VW plans early debut for 2015 Polo World Rally Car
Volkswagen is set to launch its 2015 Polo R WRC before the end of this season in an effort to maintain its World Rally Championship dominance into next year
The German team's 2015 car will not be homologated until the start of next season, but the Polo - which is expected to include improved significant tweaks including revised aero and a paddle gearshift system - is set to run on two national-level European events before the end of the season.
Competing on national rallies is a way for teams to carry out more development running in the car without using time out of the 42-day testing allocation.
Volkswagen's Rally Sweden winner Jari-Matti Latvala is in favour of the plan.
"I think it would be interesting to run the car and I am very eager to have the chance to do a little national rally," said Latvala.
"We have been talking about this and about the possibilities for which rallies we could do later this year.
"For me, doing a rally is a good test - you run different roads and this is really important.
"On the test you go up and down the same piece of road, you learn the stage and you could end up going a little bit the wrong way with the set-up. You definitely learn more on a rally.
"We don't know which rallies, but the thinking is for one gravel event and one asphalt event."
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