Skoda Fabia WRC Debut Rally Announced
Published: 6th June 2003
- Škoda Motorsport plan Rallye Deutschland as first event
- Second half of 2003 season to be part of test programme
The Škoda Fabia WRC was launched at the Geneva Motor Show in March this year. It is based on the new Fabia vRS model that was also unveiled at the same time.
In Brno today, Mr. Kulhanek said: "This is a very special day for Škoda Auto and Škoda Motorsport. The new Fabia WRC is a key part of our strategic plan for the next three years. As already confirmed during our initial testing, the car holds great potential. The development of this car is not over yet at all, but the testing in real rally conditions will generate even greater progress. We do not expect miracles immediately, but I am sure that within the next three years the team, the Škoda brand and our many enthusiastic fans will benefit from this global project. I wish the Škoda Motorsport Team ‘Good luck’ for its debut with our new car."
With the first WRC entry of the Fabia WRC coming in just seven
weeks, the team schedule will be extremely busy. Both Didier Auriol
and Toni Gardemeister will focus on the final preparations and therefore
will not enter Škoda Motorsport’s ‘home’
round of the European Rally Championship, Rallye Bohemia, two weeks
earlier as originally planned. Škoda Auto will, however, still
be represented at the Bohemia Rally by German champions Matthias
Kahle/Peter Göbel and the young Czech stars Jan Kopecky/Filip
Schovanek, both driving Škoda Octavia WRCs.
