DAVID EVANS
GROUP RALLYING EDITOR “Jarveoja handed his award to Ingrassia”
Co-drivers are special people. Certainly, it takes a special kind of person to be a co-driver. It’s not for everybody. Would you sit down, read a book out loud encouraging the person to the side of you to drive you both as fast as humanly and mechanically possible through corner after corner? Not sure I would. The bond between the brethren of bravery is strong, in many ways stronger than the alliance of drivers. That message came across loud and clear at the WRC Gala in Sydney last week. Martin Jarveoja captured the most votes in the Co-driver of the Year category and was duly delivered to the stage to be handed the silverware.
He stepped up. And said thank you. But no thank you.
He then called up his French compatriot and fellow right-hand seat dweller Julien Ingrassia. It was Ingrassia, alongside Sebastien Ogier, who had taken the season’s biggest prize, capturing a sixth straight world title just a day earlier. For Jarveoja, it was only fitting that his friend had this prize as well.
There was a brief concern the moment might turn into something reminiscent of Mrs Doyle’s Father Ted scene, when she argued vociferously and ultimately violently with her friend over who would pay for tea. It didn’t. Ingrassia took the trophy and the pair hugged. A quick-thinking WRC managing director Jona Siebel grabbed another, apparently spare, trophy and handed that one to Jarveoja. It was a lovely moment. But it didn’t end there.
Remember Sardinia? Ingrassia will never forget it; it was the rally where he made his first and only mistake as a world champion. He departed the penultimate stage without his timecard. Jarveoja saved his blushes and took the timecard to his friend and rival. Ingrassia whipped that particular piece of WRC paperwork from his pocket and found the right moment to say thank you again to the Estonian. Another lovely moment. Jarveoja’s benevolence was hardly surprising. He and Tanak weren’t exactly short of trophies on the night, with Ott up and down from the stage like a yo-yo. As well as Driver of the Year, Tanak’s most number of stage wins won him another, as did his mid-season hat-trick in Finland, Germany and Turkey.
Thierry Neuville didn’t leave empty-handed, lifting the Timing Feat Award for his seven-tenths win in Sardinia and the Jump of the Year when he leaned the left-hand side of his Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC in a 100mph flight over Colin’s Crest at the season’s second round in Sweden.
Mention must also go to Sean Hassett for his work in helping Craig Breen towards the Social Media Star of the Year award, while Mcklein snapper and long-time friend of Motorsport News Colin Mcmaster won the Photograph of the Year.
Congratulations to all.