Heading towards new horizons!

Now it is official: On 15 May, I have signed a contract with Volkswagen. This ought to be the start of the most exciting phase in my career: I will not only be contesting the FIA World Cup for Cross Country Rallies with Volkswagen, but I will be actively involved in the development of the project, too. Moreover, I will also play a role in the product development of the standard  Touareg off-roader and I will be involved in the development of the Polo Super 1600 for rallying.

As you know, Volkswagen has not realized a project in cross country rallying yet.  Hence Rudolf-Helmut Strozyk, Volkswagen Racing's recently appointed head, and his team as well as me will face a huge workload. The new car for competitions will feature similarities to the new standard Touareg off-roader. We will start from a clean sheet of paper.

For me, it is a fantastic challenge not only to be commissioned as a driver but to play a role in defining the project, too. A dream comes true for me. Of course, I can't talk about any details as the project is only about to begin. Just as a background information: After I have left Mitsubishi, my management started negotiations with the Board of Volkswagen in March after the Geneva motor show. Now the contract has been signed and the planning and conception starts.

Although not many details have been defined yet, one thing is for sure: We definitely aim at establishing the Diesel technology in our sport. The cross country version of the Touareg will be powered by a TDI engine.

Three essential decisions show the importance of this project for the Volkswagen group: The car will be fully developed in-house. It will be prepared according to the rules of the T2 class that is to say the prototype category so we aim at overall victories. Finally, it will be a three-year program that comes into effect now, so it is a long-term ambition.

Already next year, the first events will be contested to test the car. In 2004, the Touareg will be entered at the Dakar Rally for the first time. Thereafter, a full season in the FIA World Cup for Cross Country Rallies will be on the schedule. In  2005, we will be aiming at our major target: we want to win the Dakar Rally.

As usual, you can follow the latest decisions and details on my web site. I promise you: we will do our utmost to make sure you will follow our huge task with the same enthusiasm and dedication you've shown with all the projects I've been involved in so far.