Educational journey

Volkswagen's new programm has just started and it requires plenty of hard work. So what is Ms. Kleinschmidt doing? I allowed myself an educational trip. I spent a whole week with travelling companions in Morocco. On our sightseeing tour, we focused on mobile objects. Our group, however, didn't comprise of academics who dedicate their spare time on archaeology. Instead, it was a bundle of pure motorsport enthusiasts.

Together with two Volkswagen employees, I visited the Morocco Rally: Andreas Hänsch is the expert on rules and homologation with Volkswagen since many a year and helped shaping and developing many projects such as the Rally World Championship assault in 1986 which yielded the Group A title for Volkswagen. Andrea Fuchs also works since a long time for the company, being resonsible for all logistical aspects of Volkswagen Racing. There is no need to explain the importance of this part in a sport as international and as complex as cross country rallying.

Starting with scrutineering, we observed the event until the last leg of the fourth round of the World Cup was over. I can tell you: it was totally new for me as I had never seen cross country rallying from this point of view.

To see the service areas, logistical details, the work of the teams and of the TV crews plus the role of the organizers from an observer's point of view helped me to gain a whole new insight. It was exciting, instructive and valuable, that means it was exactly what you would expect from an educational journey...

Currently, many decision are under way with regard to procedures, responsibilities and the first details of the project. This is one of the most thrilling, but also responsible and intense tasks I had ever accepted in my motorsport career. I hope you will follow my progress in this new adventure. I will keep you up to date on a regular basis.