Rally Italy: VW reverts to older spec for handbrake reliability
Volkswagen has put reliability ahead of performance on Rally Italy by running an older specification of handbrake on the Polo R WRCs

The handbrake issue has been the German team's bugbear through the start of what has otherwise been a vastly successful debut season for the new car.
Having run all three factory Polos with a hydraulic handbrake for the first time on the last WRC round in Greece earlier this month, Sebastien Ogier and Jari-Matti Latvala's cars will revert to the pneumatic system in Italy.
"We had some issues with the hot weather and the hydraulic system in Greece," said Latvala. "The system itself is now working with the hydraulic, but the next thing we have to do is to try and keep the system cool - cooling is what we need to sort out now."
The pneumatic system is slower, but generally more reliable, than the hydraulic version, although it was the pneumatic handbrake that almost cost Ogier victory in Portugal, when the system developed a leak.
At the end of the Acropolis Rally, Volkswagen's technical chief Francois-Xavier Demaison said he was ready to sacrifice some of the performance of the handbrake for better reliability.
This week's Sardinian-based Rally Italy will be the hottest event of the season so far, with temperatures already rising above 30 degrees.
The handbrake is a vital tool in the World Rally Car on some of the tightest and most technical stages of the year.
Latest news
How Tanak turned the tables to deliver Hyundai a timely WRC triumph
The 2019 champion has been a bit-part player recently, but Ott Tanak ended a 15-month drought in fine style with a dominant win in Sardinia. On a weekend when championship leader Kalle Rovanpera struggled with cleaning the road, his Hyundai rival has made his belated arrival into the title race and given cause for those predicting a walkover from the Toyota star to pause
How Rovanpera overcame rallying royalty in Portugal to extend his WRC lead
Although the Rally Portugal entry list featured World Rally Championship royalty in Sebastiens Loeb and Ogier, victory was secured by rallying's rising star in Kalle Rovanpera. Here's the story of his 2022 hat-trick, as his key rivals faltered among the gravel and asphalt ahead of them
The former WRC star playing the unsung hero role for Rovanpera
Kalle Rovanpera’s 2022 World Rally Championship displays have been spectacular, with the Toyota driver benefitting from a secret weapon in his crew to win two of the opening three rallies. But while the former challenger to Sebastien Loeb won’t take credit for his fellow Finn's performances, a key bond has been formed which could prove key to Rovanpera’s title charge
How Rovanpera's Croatia turnaround sent a message to his WRC rivals
After a dominating Rally Croatia, a wrong tyre choice on the final day looked to have undone all Kalle Rovanpera's hard work and left him with a mountain to climb heading into the power stage. That he emerged the winner all the same has surely quelled any lingering doubts that the Finn is the man to beat in the 2022 WRC
How M-Sport's faith in Loubet led to a WRC reprieve after a dismal 2021
It's fair to say 2021 was a year to forget for Pierre-Louis Loubet. A maiden full World Rally Championship season offered hope but soon turned into a nightmare that ended in hospital, after being hit by a car in a road traffic accident. Now handed a lifeline by M-Sport, the Frenchman is desperate to rebuild his career
Why WRC mechanics deserve more respect
The drivers get the glare of attention, but it’s the mechanics who are key to the operation of any World Rally Championship car. Autosport donned a set of overalls and joined M-Sport on a Belgian national rally event to get an inside look into the trials and tribulations of a rally mechanic
The African McRae aiming to become a WRC pioneer
Taking his first step into the Junior World Rally Championship category, McRae Kimathi - named after 1995 world champion Colin - found himself in the unfamiliar climes of Sweden's snow and ice. Having impressed, Kimathi hopes to blaze a trail to the top level of WRC and help other African drivers to step onto the ladder
How Rovanpera grabbed the Rally Sweden spotlight after the Loeb vs Ogier show
After a blockbuster opening act to the new era of the World Rally Championship with the battle of the Sebastiens at Monte Carlo, Rally Sweden would be the first chance to assess the next superstar of rallying. While teething issues with the new hybrid power thwarted some of the cast, Kalle Rovanpera’s display gave him headline billing