The third season of the innovative Volkswagen Golf Cup got fully under way. 24 drivers from 10 different countries from all round the world have finished the pre-season test session held at Slovakia Ring track near Bratislava. The competition was accompanied by a beautiful spring scenery and unique atmosphere.

The two-day test in Slovakia was a perfect opportunity to start the racing season. Drivers who are going to take part in the full series of Volkswagen Golf Cup, could meet their new rivals. The whole season consists of 6 rounds held in the venues all round Europe. The fight for the top positions is going to be incredibly exciting – there are 14 new drivers in the order and they have a great experience in other global racing series. It is worth noting that in the whole crew made of 24 drivers, 14 of them are not Polish. It clearly confirms the international character of the Cup, which this year will be the only one of its kind motorsport activity of Volkswagen in Europe.

­Season opening round is scheduled for April 24-26. For the first time this year, the drivers will fight for points on the German circuit Oschersleben.

Quotes after the Slovakia Ring test session:

Adam Gładysz (Volkswagen Golf Cup coordinator): – We start the third season of the Volkswagen Golf Cup. The tests at Slovakia Ring were very successful and the drivers took part in six training sessions during two days spent in Slovakia. We have also trained the starting procedure and conducted a series of instructions about the driving technique, car behaviour and the use of telemetry. Session after session the drivers made a significant progress, which is a good sign for the future. Personally, I am very pleased with the tests and I would like to praise the drivers for their quick learning process. The next round is in five week time on the Oschersleben and everyone is already waiting for it.

Manuel Fahnauer: – Last year I have started in the Scirocco R-Cup, but the Slovakia Ring circuit was completely new for me. It is a fast and nice track, which gave me a lot of fun to drive on. My main focus was to get to know the Hankook tyres, which are new to me. The first round of the season is scheduled for the end of April on the Oschersleben circuit. My target for the season is to fight for the champion title.

Adam Rzepecki: ­- It seems that all the drivers are very strong this year, and after the Slovakia Ring test session we already know who is fast and who’s not. There will be a lot of debutants in this season’s Volkswagen Golf Cup, so the drivers with some experience may have a little advantage on the beginning. The first round will be held on the circuit Oschersleben, which I know very well. However, it is difficult to predict what I can fight for.

Pascal Hoffmann: – The Slovakia Ring test session were very good for me. The car is great, and compered to the Scirocco I have been racing last year, those two cars are very familiar. The Hankook tires are new for me, but I hope that during the tests I have managed to know them quite well. My target for this year is to finish in the top 5.