Where to now for Volkswagen trio?

Three of the World Rally Championship's biggest names have two months to find a drive for 2017 after Volkswagen competed for the last time in Australia.

Andreas Mikkelsen's World Rally win in Australia could prove to be the most important of his career as he looks to secure his next drive.

Mikkelsen and teammates Sebastien Ogier and Jari-Matti Latvala are all free agents after Volkswagen announced they were quitting the sport earlier this month the company's emissions scandal.

It's left the trio just two months to find a drive before next season begins in Monte Carlo in January, with most seats already filled for 2017.

Four-time world champion Ogier is likely to be most in-demand, having been linked to return to his old team Citronen or Ford-backed outfit M-Sport.

M-Sport's manager, Richard Millener indicated this weekend his team had opened discussions with Ogier.

News that makes sense

Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

"We'd be silly not to speak with Seb to see if he wants to come and test our car," he said.

"He hasn't said yes though."

The issue will become priority No.1 for the 32-year-old now the season is over.

"It's becoming urgent to work on this," Ogier said on Sunday.

"That's the plan for the next days and the next weeks - I hope to have something as soon as possible."

Toyota could prove the best chance for Mikkelsen and Latvala, with the constructor entering the championship on a full-time basis next year.

Mikkelsen's win in Australia was just the fourth of his career, and the 27-year-old hoped it would impress potential bosses for 2017.

He drove with the slogan "#ForHire" across his car on Sunday.

"Coming here the focus was a bit different," he said.

"It was about driving as fast as we can and doing the best job you can do. We showed we had the top pace."

Volkswagen's sudden departure was particularly hard to take for 31-year-old Latvala, who finished second in the championship for the past three years.

After struggling early in the season, the turned his focus to the 2017 car and had dedicated much of his time to testing it for the past six months.

"I feel like I would like to cry," he said on Sunday.


2 min read

Published

Source: AAP


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News straight to your inbox

Sign up now for daily news from Australia and around the world. You can also subscribe to Insight's weekly newsletter for in-depth features and first-person stories.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Follow SBS News

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service

Stream now

Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world