Andreas Mikkelsen (born 22 June 1989) is a Norwegian rally driver. He is currently competing in the World Rally Championship for Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT. He previously drove for the factory teams of Volkswagen and Citroën, finishing third in the drivers' standings in 2014, 2015 and 2016. His current co-driver is Torstein Eriksen.
 Mikkelsen at the 2015 Rallye Automobile Monte Carlo | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality |  Norwegian |
| Born | 22 June 1989 Oslo, Norway |
| World Rally Championship record | |
| Active years | 2006–present |
| Co-driver | Current Torstein Eriksen Former  Phil Hall Elliott Edmondson Ola Fløene Anders Jæger Mikko Markkula Paul Nagle Jonas Andersson |
| Teams | Stobart Ford, Volkswagen, Škoda, Citroën, Hyundai, Toksport WRT |
| Rallies | 125 |
| Championships | 0 |
| Rally wins | 3 |
| Podiums | 25 |
| Stage wins | 114 |
| Total points | 827 |
| First rally | 2006 Wales Rally GB |
| First win | 2015 Rally Catalunya |
| Last win | 2016 Rally Australia |
He is a two-time Intercontinental Rally Challenge champion, having finished first in 2011 and 2012. In 2021, Mikkelsen became the drivers' champion in both the WRC-2 and the European Rally Championship. He won WRC-2 for a second time in 2023.
Career
editMikkelsen has a broad background in sports. He has competed in slalom and giant slalom, and was a member of the national juniors' alpine skiing team. In 2003 and 2004, he competed in motocross, also representing the national juniors' team.
2006–2010: Ford
editAfter turning 17 and getting a British driver's license, Mikkelsen started competing in rallies in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Driving a Ford Focus RS WRC, he won the Quinton Stages, the Coracle, the Plains, the Bulldog and the Cambrian Rally, as well as the Saaremaa Rally in Estonia.[1] He finished 38th overall in 2007 in the famous Donegal International Rally in his Ford Focus, finishing almost an hour behind eventual winner Sébastien Loeb.[2]
Mikkelsen debuted in the World Rally Championship at the 2006 Rally GB and retired from the 14th special stage after going off the road. In the 2007 season, he competed in eight WRC events, and also took part in the Irish Tarmac Championship and the Norwegian Rally Championship. His best WRC results were ninth at the 2007 Rally Ireland and tenth in Norway and Portugal.
For the 2008 season, Mikkelsen had some exclusive coaching from Ford's retired double world champion Marcus Grönholm.[3] Even though having major problems with turbocharger on Friday's stages, he achieved the best result of his WRC career so far by claiming fifth in the 2008 Swedish Rally, beating Matthew Wilson's 2006 record of being the youngest driver ever to score points in a WRC event.[4] He intended to compete in all of the championship rounds in Europe, whilst completing his final year in school.
During Rally Larvik in September 2009, Mikkelsen was involved in an accident, when he got a slide on his car and hit a 10-year-old spectator, killing her instantly.[5]
In 2010, Mikkelsen competed in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge driving a Ford Fiesta S2000 with a best finish of second on the 2010 Rally Scotland. He placed seventh in the overall standings. Mikkelsen drove a Super 2000 car also on three WRC rounds, and won the SWRC class at the season-ending 2010 Wales Rally GB.
2011–2012: Škoda
editFollowing a strong 2010 campaign, Mikkelsen signed with the Skoda UK Motorsport team for the 2011 IRC season.[6]
During his 2011 season driving for Skoda UK Motorsport in the IRC, Mikkelsen were off to a rough start. The first rally of the season, Rally Monte-Carlo, Mikkelsen had to retire only after SS1. Sata Rallye Açores where a turning point of the season, where he placed second, his first ever podium in the IRC.[7] Prior to the last rally of the season, Rally Cyprus, five drivers were fighting for the drivers championship. Mikkelsen, winning Rally Cyprus took home the title, being the youngest person ever to win the IRC.[7]
Mikkelsen continued his dominance of the IRC in the 2012 season, claiming the drivers championship after winning at Azores and Romania plus collecting five second place finishes. Mikkelsen is the first ever to win the IRC (now ERC) two consecutive times.
2013–2016: Volkswagen
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From 2013 to 2016, Mikkelsen competed for Volkswagen Motorsport II in their factory Polo WRC. He did not reach the podium during the 2013 season, but won several special stages, placing 10th in the overall standings. 2014 saw more favourable results, with three second placed finishes, and two third place results, he completed the year in an impressive third place in the championship overall standings. In 2015, he achieved his first rally victory in Spain, and seven third place results, giving him another third place in the world championship. Mikkelsen followed that by two more wins in Poland and Australia during the 2016 season, and two more second places, resulting in yet another third place in the championship overall. Mikkelsen had finished 3rd in the championship three times consecutively from 2014 to 2016. Volkswagen retired from WRC at the end of 2016, leaving Mikkelsen without a drive for 2017.[8]
2017: Škoda, Citroën and Hyundai
edit
In early 2017, Mikkelsen entered three rounds of the WRC-2 with a factory Škoda Fabia R5, winning the Monte Carlo Rally and Tour de Corse. He joined the Citroën World Rally Team in mid 2017, debuting at Italy with a Citroën C3 WRC. After finishing second in Germany, Mikkelsen signed a deal for 2018 with Hyundai Motorsport, joining close friend Thierry Neuville, Dani Sordo and Hayden Paddon. He finished fourth in Welsh Rally GB before the end of that year.
2018–2019: Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT
edit2018 started promisingly with third place in Sweden, but Andreas suffered a series of setbacks, and finished the year 6th place overall. 2019 was significantly better. Despite missing out or retiring from six of the fourteen WRC events that year, Mikkelsen scored one second place and two third places, to finish the season in 4th place overall. His contract with Hyundai was not renewed at the end of 2019, leaving Mikkelsen without a WRC drive.[9]
2020: Pirelli tests and Eurosol Racing Team
editMikkelsen was left without a drive for 2020 season, so at Rally Sardegna he co-drived for 2003 World Drivers' Champion Petter Solberg. They contested the rally in Shakedown and Power Stage using Saintéloc-prepared Citroen C3 WRC equipped with Pirelli tyres to be used for the 2021 season. At Rally Monza, together with Eurosol Racing Team he finished 6th in WRC-2 and won in WRC-3 category.
2021–2022: Toksport WRT and Škoda Motorsport
edit
For 2021, Mikkelsen joined Toksport for a combined WRC-2 and ERC campaign, driving a Škoda Fabia R5/Rally2 evo. He become the first driver to win both WRC-2 and ERC title in the same year.[10][11] He stayed with the team in 2022 and is currently leading the WRC-2 standings. Between the races, he also helped Škoda Motorsport to develop the new Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 and he drove it at the 2022 Bohemia Rally Mladá Boleslav as course car.
WRC victories
edit
Racing record
editComplete WRC results
edit* Season still in progress.
PWRC results
edit| Year | Entrant | Car | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | Pos. | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Andreas Mikkelsen | Subaru Impreza WRX STi | NOR Ret |
CYP | POR | ARG | ITA | GRE | AUS | GBR | NC | 0 |
SWRC results
edit| Year | Entrant | Car | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Pos. | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Czech Ford National Team | Škoda Fabia S2000 | SWE | MEX | JOR | NZL | POR | FIN | GER | JPN | FRA | GBR 1 |
11th | 25 |
WRC-2 results
edit| Year | Entrant | Car | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | Pos. | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Škoda Motorsport | Škoda Fabia R5 | MON 1 |
SWE | MEX | FRA 1 |
ARG | POR Ret |
ITA | POL | FIN | GER | ESP | GBR | AUS | 9th | 50 |
| 2021 | Toksport WRT | Škoda Fabia R5 Evo | MON 1 |
ARC 2 |
CRO 5 |
POR WD |
ITA Ret |
KEN WD |
EST 1 |
BEL | GRE 1 |
FIN | ESP | MNZ 2 |
1st | 149 | |
| 2022 | Toksport WRT | Škoda Fabia Rally2 evo | MON 1 |
SWE 1 |
CRO | POR Ret |
ITA Ret |
KEN | EST 1 |
FIN | BEL 2 |
GRE 7 |
NZL | ESP | JPN | 2nd | 109 |
| 2023 | Toksport WRT 3 | Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 | MON | SWE | MEX | CRO | POR 3 |
ITA 1 |
KEN | EST 1 |
FIN 4 |
GRE 1 |
CHL | EUR 13 |
JPN 1 |
1st | 137 |
* Season still in progress.
WRC-3 results
edit| Year | Entrant | Car | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Pos. | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Eurosol Racing Team Hungary | Škoda Fabia R5 Evo | MON | SWE | MEX | EST | TUR | ITA | MNZ 1 |
8th | 25 |
Complete IRC results
edit| Year | Entrant | Car | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | Pos. | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Andreas Mikkelsen
|
Opel Corsa S2000 | MON | BRA | KEN | POR | BEL | RUS | POR | CZE 33 |
ESP | ITA | SCO | – | 0 | ||
| 2010 | Andreas Mikkelsen
|
Ford Fiesta S2000 | MON | CUR | ARG | CAN | SAR Ret |
YPR 5 |
AZO 4 |
MAD | ZLI 5 |
SAN Ret |
SCO 2 |
CYP Ret |
7th | 21 | |
| 2011 | Škoda UK
|
Škoda Fabia S2000 | MON Ret |
CAN 6 |
COR 6 |
YAL 4 |
YPR Ret |
AZO 2 |
ZLI 5 |
MEC Ret |
SAN 2 |
SCO 1 |
CYP 1 |
1st | 153.5 | ||
| 2012 | Škoda UK
|
Škoda Fabia S2000 | AZO 1 |
CAN 2 |
IRL 2 |
COR 5 |
TAR 2 |
YPR Ret |
SMR 2 |
ROM 1 |
ZLI 8 |
YAL | SLI | SAN | CYP 2 |
1st | 150 |
ERC results
edit| Year | Entrant | Car | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | WDC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Topp-Cars Rally Team | Škoda Fabia R5 Evo | ITA | LAT | PRT | HUN 1 |
ESP 6 |
5th | 52 | |||
| 2021 | Toksport WRT | Škoda Fabia R5 Evo | POL 2 |
LAT 5 |
ITA 8 |
CZE 2 |
PRT1 1 |
PRT2 1 |
HUN 6 |
ESP | 1st | 191 |
* Season still in progress.
Skiing career
editMikkelsen was an Alpine skier before concentrating on rallying.[12]
References
edit- ^ Holmes, Martin. "Getting to know Andreas". Rally World Magazine. Archived from the original on 2017-01-28. Retrieved 2008-01-26.
- ^ "Rally Results - Donegal International Rally, 2007".
- ^ "First class mentor in Marcus". andreasmikkelsen.com. 2008-01-11. Retrieved 2008-02-23. [dead link]
- ^ "Mikkelsen beats Wilson's record". crash.net. 2008-02-11. Retrieved 2008-02-11.
- ^ "Fikk skrens i 130 km/t – varslet selv om ulykken". Dagbladet. 2008-09-12. Retrieved 2008-09-18.
- ^ Evans, David (11 November 2010). "Mikkelsen eyes title with Skoda UK". autosport.com. Haymarket Publications. Archived from the original on 13 November 2010. Retrieved 11 November 2010.
- ^ a b "Standings - IRC Intercontinental Rally Challenge - Eurosport". Archived from the original on 2013-12-10. Retrieved 2013-11-21.
- ^ Evans, David (1 November 2016). "Volkswagen to pull out of WRC at end of 2016". Archived from the original on 2021-04-27. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
- ^ "Andreas Mikkelsen out, Craig Breen in at Hyundai for Rally Australia". Motorsport Week. 2 November 2019. Archived from the original on 2021-10-03. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
- ^ "ANDREAS MIKKELSEN JOINS STAR-STUDDED ROLL OF HONOUR AS 2021 FIA ERC CHAMPION*". FIA ERC.
- ^ "MIKKELSEN ADDS ERC TITLE TO WRC2 CROWN". DirtFish. 24 October 2021.
- ^ "Andreas MIKKELSEN". fis-ski.com. Retrieved 13 April 2019.
External links
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