Andreas Mikkelsen is working on front-loading his WRC2 campaign this season in an effort to bag points and prizes as early as possible in the 2021 season.
The Toksport Škoda driver is wary of being caught out in the same way his fellow Norwegian Mads Østberg almost was last season, when Østberg won WRC2 despite running one round fewer than his rivals.
Beyond this week’s season-opening Monte Carlo Rally, Mikkelsen is keen to push to include the first four WRC rounds on his schedule. WRC regulations stipulate a WRC2 competitor can count their best six from seven results.
“I want to make sure I’m not behind with the rallies,” Mikkelsen told DirtFish. “We saw last year with the [coronavirus-forced] changes to the championship, it was not always straightforward. We don’t know what decisions are coming, so I would like to drive more at the start of the season.”
Mikkelsen also reiterated his desire to dominate both WRC2 and the European Rally Championship.
“With the way WRC2 and WRC3 works,” Mikkelsen said, “we’ve seen some [WRC2] drivers taking maximum points, but not finishing as the first Rally2 car. I don’t want to do that.
“The sole goal for me this year is to dominate in an R5 [Rally2] car, I’m really not so bothered about the titles – it’s about showing what I can do.”
Mikkelsen has never hidden his desire to use this 2021 program as a springboard back to the forefront of the world championship next season. He did the same in 2017.
“I drove for Škoda on some early rounds in 2017,” he said, “and I was the fastest. That helped get me back and that’s what I want to do again. I kept good links with Škoda and I really like working with them. I will be doing a lot of development work with the [Škoda] car this year, that’s exciting. It’s going to be busy.”
