Volkswagen Motorsport defends Polo R5 strength after testing crash
Volkswagen Motorsport has defended the strength of its Polo R5 following the release of shocking pictures of the car at a recent test
The pictures of the R5, circulating on social media, shows the complete rear axle of the Polo having broken away from the test car during testing in the south of France.
Volkswagen Motorsport's technical director Francois-Xavier Demaison told Autosport the failure happened during 'destruction testing' and that it was comfortable with the outcome of the test in south-west France.
Sweden's Pontus Tidemand was driving the car at the time of the incident.
"We were testing the car in Fontjoncouse," said Demaison. "The roads in this place are used to test cars for Dakar; it's rougher than anything we would have seen on the Acropolis Rally. It's extreme, that's why we go there.
"Being honest, we go to this place to break the car. This picture came after running the car for four days and pushing the components a long way past the point where we would have expected them to fail.
"This is what we were there [in Fontjoncouse] for.
"This car is for the customer, we have to make this test for them - it wouldn't be acceptable for them to take away their car from us and have problems because we didn't do enough durability testing."
Asked about the key component which failed and allowed the axle to break free from the car, a Volkswagen Motorsport spokesperson said: "This happened more than one week ago, we made an investigation and we are satisfied and happy with the result [of that investigation].
"I'm sure you understand we're not going to go into the precise details of the components in question."
The FIA is due in Hannover to inspect the Polo R5 for homologation this time next month, with the car expected to make its competitive debut at Rally of Spain on October 25.
WRC driver Sordo takes a podium on Rally Zlin in ERC one-off outing
Tanak still not comfortable with Toyota Yaris despite WRC wins
Why WRC's Safari tour is more than just a rally
OPINION: A source of national pride in Kenya, the Safari Rally is also a sporting, cultural and economic phenomenon. And as last weekend's World Rally Championship round reminded us, it's a key driver in establishing Africa’s place in world motorsport
How Rovanpera tamed a wild Safari Rally
The Safari Rally acted as a brutal test of driver and car resolve as multiple retirements opened the path for a historic Toyota 1-2-3-4 triumph, headed by star Kalle Rovanpera. But keeping things clean was only half of the challenge, as a well-timed charge when conditions worsened allowed the Finn to take control
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