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Rally Croatia: ŠKODA crews score 1-2 in WRC3, defends WRC2 overall lead

› Norwegian crew Andreas Mikkelsen/Ola Fløene (ŠKODA FABIA Rally2 evo) secures 15 championship points after early delay › Toksport WRT team mates Marco Bulacia/Marcelo Der Ohannesian (BOL/ARG) bring their ŠKODA FABIA Rally2 evo to the finish in third – their first ever WRC2 podium › Crews of ŠKODA Motorsport supported team Toksport WRT hold a 1-2 in WRC2 overall drivers’ standings after FIA debut in Croatia › ŠKODA Motorsport customer crews /Maciej Szczepaniak (POL/POL) and Emil Lindholm/Mikael Korhonen (FIN/FIN) score a 1-2 in WRC3 category

Zagreb (HRV), 25 April 2021 – ŠKODA crews dominated category WRC3 and collected valuable championship points in WRC2 during Rally Croatia (23-25 April 2021), third round of the FIA World Rally Championship. Kajetan Kajetanowicz/Maciej Szczepaniak (POL/POL) won WRC3 in LOTOS Rally Team’s ŠKODA FABIA Rally2 evo followed by Emil Lindholm/Mikael Korhonen (FIN/FIN) in a similar car from Toksport WRT. The two crews of ŠKODA Motorsport supported team Toksport WRT in WRC2, Marco Bulacia/Marcelo Der Ohannesian (BOL/ARG) and Andreas Mikkelsen/Ola Fløene (NOR/NOR), reached the finish after 20 stages covering 300.32 kilometres in category third and fifth respectively.

One phenomenon is common to tarmac rallies: By cutting the corners, the competitors drag stones and sand onto the roads, each car leaving the racing line increasingly slippery. The first ever FIA World Rally Championship event in Croatia especially lived up to this reputation, the gravel polluted corners causing numerous spins and offs.

Among the victims were Andreas Mikkelsen and co-driver Ola Fløene. The ŠKODA Motorsport supported Norwegians lost roughly 40 minutes already on Friday, when a minor slide off the road broke a suspension arm of the Toksport WRT ŠKODA FABIA Rally2 evo. Only their very own skills as mechanics kept them in the competition. Mikkelsen/Fløene eventually reached the finish fifth in WRC2, collecting five extra points for the Powerstage win on the way. At least, that was enough to defend the points lead in the category. In contrast, Toksport WRT team mates Marco Bulacia (BOL) and co-driver Marcelo Der Ohannesian (ARG) enjoyed a trouble-free rally. The South American youngsters reached the finish third in WRC2, scoring their very first category podium. Bulacia progresses to second position in WRC2 drivers’ overall standings, giving Toksport WRT crews a double lead after three rallies of the 2021 season.

For a couple of stages, ŠKODA Motorsport customer crews occupied the top three spots in WRC3. That was down to two, when on Sunday morning 2019 FIA European Rally Champions Chris Ingram/Ross Whittock (GBR/GBR) parked their SXM Competition ŠKODA FABIA Rally2 evo for a minute off the road. Avoiding similar problems, a Polish and a Finnish duo took the honours for the Czech brand. Kajetan Kajetanowicz and co-driver Maciej Szczepaniak won the category for LOTOS Rally Team, beating Emil Lindholm/Mikael Korhonen in Toksport WRT’s ŠKODA FABIA Rally2 evo by over a minute. Ingram/Whittock eventually made it to the finish in category fifth.

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For the next 2021 round, the FIA World Rally Championship travels to the far west of Europe. Vodafone Rally Portugal brings the action to the seaside town of Porto from 20 to 23 May.

Result Rally Croatia (WRC2)

1. Østberg/Eriksen (NOR/NOR), Citroën C3 Rally2, 3:01:23.7 hrs. 2. Suninen/Markkula (FIN/FIN), Ford Fiesta Rally2 Mk2, +28.5 sec. 3. Bulacia/Der Ohannesian (BOL/ARG), ŠKODA FABIA Rally2 evo, +2:02.7 min. 4. Brazzoli/Barone (ITA/ITA), ŠKODA FABIA Rally2 evo, +29:10.3 min. 5. Mikkelsen/Fløene (NOR/NOR), ŠKODA FABIA Rally2 evo, +39:42.2 min.

Championship Standings WRC2/Drivers (after 3 rounds)

1. Andreas Mikkelsen (NOR), ŠKODA FABIA Rally2 evo, 68 points 2. Marco Bulacia (BOL), ŠKODA FABIA Rally2 evo, 33 points 3. (FIN), VW Polo GTI Rally2, 29 points

Result Rally Croatia (WRC3)

1. Kajetanowicz/Szczepaniak (POL/POL), ŠKODA FABIA Rally2 evo, 3:03:23.8 hrs. 2. Lindholm/Korhonen (FIN/FIN), ŠKODA FABIA Rally2 evo, +1:14.6 min. 3. Rossel/Coria (FRA/FRA), Citroën C3 Rally2, +2:41.4 min. 4. Ciamin/Roche (FRA/FRA), Citroën C3 Rally2, +3:04.6 min. 5. Ingram/Whittock (GBR/GBR), ŠKODA FABIA Rally2 evo, +2:53.3 min.

Championship Standings WRC3/Drivers (after 3 rounds)

1. Yohan Rossel (FRA), Citroën C3 Rally2, 48 points 2. Nicolas Ciamin (FRA), Citroën C3 Rally2, 36 points 3. Kajetan Kajetanowicz (POL), ŠKODA FABIA Rally2 evo, 28 points

Number of the day: 8.9 When an eventful Rally Croatia came to a close, Andreas Mikkelsen and co-driver Ola Fløene definitely had a point to prove. The two Norwegians powered the Toksport WRT ŠKODA FABIA Rally2 evo a whopping 8.9 seconds faster than the next WRC2 competitor through the rally ending Powerstage. The masterful drive secured Mikkelsen five extra points for his WRC2 title campaign.

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2021 FIA World Rally Championship

Rallye Monte-Carlo 21 – 24 January Finland powered by CapitalBox 26 – 28 February Rally Croatia 22 – 25 April Vodafone Rally Portugal 20 – 23 May 3 – 6 June Kenya 24 – 27 June Rally 15 – 18 July Renties Belgium 13 – 15 August Greece 9 – 12 September 30 September – 3 October RallyRACC Rally de España 14 – 17 October 11 –14 November

Further information: Zbyněk Straškraba, Communications Motorsport P +420 605 293 168 [email protected] http://skoda-motorsport.com

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ŠKODA Motorsport at Rally Croatia Video footage of the ŠKODA FABIA Rally2 crews in categories WRC2 and WRC3 at Rally Croatia, third round of the 2021 FIA World Rally Championship

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ŠKODA Motorsport at Rally Croatia ŠKODA Motorsport supported Andreas Mikkelsen and co-driver Ola Fløene (ŠKODA FABIA Rally2 evo) secured five extra points for their WRC2 campaign by winning the rally ending Powerstage

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ŠKODA Motorsport at Rally Croatia Marco Bulacia/Marcelo Der Ohannesian (BOL/ARG) drove the Toksport WRT ŠKODA FABIA Rally2 evo to third in WRC2, their first ever category podium

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ŠKODA Motorsport at Rally Croatia Kajetan Kajetanowicz and co-driver Maciej Szczepaniak (ŠKODA FABIA Rally2 evo) of Polish ŠKODA Motorsport customer team LOTOS kicked of their WRC3 campaign with a convincing category victory

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ŠKODA Motorsport at Rally Croatia Finns Emil Lindholm/Mikael Korhonen (ŠKODA FABIA Rally2 evo) of team Toksport WRT completed the 300 competitive kilometres second in WRC3

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ŠKODA Motorsport at Rally Croatia Sharing SXM Competition’s ŠKODA FABIA Rally2 evo, 2019 FIA European Rally Champions Chris Ingram (GBR) and co-driver Ross Whittock (GBR) finished fifth in WRC3

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ŠKODA Motorsport Overview

ŠKODA has been successful in motorsports since 1901. Be it on the circuit or in rallies, ŠKODA has celebrated victories and won titles all around the world. Historical highlights include victory in the European Touring Car Championship 1981 as well as multiple titles in the FIA World Rally Championship’s WRC2 category. Over the years, ŠKODA customer teams also won numerous national championships as well as titles in the FIA European Rally Championship (ERC), the der Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC), the FIA African Rally Championship (ARC), the FIA North American and Central American Rally Championship (NACAM), the FIA South American Rally Championship (CODASUR) and the FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Championship (APRC). ŠKODA teams have also triumphed in the world’s oldest and most famous rally, taking several class victories in the legendary Rallye Monte-Carlo, which was first held in 1911.

In 2009, the ŠKODA FABIA SUPER 2000 took the rally scene by storm. The following seasons, the all-wheel-drive rally car with a 2.0 litres normally aspirated engine won 50 national and international titles worldwide. It then wrote the most successful chapter in ŠKODA’s motorsport history – until its successor surpassed it. The ŠKODA FABIA R5, a production-based rally car with four-wheel drive and 1.6 litres turbo engine, was homologated in its original form by the International Automobile Federation FIA on 1 April 2015. Further developed to ŠKODA FABIA R5 evo (homologated on 1 April 2019), the high-tech car successfully continues the long tradition of ŠKODA Motorsport. Due to changes in regulations, the car was re-named ŠKODA FABIA Rally2 evo in 2020.

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The success story of the ŠKODA FABIA R5 took off in 2016, when Esapekka Lappi (FIN) won the WRC2 drivers’ title of the FIA World Rally Championship. The following year, Pontus Tidemand (SWE) won the WRC2 drivers’ category, while ŠKODA Motorsport took the WRC2 manufacturers’ title. In 2018, ŠKODA factory driver Jan Kopecký was crowned WRC 2 drivers’ champion. 2019 was the most successful year in the history of ŠKODA Motorsport. Kalle Rovanperä and (FIN/FIN) won the WRC2 Pro drivers’ and co-drivers’ title as well as substantially supporting ŠKODA Motorsport to win the WRC2 Pro manufacturers’ title. In 2020 ŠKODA customer team Toksport WRT became Team Champion of the WRC2 category.

ŠKODA AUTO › is focusing on three priorities with the “NEXT LEVEL ŠKODA” program for the future: expanding the model portfolio in the direction of entry-level segments, opening up new markets for further growth in the volume segment, and making concrete progress in sustainability and diversity. › currently offers its customers ten passenger-car series: the CITIGOe iV, FABIA, RAPID, SCALA, OCTAVIA and SUPERB as well as the KAMIQ, KAROQ, KODIAQ and ENYAQ iV. › delivered more than one million vehicles to customers around the world in 2020. › is part of Volkswagen Group since 30 years. Volkswagen Group is one of the most successful vehicle manufacturers in the world. In association with the Group, ŠKODA AUTO independently develops and manufactures vehicles, as well as components such as engines and transmissions. › operates at three locations in the Czech Republic; manufactures in China, Russia, Slovakia and India mainly through Group partnerships as well as in Ukraine with a local partner. › employs approximately 42,000 people globally and is active in more than 100 markets.