Successful rally commitmentIn 2004 a new era in rally sponsoring began for OMV when three cars were employed in the FIA Production World Rally Championship. Three victories turned the OMV World Rally Team into the most successful team of the series.
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Jani Paasonen (Fin) finished in third overall place in this series. Especially noticed was the rookie-contest which was won by German Sebastian Vollak who then could complete a whole season. Another first was the name sponsoring of a run to the FIA World Rally Championship. With the OMV ADAC Rallye Germany, OMV took a further step to intensify its international activities.
In 2005 Manfred Stohl was able to compete ten runs in a World Rally Car for the first time. Soon the 35-year-old Viennese aboard the Citroen Xsara WRC celebrated his first big successes. Second place in Cyprus and third place in Australia meant the first podium places for the OMV Team. Teammate Xavier Pons (Spa) competed in six runs.
The OMV World Rally Team was represented in group N by Brit Natalie Barratt, back then the only female driver in rallying. And once again the group was name- and main sponsor of the OMV ADAC Rallye Germany, one of 16 runs to the FIA World Rally Championship.
In 2006 the international rally project was further expanded. Manfred Stohl competed in all 16 runs of the WRC in the OMV Peugeot Norway World Rally Team.
Teammate Henning Solberg took part in ten runs.
In the driver ranking Manfred Stohl took four podium spots and fourth overall place in the WRC, the best result of a privateer in the history of the Rally World Championship. Henning Solberg (Nor) also celebrated big successes by finishing third in Turkey and fourth in Finland.
In the P-WRC the OMV CEE Team also employed two drivers who scored points. And last but not least there was German Aaron Burkart who proved his talent in the FIA Junior World Rally Championship. The year also marked the last time as name sponsor of the OMV ADAC Rally Germany.
2007 marked the return of Citroen in the World Championship. The OMV Kronos Citroen World Rally Team celebrated its biggest success when Francois Duval (Bel) held the lead on the first day of Rally Germany and finally finished the rally in an excellent second place.
The Production Car World Rally Championship saw an increasing employment of drivers. The two OMV BIXXOL Rally Teams compete with drivers from the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Hungary, Bulgaria and Romania in this series.
Several activities by OMV provided further highlights in the scene. Since the end of March, the OMV Kronos Citroen World Rally Team is the first and so far only team in the FIA World Rally Championship that competes CO˛-neutral.
In Germany Manfred Stohl and Ilka Minor competed in a car that was designed by children which represented the connection to OMV Move & Help, the educational program by OMV. To this behalf OMV donates 20 Euro for each completed special stage kilometre by the team. At the end of the year the final amount will be given to SOS Children's Village, Caritas and UNICEF for educational programs in Europe and Pakistan.
OMV can also look back on impressive successes in National Rally Championships. During recent years numerous Championship titles in the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Hungary and Slovakia went to OMV Teams. One was furthermore represented as name sponsor at national rally events in Austria, Hungary, Germany and Serbia.
And for the first time worldwide, a natural gas-driven Mitsubishi was successfully employed in the Austrian Championship.
Source OMV
