Second for VW's Katajamaki in JWRC on Monte.

After a successful weekend at the Rally Monte Carlo, everyone involved agreed that the new Volkswagen Polo Super 1600 is not only reliable and good-looking, but has also proven to be competitive.

The team Lehtonen Motorsport with its crews Kosti Katajamaki and Miikka Anttila and Oscar Svedlund and Bjorn Nilsson have shown a good performance in the first competitive outing of the new car. Katajamaki finished second in the Super 1600 category and scored eight world championship points.

In the difficult conditions on the 14 special stages, the drivers showed a promising performance. The stages were located in the mountains north-east of Monte Carlo, that were covered with snow and ice. After the first of three competition days, Katajamaki was third and his team-mate Svedlund was sixth against 23 opponents.

The second day turned out to be eventful right away. The first stage of the day had to be cancelled because of too many spectators. On the second stage, there were some gearbox problems for the Volkswagen team, that could be solved during the subsequent service. The next two special stages also had to be cancelled for safety reasons. After the second leg, Finn Katajamaki was second and Swede Svedlund occupied eighth place.

On the third and final day, 25-year old Katajamaki set one fastest stage time and claimed second place in the Super 1600 category, which brought him eight points for the Junior World Rally Championship.

"My expectations for this first round are fulfilled," commented Katajamaki. "I want to score points at every rally and fight for victory. As I am experienced on gravel, I reckon that I have good chances to win the rallies in Turkey and Finland. My season goal is a top three position in the Junior WRC."

Anttila, Katakamaki's co-driver continued: "I liked this legendary place and I am very happy that we have scored such a good result with the new car right away. That makes us hopeful for the rest of the season!"

His Swedish team-mate was ranked eighth until the final stage, when he hit a barrier shortly before the finish. A damaged suspension thus prevented him from completing the event and he retired.

"Today I only wanted to finish well and get more experience," said Svedlund. "Unfortunately, it didn't work out. I was too quick in that slippery corner in the very last stage - only eight kilometres to the finish line."

Co-driver Nilsson added: "Nearly all was new in this rally - the road, the grip and the new car. We were really good in the beginning - and then loosing time, but I am sure that we will improve."

In the Junior WRC category, 13 out of the 23 competing teams reached the finish.

German driver Vladan Vasiljevic, driving a Polo from last year, had bad luck: he ranked third after the third special stage, but then he had to retire because he exceeded the time limit because of an unfortunate accident.

Rudolf-Helmut Strozyk, head of Volkswagen Racing, concluded: "The extraordinarily good result and the echo at the first competitive outing of the Polo Super 1600 shows that out concept has been effective. The Lehtonen Motorsport-team is working very well. It would be nice when we could score some more podium finishes during the season."