› More than 450 units sold and over 1,700 victories: As the FABIA Rally2 and Rally2 evo, the ŠKODA FABIA is one of the most successful rally vehicles in the world
› Twelve world titles for ŠKODA Motorsport and its customer teams in driver and team categories between 2015 and 2022
› ŠKODA works team engineers collaborated with ŠKODA Austria, Kreisel Electric and Baumschlager Rallye & Racing to develop ŠKODA RE-X1 Kreisel electric rally car
Mladá Boleslav, 14 June 2022 – The ŠKODA FABIA is among the most successful rally vehicles in the world: From 2015 to 2022, the rally version of the popular Czech small car dominated the WRC2 category as the FABIA Rally2 and FABIA Rally2 evo. The more than 450 units built by ŠKODA Motorsport had clinched 1,710 victories by April 2022, including four triumphs in the legendary Monte Carlo Rally. ŠKODA Motorsport and its customer teams celebrated twelve world championship titles in driver and team categories with vehicles based on the third-generation FABIA, making the FABIA Rally2 and FABIA Rally2 evo even more successful than their predecessors, the FABIA S2000 and FABIA WRC. ŠKODA Motorsport is also working on many innovative projects, including the all-electric rally car ŠKODA RE-X1 Kreisel.
Based on the third-generation FABIA, the FABIA Rally2 marked the beginning of a hugely successful era for ŠKODA Motorsport in 2015: The Czech car manufacturer’s motorsport division has so far delivered more than 450 units to customer teams, making the FABIA Rally2 and Rally2 evo the most frequently delivered Rally2 vehicle worldwide since 2016. The customer teams and the ŠKODA Motorsport works team had secured 1,710 victories and 4,116 podium finishes in 12,616 events around the world by April 2022. ŠKODA works drivers Esapekka Lappi (Finland/2016), Pontus Tidemand (Sweden/2017), Jan Kopecký (Czech Republic/2018), Kalle Rovanperä (Finland/2019) and ŠKODA customer team drivers Pierre-Louis Loubet (France/2019) and Andreas Mikkelsen (Norway/2021) won six drivers’ titles in the WRC2 and WRC2 Pro classes in the World Rally Championship during this period. In addition, Mladá Boleslav claimed the team title five times, with the customer team Toksport WRT clinching the team title once.
ŠKODA Motorsport and its customer teams have won more than 20 titles in Europe since 2015, including in the main category of the European Championship with Andreas Mikkelsen (2021) and Britain’s Chris Ingram (2019) behind the wheel. Added to this are victories in the FIA Championships in Africa (ARC), North and Central America (NACAM), South America (CODASUR), Asia-Pacific (APRC) and the Middle East Rally Championship (MERC). At the national level, drivers and teams claimed no fewer than 100 championships worldwide with the FABIA Rally2 or FABIA Rally2 evo, including six victories in the Czech Republic, the manufacturer’s home country, and three wins in Germany.
ŠKODA Motorsport, ŠKODA Austria, Kreisel Electric, a company specialising in battery technology, and Baumschlager Rallye & Racing, the operational partner, worked together to develop the all‑electric ŠKODA RE-X1 Kreisel rally car. Drawing on its experience and competence with the world’s most successful car in the Rally2 category, the Motorsport department of the Mladá Boleslav-based manufacturer adapted the ŠKODA FABIA Rally2 evo chassis to accommodate Kreisel’s electric drivetrain. The resulting ŠKODA RE-X1 Kreisel concept car combines the manufacturer’s considerable expertise in high-class rally cars with Kreisel’s innovative battery technology. The electric motor developed by Kreisel Electric delivers a peak output of 260 kW and a maximum torque of 600 Newton metres.
The ŠKODA FABIA R5 has been the benchmark in WRC2 classes since 2015. The vehicle was developed for the R5 category and is based on the third-generation production FABIA. In 2019, ŠKODA Motorsport launched the FABIA R5 evo, an enhanced version of its successful model. A change in some regulations for the World Rally Championship and individual classes by the World Automobile Association in 2020 also saw the introduction of new terminology; the R5 category became the Rally2 category. Consequently, ŠKODA Motorsport aligned the names of its two rally models based on the third-generation FABIA: the FABIA R5 became the FABIA Rally2 and the upgraded FABIA R5 evo was renamed the FABIA Rally2 evo. The FABIA Rally2 evo is powered by a 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine, delivering an output of around 214 kW (291 hp) and a maximum torque of 425 Nm. A 5-speed sequential gearbox and all-wheel drive transfer the power to the road.
The FABIA S2000 was based on the second-generation FABIA presented in 2007 and was unveiled to the public at the Monte Carlo Rally in early 2009. It complied with the regulations of the newly established Super 2000 Rally (S2000) class. The model was mainly geared towards low-cost customer sport and was positioned below the top WRC category with technologically much more sophisticated and more expensive vehicles. The vehicles had permanent all-wheel drive, a two-litre naturally aspirated engine and minimal electronics. The engine of the FABIA S2000 generated 206 kW (280 hp) and had a maximum torque of 250 Nm. It was with this car that ŠKODA began marketing rally cars directly to customer teams and opened a winning streak on the international rally circuits. Altogether, the FABIA S2000 won 50 national and international championship titles until it was replaced by the FABIA R5 in 2015.
The ŠKODA FABIA WRC was the first rally version of the brand’s popular small car. The FABIA WRC was based on the sporty first-generation ŠKODA FABIA RS production model and premiered at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2003. It succeeded the ŠKODA OCTAVIA WRC in the top category of the World Rally Championship. The model had a water-cooled four-cylinder turbo engine and a two-litre displacement. This generated an output of 221 kW (300 hp) and a maximum torque of 600 Nm. The power was transmitted to all four wheels via a sequential six-speed gearbox and three active differentials. The FABIA WRC celebrated its WRC debut at the Rally Germany 2003. In total, 24 vehicles were built in Mladá Boleslav before the second generation of the production FABIA was introduced.
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