‘Confident’ Mikkelsen will relish Central European battle

Mikkelsen tops the WRC2 standings by four points from Yohan Rossel going into next week’s showdown, which sweeps across Germany, Austria and Czech Republic. While he still has two point-scoring rounds available this season, budget constraints mean the Norwegian plans to end his campaign in Central Europe.

Victory for Mikkelsen and co-driver Torstein Eriksen would seal the coveted WRC2 crown, although they’ll face formidable competition with stars including Rossel, Gus Greensmith, Nikolay Gryazin and Kajetan Kajetanowicz all present.

“It’s going to be a cracker,” Mikkelsen said. “All the WRC2 title contenders are on the grid, so in that sense it's all up for grabs. I, for one, like that and prefer the direct comparison. It's going to be a hot ride with a lot of competition.”

Although Central European Rally is a brand-new event for 2023, Mikkelsen is hoping his previous knowledge – including stints in the FIA European Rally Championship – can give him the edge over his rivals.

“Even though it is my first asphalt rally in this year's WRC2 season, I am confident,” the Škoda driver explained. “Firstly, because I have already contested a rally in the Czech Republic with the Fabia RS and still know these very special asphalt tracks from the European Rally Championship.

“And also because I am the only one of the WRC2 title contenders who already knows some of the sections of the rally, because I worked as recce note crew for an Austrian driver at last year's 3-Städte Rallye."