It could be too easy for Armin Schwarz to decide on the Toyota Celica GT-Four as his favorite automotive. After all, in a profession that included podium finishes within the World Rally Championship for 4 different manufacturers, it was in Group A that he won his only WRC victory in Catalonia in 1991.
However, the machine chosen by the German never won a WRC competition. Third place within the Safari Rally in 2001 might have been one of the best results of the second-generation Skoda Octavia within the WRC, but Schwarz liked the rally automotive higher.
Schwarz, who joined Hyundai in 2002 to develop the MSD-built Accent WRC, believes the less powerful Octavia was underrated. Certainly, because the 61-year-old admits, “The Octavia was never highly rated by all the other teams and drivers as a potentially winning car.” However, in 2001, despite the constant lack of torque, he achieved some killer results and struggled for the rostrum at times.
“It was close in Monte Carlo, but it happened in Safari,” says Schwarz, whose co-driver throughout his time at Skoda, Manfred Hiemer, died in 2023 on the age of 62. “It would even be possible in Greece [where Schwarz finished seventh despite a largely trouble-free event, power the main complaint]; in difficult rallies, the automotive was really good.”
At Toyota, Schwarz was given a supporting role by Carlos Sainz, its WRC champion in 1990. But when he joined Skoda in 1999 to drive the primary version of the cumbersome Octavia, ending the hiatus that followed his abrupt resignation by Ford in 1997, Schwarz was clear primary. Although it's not at all times reflected in the outcomes, Schwarz credits the head of his competition with regular seat time, which he often missed during stints in Toyota and Mitsubishi.
“I did all the development testing,” he says. “I used to be the primary Octavia driver, so there was quite a lot of confidence on my shoulders. It was a chance for me that I took in 2001 because I knew I could set the automotive the best way I needed it and get all of the support from the team.
Schwarz only stood on the rostrum once in Octavia, but he has fond memories of the weaker challenger
Photo: Sutton Images
Initially, this didn't matter much because the automotive's Monte Carlo debut was troubled by problems with the engine management software. Schwarz suffered a clutch failure on approach to the official starting ramp at Casino Square, and his teammate Pavel Sibera also failed to begin the primary stage properly.
A distant fifth place on the Acropolis in 2000 because of fever was Schwarz's only result, although there have been signs of progress. Bruno Thiry finished fourth within the 1999 Rally GB, and Schwarz achieved the fastest stage time for the primary time within the Czech brand's history within the 2000 Rally of Catalonia.
“It was really bad weather,” Schwarz recalled. “I feel in bad weather the cars at all times showed their behavior. It gave you quite a lot of confidence in difficult conditions.
“If it hadn't dried out in the last two stages on Sunday in Monte Carlo, I'm still sure we would have been on the podium and not Francois.” Armin Schwarz
This was not the case when the Evo2 edition appeared, which coincided with the “development of the team in every respect” led by Javel Paneba. After several difficult outings in 2000, Schwarz got here nose to nose with Monte Carlo specialist Francois Delecour in a Ford Focus for the ultimate podium spot within the 2001 season opener, and the ultimate difference of 20.7 seconds belied how close it had been for much of the a part of the ultimate stage. Autosport noted that the performance “must go down as one of the boldest drives of the year.”
And after his Safari heroics, setting the fastest time on the primary stage that gave Skoda the WRC lead for the primary time and a first-ever podium, a fifth place in Rally GB kept Skoda level on points with Hyundai, but with a countdown ahead.
For Schwarz, considered one of the Octavia's best features was the handling resulting from its long wheelbase. “Compared to Peugeot, Citroen or Subaru, it was quite an easy car to drive,” he notes.
This was especially necessary within the mixed conditions of the 2001 Monte. Schwarz believes that it will be a difficult task for him to succeed in the points during a totally dry rally, but his prospects modified when the snow fell. Where competing manufacturers “performed very well in full snow and dry conditions”, he felt the Octavia could perform well in conditions where compromises were vital.
Schwarz got here near beating Delecour and finished on the rostrum in snowy Monte Carlo
Photo: Ralph Hardwick
“If it hadn't dried out in the last two stages on Sunday in Monte Carlo, I'm still sure we would have been on the podium and not Francois,” he states.
Durability was one other key advantage. Schwarz's teammate Thiry had reason to be particularly grateful after the farcical events of the Rally Argentina. A hearth truck responding to a hearth unintentionally began by a spectator grill overturned and hit two Octavias parked in Parc Ferme, with Thiry still within the automotive. Skoda director Jens Pohlmann was seriously injured and each cars were withdrawn.
The Safari's third-place finish was the result of in depth testing, which Schwarz said reminded him of his days at Toyota – the brand has long considered Kenya a vital priority.
“Appropriate testing and good development are needed,” he explains. “Sustainability is the important thing to success in Kenya. With the strength we had in 2001, the automotive might need even been in a position to win.”
Schwarz claims his trick of pushing out of the 117-kilometer first stage in 55:05.0 seconds was a deliberate technique to put pressure on his rivals. “Because no one expects Safari to be this fast,” he says. And it worked brilliantly, despite suffering a puncture on stage three that dropped him to sixth place at the tip of the primary day.
“That was the key to speeding everything up, and more or less almost everyone ran into a big problem,” Schwarz recalled. “We didn't encounter any major problem. We had a couple of smaller ones [problems]but we maintained a very linear strategy until the very end.”
Third place within the Safari was the highlight of Schwarz's profession with Skoda
Photo: Sutton Images
