Zoom Privileged training for Mikkelsen

As he prepares for his 2008 rally campaign, Andreas Mikkelsen was lucky enough to benefit recently from some exclusive coaching provided by double World Rally Champion Marcus Grönholm.

Grönholm, who retired last December, is keen on helping Mikkelsen. The two have driven some kilometres together in order to kickstart some technique refinements for the Norwegian.

"I've been testing up here in the mountains with the '06 car, and have probably done a total of about 300km," reported Mikkelsen. "Marcus came here for a couple of days to teach me some techniques which has helped me a lot. I feel very prepared for the Mountain Rally, for example."

"I've been talking to Marcus now and again at the WRC rallies I took part in last year. Then in Wales I went to visit him at his pre-Rally GB test and I sat in with him for a few rounds. It was great! I knew he felt he maybe wanted to help me some more when he finished his own driving and that's how it all began really," he explained.

Grönholm and Mikkelsen went out for several runs over the course of two days in early January, switching seats as the mentor went from driving to evaluating and back again.

"He explained some technique things to help me go faster on corners, especially the narrow twisty ones. He showed me how to do it first so that I was not losing time on the exits of corners," the young Norwegian related.

"I tried and of course the first time didn't succeed too much, so then we would swap seats and he would show me again and then gradually little by little I could do it more and more like him."

"It's so valuable and I feel like I'm learning a lot," Mikkelsen proudly concluded.

D.B. © CAPSIS International
Source andreasmikkelsen.com