The 2012 season for the ŠKODA Motorsport team kicks off at the Jänner Rally in Austria on the first weekend of January. Both of ŠKODA Motorsport’s factory crews are prepared to start racing after having the most successful season ever. ŠKODA Motorsport will mainly concentrate on three series. Of course, the priority is to win again at the Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC) after being its champion in 2011.
The team will also be participating in selected events of the European and Czech championships. The opening event of the new season is at the Austrian town of Freistadt, marking the first time that this team joins this part of the European Championship. Aside from being a part of the Austrian Championship, the Jänner Rally would again enter the Czech Championship after being absent for three years. Juho Hänninen, the current SWRC World Champion, believes that Jänner and the entire European Championship would be a “completely new experience.” He even wished for a more interesting time with snow on the road. The new season will start with IRC Vice-Champion Jan Kopecký getting a new co-driver. He added that he and Pavel Dresler are “looking forward” to their first year together.
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. Pavel and I are looking forward to it - we have our first whole year together ahead of us. I have competed three times in the Jänner, and I realise that a lot will depend on the stage conditions.”
