 287 |
Freddy Loix | JÄN | LIE | CAN | AZO | COR | YPR
1 |
ROM | CZE | POL | CRO | SAN | VAL | 11. | 37 | |||
Esapekka Lappi | JÄN | LIE | CAN | AZO | COR | YPR | ROM | CZE
Ret |
POL | CRO | SAN
2 |
VAL
1 |
5. | 64 | |||
Sepp Wiegand | JÄN | LIE | CAN | AZO | COR | YPR | ROM | CZE
4 |
POL | CRO | SAN | VAL | 27. | 18 | |||
2014 | Škoda Motorsport | Škoda Fabia S2000 | Esapekka Lappi | JÄN | LIE
1 |
GRE
4 |
IRE
1 |
AZO | YPR
Ret |
EST
5 |
CZE
Ret |
CYP | VAL
1 |
COR
Ret |
1. | 162 | |
Škoda Auto Deutschland | Sepp Wiegand | JÄN | LIE
5 |
GRE
Ret |
IRE
2 |
AZO | YPR
3 |
EST
7 |
CZE
2 |
CYP | VAL
3 |
COR
DNS |
2. | 128 | |||
2015 | Škoda Motorsport | Škoda Fabia R5 | Jan Kopecký | JÄN | LIE | IRE | AZO | YPR | EST | CZE
1 |
CYP | GRE | VAL | 8. | 36 | ||
2016 | Škoda Motorsport | Škoda Fabia R5 | Jan Kopecký | CAN | IRE | GRE | AZO | YPR | EST | POL | ZLI
1 |
LIE | CYP | 6. | 39 | ||
2017 | Škoda Motorsport | Škoda Fabia R5 | Jan Kopecký | AZO | CAN | ACR | CYP | POL | CZE
1 |
RMC | LIE | 9. | 39 | ||||
2018 | Škoda Motorsport | Škoda Fabia R5 | Juuso Nordgren | AZO | CAN | ACR
18 |
CYP
Ret |
RMC
7 |
CZE | POL | LIE | 24. | 13 | ||||
Jan Kopecký | AZO | CAN | ACR | CYP | RMC | CZE
1 |
POL | LIE | 10. | 38 | |||||||
2019 | Škoda Motorsport | Škoda Fabia R5 Evo | Jan Kopecký | AZO | CAN | LIE | POL | RMC | CZE
1 |
CYP | HUN | 7. | 39 |
APRC results
editYear | Team | Driver(s) | Car | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | APRC | Points | Place | Points |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2012 | MRF Tyres | Chris Atkinson | Škoda Fabia S2000 | NZL
1 |
NCL
2 |
AUS
1 |
MYS
2 |
JPN | CHN
2 |
1st | 154 | 1st* | 179* |
Gaurav Gill | NZL
3 |
NCL
1 |
AUS
Ret |
MYS
Ret |
JPN
Ret |
CHN
Ret |
4th | 82 | |||||
2013 | Team MRF | Gaurav Gill | Škoda Fabia S2000 | NZL
2 |
NCL
1 |
AUS
Ret |
MYS | JPN
1 |
CHN
2 |
1st | 145.5 | 1st* | 197.5* |
Esapekka Lappi | NZL
1 |
NCL
Ret |
AUS
1 |
MYS
Ret |
JPN
Ret |
CHN
1 |
2nd | 117 | |||||
2014 | Team MRF | Gaurav Gill | Škoda Fabia S2000 | NZL
1 |
NCL
2 |
AUS
Ret |
MYS
1 |
JPN
Ret |
CHN
Ret |
3rd | 104 | 1st | 192 |
Jan Kopecký | NZL
2 |
NCL
1 |
AUS
1 |
MYS
Ret |
JPN
1 |
CHN
1 |
1st | 190 | |||||
2015 | Team MRF | Gaurav Gill | Škoda Fabia S2000 | NZL
2 |
NCL
1 |
AUS
Ret |
MYS
2 |
JPN
Ret |
CHN
Ret |
3rd | 104 | 1st | 389 |
Pontus Tidemand | NZL
1 |
NCL
2 |
AUS
1 |
MYS
1 |
JPN
1 |
1st | 225 | ||||||
ŠKODA FABIA Rally2 | CHN
1 | ||||||||||||
2016 | Team MRF | Gaurav Gill | ŠKODA FABIA Rally2 | NZL
1 |
AUS
1 |
CHN
1 |
JPN
1 |
MYS
1 |
IND
1 |
1st | 192 | 1st | 322 |
Fabian Kreim | NZL
2 |
AUS
2 |
CHN
3 |
JPN
2 |
MYS
17 |
IND
5 |
2nd | 138 | |||||
2017 | Team MRF | Gaurav Gill | ŠKODA FABIA Rally2 | NZL
1 |
AUS
2 |
MYS
2 |
JPN
1 |
IND
1 |
1st | 174 | 1st | ? | |
Ole Christian Veiby | NZL
2 |
AUS
1 |
MYS
1 |
JPN
3 |
IND
2 |
2nd | 160 |
References
edit- ^ab"Škoda Auto a.s. | The International Website".skoda-auto.Retrieved2023-09-01.
- ^Králík, Jan; Janek, Dalibor (2002).100 let závodních a soutěžních vozů ŠKODA(S ed.). KM-Publicity. p. 228.ISBN80-238-9845-0.
- ^Velebný, Michal (2012).Škoda Motorsport.
- ^ab"Úvodní stránka - Vše o vozech Škoda. Tuning, závody, úpravy, srazy".skodateam.cz.Retrieved2023-09-01.
- ^Elmar, Elmar; Rehm, Sara. Our Road to Success. [s.l.]: Škoda Autoa.s., 2017
- ^"New Škoda Fabia RS Rally2".Škoda Motorsport.2023-09-01.
- ^"Škoda Storyboard".Škoda Storyboard.Retrieved2023-09-01.
- ^"Zákaznický sportovní program: 24hodinový servis pro rallyové vozy".Škoda Storyboard(in Czech).Retrieved2023-09-01.
- ^"Autosport.cz [online]".2023-09-01.
- ^Kubíková, Lucie (2020-01-29)."Škoda Motorsport bude spolupracovat s Oliverem Solbergem".Škoda Motorsport(in Czech).Retrieved2023-09-01.
External links
edit- Škoda Motorsport
- Result database of ŠKODA Fabia R5:http://fabiar5.cz/enArchived2015-07-21 at theWayback Machine
- Result database of ŠKODA Fabia S2000:http://fabias2000.cz/en