SALOU, Spain, October 16, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Volkswagen driver Sébastien Ogier (32/F) and his co-driver Julien Ingrassia (36/F) won the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) for the fourth time with a victory at the Rally Spain. Round 11 of the season saw the French duo wrap up the title with two races still to come to be crowned world rally champions in the Volkswagen Polo R WRC for the fourth year in a row, having previously won in 2013, 2014 and 2015.

     (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161016/429099 )

     (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161016/429100 )

"Winning the world championship again is a fantastic feeling," said an overjoyed Ogier at the end of the Rally Spain. "This is the fourth world championship title for Julien and me, but it never stops feeling special. I'm finding it hard to describe my emotions, because we had to fight particularly hard for this year's title. After the birth of my son, this is definitely the best moment of the year for me."

Volkswagen Motorsport Director Sven Smeets was full of praise for the champions: "Congratulations to Sébastien and Julien on this fantastic success. Winning the world championship title four years in a row is proof of their outstanding ability. They can rightly be proud of themselves, and of the team that made this possible."

The Rally Spain also represented a milestone for the Polo R WRC: the car's 50^th start in the World Rally Championship ended with win number 41 for the 318-hp, four-wheel drive powerhouse. No other car in the history of the World Rally Championship has racked up as many victories in such a short time as the Polo. The Manufacturers' Championship will be decided in one of the two rallies still to come with Volkswagen leading with 62 points from Hyundai.

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SOURCE Volkswagen Motorsport GmbH