Latvala and Polo R star at Rallylegend
Jari-Matti Latvala took a break from his preparations for Rally Spain at the weekend to demonstrate his Polo R WRC at the Rallylegend festival in San Marino.
Latvala and co-driver Miikka Anttila joined other star drivers and their cars including former world champions Stig Blomqvist (Audi Quattro A2), Juha Kankkunen (Lancia Delta Integrale) Didier Auriol (Citroen Xsara WRC) and Markku Alen, who won the historic class at the wheel of a Lancia 037.
“Rallylegend has been a fantastic surprise for me,” said Latvala. “Three days of great show, rally and passion with an incredible crowd. It has been called ‘Woodstock on wheels’ and I think this is a perfectly appropriate description.
"What's more I had the chance to see behind a wheel Alen and Kankkunen and stay with them. They were my heroes when I was younger.”
Tens of thousands of fans attended the event, which attracted 150 rally cars from the 1960s to the present day. Joining Latvala on the stages were Volkswagen team director and championship winning co-driver Luis Moya, and Volkswagen brand and product manager Peter Thul, both of whom took turns to co-drive Michael Gerber in an original Audi Sport Quattro S1.
Latvala, who owns a historic Audi Quattro, believed the stage-based event had been handy preparation ahead of the mixed asphalt / gravel conditions in Spain (23-26 October).
He said: “The three days have been useful to drive for kilometres on the asphalt, on a route and on a surface that are not easy. This event is also a real rally, actually demanding for the participants."
