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| 2008 Rallye Deutschland : WRC Round 10 of 15 : 15th - 17th August In this issue: 1. Event Preview 3. Other News 4. Team by Team Preview 5. Event statistics 6. Event Schedule 7. Championship Points 1. Event Preview The event is based once more in the western-German city of Trier, which lies just shy of the border with Luxembourg in Germany's Moselwein region. The rally is an incredibly varied affair; not your normal clear-cut asphalt event. The rally is run on a blend of fast but narrow vineyard tracks normally more used to hosting the local farmers' tractors, and wide and dirty military roads where the cracked and worn asphalt is very abrasive when dry, or incredibly slippery when hit by rain. Slightly slower than Finland, last year's event was won with an average speed of just over 100kph. Whilst the event is run in the German summertime, meaning temperatures can be 20 degrees Celsius or more, the mountainous surroundings of Eifel and Hunsruck ranges make for sporadic and sudden rainfall. The slick nature of the roads holds water, so they become very greasy very quickly. With fast-starting stages and low tyre temperatures for the first few corners, the risk of sliding off the road is ever-present. For the most part, the stages are the same as last year and so the drivers will be treading familiar ground. The largest changes focus on reversing stages and running them in the opposite direction, with only a few entirely new sections introduced. The 19 stages total 352 competitive kilometres, and are preceded by a ceremonial start at the UNESCO World heritage site of Trier's Porta Nigra on Thursday night. The event is brought to a conclusion with a spectator stage in the same location. 3. Other News " Our Recent News Articles http://www.rallye-info.com/news.asp 4. Team by Team Preview BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team http://ford.rallye-info.com/teams.asp?sid=2 Ford will debut the latest evolution of the record-breaking Focus RS World Rally Car in Rallye Deutschland (14 - 17 August). The car that won the manufacturers' title in the FIA World Rally Championship for the past two seasons, and recently claimed a landmark 100th consecutive points finish, has been upgraded ahead of the first asphalt round of the series since January. The 2008-version of the Focus RS includes front style changes as well as engine improvements. Style changes to the grill area reflect the looks of the recently-previewed Focus RS road car. A new turbo and crankshaft will increase the range of power available. #3 : Mikko Hirvonen/Jarmo Lehtinen: This will be Hirvonen's fifth start here, third in 2007 being the 28-year-old Finn's best result. "Road conditions are the single most important factor on this rally," he said. "If the weather is dry then it's an enjoyable event with some fast and flowing stages. But if it rains the roads can be treacherous. The rain is often localised as well which would make it difficult to judge what compound of tyres to use." "It's good to be first in the start order here, although on asphalt the advantages and disadvantage aren't as great as on gravel. The first cars pull mud and dirt onto the road so it makes it harder for those lower down the order. It's good to test just before the rally, especially after a fast, smooth gravel event like Finland. Baumholder is always rough and bumpy, while the Mosel stages are fast and the car can bounce around a lot. So it's good to get used to these conditions in advance," he added. #4 : Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila: Latvala has five Rallye Deutschland starts to his name and his preparations were boosted by a successful test this week. "I had two really good days, covering 230km on the first day and 200km on the next. It was 30ºC and clear blue skies so I hope the rally is like that. I learned a lot about the tyres and I believe I have a better set-up for this rally than the last asphalt event in Monte Carlo. When the series switches from one surface to another, and especially after a long time away from asphalt, it's important to have the chance of a good test with plenty of kilometres," he said. "The weather is so important on this rally. If it's wet then the countryside stages in Saarland are difficult, if it's dry the vineyard stages are the trickiest. They're very technical roads with many tight junctions and the surface is always dirty. There will be many asphalt specialists to battle with here but I posted good times on the final day in Monte Carlo so a top five finish is my target," he added. #19 : Khalid Al Qassimi/Michael Orr: Abu Dhabi's Khalid Al Qassimi and Michael Orr will drive the team's third Focus RS. "Asphalt isn't my favourite surface but you have to adapt your style and technique to suit different terrains. I learned some important lessons last year which will help my pace notes and speed. I finished 16th so I'm aiming to improve on that. The field is huge so breaking the top 10 will be tough but if I can finish in the top 14, keep learning, post some fast stage times and enjoy myself, I'll be happy," said Al Qassimi. Citroen Total World Rally Team http://citroen.rallye-info.com/teams.asp?sid=1 The Rallye Deutschland, round 10 of the 2008 FIA World Rally Championship, marks the return of the series to asphalt, seven months after the last sealed surface fixture, the Monte Carlo Rally. Taking the win of Philippe Bugalski/Jean-Paul Chiaroni in 2001 into account, Citroën has gone unbeaten in Germany for the past seven years. This time round, the French squad will be looking to take that score to eight wins in a row and its bid will be spearheaded by the C4 WRCs of Sébastien Loeb/Daniel Elena and Dani Sordo/Marc Martí. Urmo Aava/Kuldar Sikk and Conrad Rautenbach/David Senior have also entered Citroëns. Their cars are prepared and run by PH Sport with the support of technicians from Citroën Sport Technologies. #1 : Sebastien Loeb/Daniel Elena: "Following our win in Finland, on the home soil of our main rivals, we have no intention of letting them strike back on an event that has always been favourable to us," warns Sébastien 'Loebinen', the new nickname chanted by the Jyväskylä crowd after his recent landmark victory. "I have tended to enjoy a certain amount of success on the Rallye Deutschland, but it has never been an easy event to win. It has often been a very close run thing. I am looking forward to this year's visit to Germany because we will no doubt have lots of supporters there. However, it's a rally that calls for great caution because the stages can be extremely treacherous." "We will be looking to win; not to take our score to seven consecutive wins in Trier but because that would be give our chances in both championships a big boost. The Citroën C4 is very competitive on this sort of terrain and we will endeavour to make the most of that. We will also face the delights of tyre choices for the first time in quite a while. I don't know how big an effect that will have on the way the event unfolds, but we will do our best to make the right calls every time." #2 : Daniel Sordo/Marc Marti: After their strong fourth place finish in Finland, Dani Sordo and Marc Martí are also looking forward to the German round. "I am feeling increasingly confident on the loose, but it's nice to be back on asphalt," admits Dani. "That said, Germany is a special case. The rain and widespread corner cutting can make the conditions so muddy that it is sometimes almost like a gravel event! It's not my favourite sealed surface rally, but I believe we can target a top finish. I was very pleased with my C4 WRC after our pre-event tests, and asphalt tends to suit me. We will be looking for a good result and a podium finish would be a positive outcome for both Citroën and us." Subaru World Rally Team http://subaru.rallye-info.com/teams.asp?sid=5 As the World Rally Championship embarks upon a busy month with three rallies, just one week after Finland the Subaru World Rally Team heads to Germany for the first asphalt rally with the new Impreza WRC2008. The scene of last year's asphalt debut for the revised Impreza WRC2007 again hosts the competitive sealed-surface induction of Subaru's latest World Rally contender. The Impreza WRC2008 has successfully completed three WRC events and the team, sharing test driver Markko Märtin's confidence in the performance of the new car on asphalt, are looking forward to proving the machine on this new surface. Chris Atkinson and Stéphane Prévot demonstrated their asphalt pace in convincing style in Germany last year, winning three stages and setting four further top-three times from the 19 stages. With their well-deserved third place finish in the last event in Finland, and with two days' pre-event testing in hand, the pair approach Germany relishing the chance to attack. Rallye Deutschland is punishing, as Petter Solberg and Phil Mills have found out to their cost in the past. The duo have been forced to retire as often as they have finished this event in the six years they have contested it together. They too have also showed strong pace, recording twelve top-three stage times and a stage win over the years. #5 : Petter Solberg/Phil Mills: "Germany is a rally I like, but one I've had mixed experiences on. It's fast, but it's very unforgiving. We have done two days' testing in the new car on asphalt, and Markko has done a few more days, so it's relatively new for us but things so far are feeling good. We've been fast in Germany in the past so we will see what we can do there in the new car. It's a new car on new tyres, so there will be a lot of learning for the team, but it's important ahead of Spain and Corsica." #6 : Chris Atkinson/Stephane Prevot: "We were fast in Germany last year, but this year we have a new car on new tyres and the first rally on tarmac so it's hard to know where we are speed-wise. The test there went well, and if we can carry the same form we had last year it would be good. It was great in Finland to get a podium as our first points-score with the new car, as it does build confidence - the more time you spend in the car the more confident you get with it. We will go there pushing hard and get a gauge of our performance, and then see how we go from there, but I'm looking forward to it." Stobart VK M-Sport Ford World Rally Team http://ford.rallye-info.com/teams.asp?sid=2 The second tarmac rally this season sees François Duval return to the Stobart VK M-Sport Ford rally team, with co-driver Patrick Pivato, after his solid fourth place debut finish with the team in Monte Carlo in January. Joining Duval as the other nominated point scoring crew in Germany are regular Stobart members Gigi Galli/Giovanni Bernacchini. Both Matthew Wilson/Scott Martin and Henning Solberg/Cato Menkerud will also be entered under the Stobart VK M-Sport Ford banner. Duval comes into the rally as a tarmac specialist and is one of only a small handful of WRC competitors to have contested the event every year since its inception to the WRC in 2002. His results speak for themselves with three second place finishes in 2004, 2005 and more recently 2007; where he finished just 20 seconds behind the leader. The second most experienced of the Stobart crews to embark on Germany is Galli who has had mixed fortunes during his trips to Trier with his best result coming in 2005 when he finished fifth overall. The Italian was last here in 2005 but his form already shown on tarmac this year in Monte Carlo suggests he could put in a strong performance for the team next week. Twenty-one-year-old Wilson has shown steady improvements during his last two trips to Rally Germany as he will be looking to go one better than last season and finish in the points. The young Brit has been preparing for this tarmac attack with some driver coaching from world renowned expert Rob Wilson. #15 : Henning Solberg/Cato Menkerud: "I think this will be a challenging event for me as I have only done the event once before and that was last year. But we still need to collect points and the aim is for a good result. The best way for me to achieve this is to concentrate on improving my performance from last year and get closer to the top guys' times on tarmac. Then we will see how that leaves us in the overall classification. I like the more open, normal road stages but find it difficult on the military ranges. I need to feel the car flowing and on those stages it is very stop and start and you can't really get into a good rhythm." #8 : Gigi Galli/Giovanni Bernacchini: "OK my experience in Germany is not as great as some of the other rallies but I know this car is very good on tarmac so I am looking forward to seeing what it can do. Last time we were on tarmac was way back in January in Monte Carlo so I think it will take some stages to get used to the feeling again. Last time we were here was in 2005 and we ended up finishing fifth so another result like this will be fantastic this year. The super special on Sunday will be amazing, it is a beautiful city which is filled with fans who go crazy when the rally is in town!" #16 : Matthew Wilson/Scott Martin: "We have just come from a difficult rally in Finland and now we are going to another one in Germany. The event is like three different rallies in three days over different types of stages and each with their own unique challenges. We will have a test before the rally which will be a huge benefit especially after not having driven on tarmac since January and for sure that will help to give us a good feeling for the start of the event. As always the weather here can also make a big difference so the safety crews will have a huge part to play." #7 : François Duval/ : "In the past I have had some very good results here in Germany and this year I am in the championship winning car so hopefully this can continue. The stages here are quite similar to those in Belgium which I think will also help a lot. The deal we have struck this year is to do all the remaining tarmac rounds which I am excited about because I know I have the best speed on asphalt. Hopefully my addition will help the Stobart team's chance for more points in the Manufacturers' Championship and also mine in the drivers'." Suzuki World Rally Team http://suzuki.rallye-info.com/teams.asp?sid=12 The Rallye Deutschland sees Suzuki get back to asphalt rallying for the first time this year since Monte Carlo. Nonetheless, the asphalt of Germany is far from typical of this surface, containing an extraordinary variety of driving conditions. The rally is actually made up of three old national events rolled into one, and this is evident in the disparate nature of all three days. Germany will be the first asphalt outing for the latest development parts on the SX4 WRC, which made their debut in Finland and helped Toni Gardemeister to a solid points finish. In fact, a number of components have changed on the car since it was last seen on asphalt back in January - designed to improve both speed and reliability. In particular, the bodyshell is lighter with improved power to the engine. A lot of work has been done to refine suspension and differential settings, in order to provide better handling, ride, traction and grip. Finally, there is increased cooling and underbody protection, which is primarily designed to help the car's level of reliability. However, as this is only the 10th rally of the SX4 WRC's first full season a lot of work remains to be done. The sheer mixture of conditions in Germany is sure to accelerate the learning curve of the drivers and team as the event progresses. #11 : Toni Gardemeister/Tomi Tuominen: "I like asphalt driving, although Germany is far from typical asphalt," he said. "In many ways it is a bit like Monte Carlo, as the amount of grip you get from the roads is always changing and you never know what the weather conditions are going to be like. I'm not really sure why, but these kind of conditions tend to suit me. Although there are some fast bits, this is not a rally that is all about maximum power: instead you need to have a car that is quite good in every area and most of all you need to stay out of trouble. If we can avoid problems this rally could be a very good opportunity for us." #12 : Per-Gunnar Andersson/Jonas Andersson: P-G Andersson also enjoys driving on asphalt, although he has a long way to go to match the experience of his team mate. The young Swede previously finished fourth in the Junior class in Germany three years ago, at the wheel of a Suzuki Swift S1600. "I think it will be a lot of fun," he said. "I don't know the roads so well, but we've already seen many times this year that we are capable of finishing in the points even on rallies that are new to us, providing we have a clean run. My aim is to accumulate more asphalt experience and finish, but I hope we can get points as well." 5. Event Statistics Surface: asphalt. · Base: Trier. · Practical information: the local currency is the Euro. There is no time difference compared with Continental Europe. · Technical matters: The C4 WRC engines that contest the Rallye Deutschland will go on to be used in Catalonia and Corsica. Germany is not associated with any other events in other ways. Two gearbox/differential packages are authorised per driver. Five sets of dampers and five hub carriers are authorised per event. · Tyres: only one type of tyre is available, namely the P zero WRC 235/40ZR18. This tyre will be available in a choice of two compounds: 'Soft' and 'Hard'. It is possible to carry two spares, but the 're-cutting' of tread patterns is not permitted. 60 tyres may be used during the event (including shakedown). · Recce: scheduled for Tuesday August 12 and Wednesday August 13. Two passes are authorised at a maximum speed of 90kph. Recce for the Trier super-special takes place on Tuesday evening (four passes authorised). · Shakedown : Thursday August 14 (08.00 until 12.00). The 5.80km shakedown stage is situated 16.72km to the west of the service park and is identical to the test used in 2007. Chicanes have been added to slow the cars in certain places. · Press conference: Thursday August 14 (from 13.30), press office, Messepark. · Start ceremony: Thursday August 14 (from 20.00), Porta Nigra, Trier. · Route: the total distance is 1,174.91km, including 352.89km divided into 19 stages (10 different). · Podium ceremony: Sunday August 17 (from 16.15), Porta Nigra, Trier. · Post-rally press conference: Sunday August 17 (from 17.00), press office, Messepark. · New: this year there will be a single press office, situated in the Messepark. As far as the stages are concerned, the main new features are Bosenberg (SS7/12), Birkenfelder (SS9/13) and portions of Panzerplatte (SS10/14) run in the opposite direction. The smaller changes concern stages used in 2006 and 2007: Ruwertal/Fell (SS1/4) is 2km longer, while Moselland (SS3/6) has been shortened by 12km. 6. Event Schedule Thursday 14 August: Ceremonial start Start Porta Nigra, Trier 20.00 Friday 15 August: Day 1 Trier - Trier Start Trier Messepark 08.30 SS1 Ruwertal / Fell 21.22km 09.13 SS2 Grafschaft Veldenz 23.04km 10.26 SS3 Moselland 9.82km 11.19 Serv A Messepark (30 mins) 13.34 SS4 Ruwertal / Fell 21.22km 14.52 SS5 Grafschaft Veldenz 23.04km 16.05 SS6 Moselland 9.82km 16.58 Serv B Messepark (45 mins) 18.13 Finish Trier Viehmarkt 19.13 Total 108.16km Saturday 16 August: Day 2 Trier - Trier Start Trier Viehmarkt 06.15 Serv C Messepark (15 mins) 06.25 SS7 Bosenberg 19.12km 08.18 SS8 Freisen / Westrich 16.16km 08.51 SS9 Birkenfelder Land 14.22km 09.26 RSZ Birkenfeld (15 mins) 10.01 SS10 Arena Panzerplatte 30.38km 10.44 Serv D Messepark (30 mins) 12.49 SS11 Bosenberg 19.12km 14.57 SS12 Freisen / Westrich 16.16km 15.30 SS13 Birkenfelder Land 14.22km 16.05 RSZ Birkenfeld (15 mins) 16.40 SS14 Arena Panzerplatte 30.38km 17.23 Serv E Messepark (30 mins) 18.58 Finish Trier Viehmarkt 19.58 Total 159.76km Sunday 17 August: Day 3 Trier - Trier Start Trier Viehmarkt 06.15 Serv F Messepark (15 mins) 06.25 SS15 Dhrontal 22.22km 07.28 SS16 Moselwein 18.08km 08.03 Serv G Messepark (30 mins) 09.23 SS17 Dhrontal 22.22km 10.41 SS18 Moselwein 18.08km 11.16 SS19 SSS Circus Maximus Trier 4.37km 13.08 Serv H Messepark (10 mins) 13.31 Finish Porta Nigra, Trier 16.15 Total 84.97km Rally total 352.89km 7. Championship Points Drivers 1. M Hirvonen 67pts 2. S Loeb 66pts 3. C Atkinson 37pts 4. D Sordo 35pts 5. J-M Latvala 34pts 6. P Solberg 23pts Manufacturers 1. BP Ford Abu Dhabi 108pts 2. Citroen Total 105pts 3. Subaru 62pts 4. Stobart VK M-Sport 45pts 5. Munchi's Ford 19pts 6. Suzuki 12pts Full standings http://www.rallye-info.com/points.asp |