WRC 2019, Round 10/14 – ADAC Rallye Deutschland (August 22/25)

WRC 2019

Timetabe

Monday 19 August

9:00-18:00 Monday test, Dhron

Thursday 22 August

10:00-15:30 Shakedown St. Wendeler Land – 5,20 km
14:00 Meet the Crews’, Service Park
14:30 FIA Pre-event Press Conference, Press Room
18:00-18:30 Rally opening ceremony, including autograph signing session for P1 & P2P crews, Bostalsee SP
18:45 Start of the rally (section 1), Bostalsee Service SP
19:13 SS 1 St. Wendeler Land – 5,20 km
19:43 Overnight Parc Fermé & Technical Zone IN
05:00 All cars must be returned to Parc Fermé no later than

Competitive distance: 5,20 km (Liaison 27,52 km, Total 32,92 km)

Sunrise 6:21 / Sunset 20:40

Friday 23 August

9:00 Service A (Bostalsee) – 15 min
10:14 SS 2 Stein und Wein 1 – 19,44 km
11:08 SS 3 Mittelmosel 1 – 22,00 km
12:46 SS 4 Wadern – Weiskirchen 1 – 9,27 km
13:36 First car arrives for regroup, service and Media Zone
14:06 Service B (Bostalsee) – 40 min
15:45 SS 5 Stein und Wein 2 – 19,44 km
16:36 SS 6 Mittelmosel 2 – 22,00 km
18:17 SS 7 Wadern – Weiskirchen 2 – 9,27 km
19:07 First car arrives for final service and Media Zone
19:17 Flexi Service C (Bostalsee) – 48 min
‘Meet the Crews’, Service Park during the 48′ service
20:05 Parc Fermé IN (Bostalsee)
23:00 All cars must be returned to Parc Fermé no later than

Competitive distance: 101,42 km (Liaison 302,38 km, Total 403,80 km)

Sunrise 6:23 / Sunset 20:38

Saturday 24 August

7:15 Service D (Bostalsee) – 15 min
8:12 SS 8 Freisen 1 – 14,78 km
9:15 SS 9 Römerstraße 1 – 12,28 km
10:02 Regroup IN, St Wendel
11:07 SS 10 Freisen 2 – 14,78 km
12:10 SS 11 Römerstraße 2 – 12,28 km
13:14 First car arrives for regroup, service and Media Zone
13:29 Service E (Bostalsee) – 40 min
15:08 SS 12 Arena Panzerplatte 1 – 10,73 km
15:46 SS 13 Panzerplatte 1 – 41,17 km
17:11 First car arrives for media zone, regroup & service, Bostalsee SP
17:41 Service F (Bostalsee) – 15 min
18:55 SS 14 Arena Panzerplatte 2 – 10,73 km
19:33 SS 15 Panzerplatte 2 – 41,17 km
20:58 First car arrives for media zone, regroup & final service, Bostalsee SP
21:08 Flexi Service G (Bostalsee) – 48 min
‘Meet the Crews’, Service Park during the 48′ service
21:56 Parc Fermé IN (Bostalsee)
01:00 All cars must be returned to Parc Fermé no later than

Competitive distance: 157,92 km (Liaison 347,27 km, Total 505,19 km)

Sunrise 6:25 / Sunset 20:36

Sunday 25 August

6:20 Service H (Bostalsee) – 15 min
7:46 SS 16 Grafschaft 1 – 28,06 km
8:41 Regroup & Technical Zone, Morbach
9:41 SS 17 Dhrontal 1 – 11,69 km
10:10 SS 18 Grafschaft 2 – 28,06 km
11:05 Regroup, Morbach
12:18 SS 18 Dhrontal 2 (Power Stage) – 11,69 km
13:20 Technical Zone, Morbach
13:23 Service J (Bostalsee) – 10 min
13:33 Finish TC & Holding Area, Bostalsee SP
14:00 Prize-Giving and podium ceremony, Bostalsee SP
14:45 FIA Press Conference, Press Room, Media Center, Bostalsee SP

Competitive distance: 79,50 km (Liaison 207,02 km, Total 286,52 km)

Sunrise 6:26 / Sunset 20:33

all times local

Rally total:
19 special stages
Special Stages total: 344,04 km (28,0 %) = the percentage of the total distance of special stages
Liaison 884,19 km
Route total: 1228,23 km

Testing

Citroën Total World Rally Team:

Sébastien Ogier, Germany / Trittenheim 12.8.2019

https://twitter.com/hervetusoli/status/1160810948849995777

Esapekka Lappi, Germany 22.6.2019

Eric Camilli, Germany 20.6.2019

https://twitter.com/planetemarcus/status/1141608605923323904

Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team:

Thierry Neuville, Germany / Ensch 9.8.2019

Andreas Mikkelsen, Germany / Minheim 8.8.2019

Dani Sordo, Germany / Trittenheim 7.8.2019

https://twitter.com/planetemarcus/status/1159023003285491713

M-Sport Ford World Rally Team:

Teemu Suninen, Germany / Ensch 15.8.2019

Gus Greensmith, Germany / Minheim 14.8.2019

Valtteri Bottas, Germany / Rohrbach 13.8.2019

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team:

Ott Tänak, Germany / Trittenheim 3.7.2019

Jari-Matti Latvala, Germany 2.7.2019

Kris Meeke, Germany 1.7.2019

ŠKODA Motorsport:

Kalle Rovanperä, Germany 18.7.2019

WRC2 Pro & WRC2 testing day August 19, Neumagen-Dhron:

https://twitter.com/MKiviaho/status/1163344847123730434

Pre-event

https://twitter.com/DaniSordo/status/1163907222310662147

https://twitter.com/JariMattiWRC/status/1164131777067257856

https://twitter.com/TGR_WRC/status/1161910658973229056

Preview

The FIA World Rally Championship resumes with round ten of the 2019 season.

Round 10 of the 2019 FIA World Rally Championship takes the crews back onto tarmac for Rallye Deutschland (22-25 August), an event known for its demanding roads and often changeable weather conditions.

First run in 1982, it was part of the FIA European Rally Championship before becoming Germany’s round of the WRC in 2002. Although the rally base moved from Trier to Bostalsee two years ago, it has remained faithful to a popular formula combining twisty vineyard roads above the Mosel river, the varied and sometimes broken surfaces of the Baumholder military ground, and fast country lanes of the Saarland region.

Winner of the last two editions, Ott Tänak could target a hat trick to further increase his championship lead, which grew to 22 points after the triumph of the Toyota driver on the last round in Finland. His rivals Sébastien Ogier (Citroën) and Thierry Neuville (Hyundai) – who are separated by just three points – are also both former winners of the event, opening up the prospect of a thrilling, flat-out battle between the trio.

With Elfyn Evans continuing to recover from a back injury, Gus Greensmith gets another top-level start with M-Sport. After skipping Finland, Rally Sardinia’s winner Dani Sordo returns to the Hyundai line-up alongside Neuville and Andreas Mikkelsen. Meanwhile, Toyota offers its Japanese protégé Takamoto Katsuta his first WRC outing in a Yaris – entered by Tommi Mäkinen Racing – after several impressive demonstrations in FIA WRC 2.

FIA WRC 2 Pro leader Kalle Rovanperä has four consecutive class wins under his belt but the Finn will face stiff competition in Germany, from his Škoda team-mate and asphalt expert Jan Kopecký, as well as Citroën’s Mads Østberg and Eric Camilli, competing in M-Sport’s latest Ford Fiesta R5.

Fresh from his maiden win in Finland, Russia’s Nikolay Gryazin heads a strong 15-car entry in the FIA WRC 2, which includes the French trio Adrien Fourmaux, Nicolas Ciamin and Stéphane Lefebvre, and the German pair Marijan Griebel and Fabian Kreim.

THE 2019 ROUTE

This year’s Rallye Deutschland begins with a new twist, as the 5.2 kilometre “St. Wendeler Land” Shakedown is then run again on Thursday evening as the first competitive stage. Friday’s loop consists of a pair of vineyard stages, plus the Wadern-Weikirchen circuit test, with all three run twice. Saturday’s format offers two Saarland country lane stages to be run twice in the morning, ahead of two loops around Baumholder in the afternoon. On Sunday, the rally returns to the vineyards for another pair of repeated stages to conclude the event.

RALLY DATA

Total distance: 1’228.23 km
Stage distance: 344.04 km (28%)
Number of stages: 19

MANUFACTURER ENTRIES, RALLYE DEUTSCHLAND

Citroën Total WRT:
Sébastien Ogier / Julien Ingrassia (#1)
Esapekka Lappi / Janne Ferm (#4)

Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team:
Thierry Neuville / Nicolas Gilsoul (#11)
Andreas Mikkelsen / Anders Jaeger (#89)
Daniel Sordo / Carlos del Barrio (#6)

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing WRT:
Ott Tänak / Martin Järveoja (#8)
Kris Meeke / Sebastian Marshall (#5)
Jari-Matti Latvala / Miikka Anttila (#10)

M-Sport Ford World Rally Team:
Teemu Suninen / Jarmo Lehtinen (#3)
Gus Greensmith / Elliot Edmondson (#44)

ENTRY LIST

ORD	ENTRANT (TEAM)	DRIVER/CODRIVER	NAT.	NR	CAR	GR	CL	SEED PR
1	TOYOTA GAZOO Racing WRT	Ott Tänak / Martin Järveoja	EE	8	Toyota Yaris WRC	RC1	WRC	P1	M
2	Citroën Total W.R.T.	Sébastien Ogier / Julien Ingrassia	F	1	Citroën C3 WRC	RC1	WRC	P1	M
3	Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team	Thierry Neuville / Nicolas Gilsoul	B	11	Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC	RC1	WRC	P1	M
4	Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team	Andreas Mikkelsen / Anders Jaeger	N	89	Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC	RC1	WRC	P1	M
5	M-Sport Ford World Rally Team	Teemu Suninen / Jarmo Lehtinen	FIN	3	Ford Fiesta WRC	RC1	WRC	P1	M
6	TOYOTA GAZOO Racing WRT	Kris Meeke / Sebastian Marshall	GB	5	Toyota Yaris WRC	RC1	WRC	P1	M
7	Citroën Total W.R.T.	Esapekka Lappi / Janne Ferm	FIN	4	Citroën C3 WRC	RC1	WRC	P1	M
8	TOYOTA GAZOO Racing WRT	Jari-Matti Latvala / Miikka Anttila	FIN	10	Toyota Yaris WRC	RC1	WRC	P1	M
9	Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team	Daniel Sordo / Carlos del Barrio	E	6	Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC	RC1	WRC	P1	M
10	M-Sport Ford World Rally Team	Gus Greensmith / Elliott Edmondson	GB	44	Ford Fiesta WRC	RC1	WRC	P1	M
11	Tommi Mäkinen Racing (TOYOTA GAZOO Racing WRT)	Takamoto Katsuta / Daniel Barrit	J/GB	17	Toyota Yaris WRC	RC1	WRC	P1
12	ŠKODA Motorsport	Kalle Rovanperä / Jonne Halttunen	FIN	21	ŠKODA Fabia R5 Evo	RC2	R5	P2P	WRC2 PRO
13	Citroën Total (Dg Sport Compétition)	Mads Østberg / Torstein Eriksen	N	22	Citroën C3 R5	RC2	R5	P2P	WRC2 PRO
14	ŠKODA Motorsport	Jan Kopecký / Pavel Dresler	CZ	23	ŠKODA Fabia R5 Evo	RC2	R5	P2P	WRC2 PRO
15	M-Sport Ford World Rally Team	Eric Camilli / Benjamin Veillas	F	24	Ford Fiesta R5 MK2	RC2	R5	P2P	WRC2 PRO
16	Sports Racing Technologies	Nikolay Gryazin / Yaroslav Fedorov	RUS	41	ŠKODA Fabia R5	RC2	R5	P2	WRC2
17	LOTOS Rally Team (Baumschlager Rallye & Racing)	Kajetan Kajetanowicz / Maciej Szczepaniak	PL	43	Volkswagen Polo GTI R5	RC2	R5	P2	WRC2
18	(ACI Team Italia / Motorsport Italia srl)	Fabio Andolfi / Simone Scattolin	I	45	ŠKODA Fabia R5	RC2	R5	P2	WRC2
19	(Taylors Motorsport Ltd)	Rhys Yates / James Morgan	GB	46	ŠKODA Fabia R5	RC2	R5	P2	WRC2
20	Team France FFSA Rallye (M-Sport Poland)	Adrien Fourmaux / Renaud Jamoul	F/B	47	Ford Fiesta R5 MK2	RC2	R5	P2	WRC2
21	(Friulmotor Rally Team)	Simone Tempestini / Sergiu Itu	RO	48	Hyundai i20 R5	RC2	R5	P2	WRC2
22	RACB (DG Sport)	Guillaume de Mevius / Martijn Wydaeghe	B	49	Citroën C3 R5	RC2	R5	P2	WRC2
23	THX Racing (DG Sport)	Nicolas Ciamin / Yannick Roche	F	50	Volkswagen Polo GTI R5	RC2	R5	P2	WRC2
24	(SXM Compétition)	Sebastien Bedoret / Thomas Walbrecq	B	51	ŠKODA Fabia R5 Evo	RC2	R5	P2	WRC2
25	(M-Sport)	“Pedro” / Emanuele Baldaccini	I	52	Ford Fiesta R5 MK2	RC2	R5	P2	WRC2
26	(BMA)	Stéphane Lefebvre / Thomas Dubois	F	53	Volkswagen Polo GTI R5	RC2	R5	P2	WRC2
27	(Baumschlager Rallye & Racing)	Marijan Griebel / Pirmin Winklhofer	D	54	ŠKODA Fabia R5 Evo	RC2	R5	P2	WRC2
28	Škoda Auto Deutschland (BRR)	Fabian Kreim / Tobias Braun	D	55	ŠKODA Fabia R5 Evo	RC2	R5	P2	WRC2
29	Brose Motorsport (Sarrazin Motorsport)	Dominik Dinkel / Christina Fürst	D	56	Hyundai i20 R5	RC2	R5	P2	WRC2
30		Sebastian Schwinn / Felix Griebel	D	57	Volkswagen Polo GTI R5	RC2	R5	P2	WRC2
31		Enrico Brazzoli / Manuel Fenoli	I	71	Fiat 124 Abarth Rally RGT	RGT			RGT
32	(Sarrazin Motorsport)	Stéphane Sarrazin / Jacques-Julien Renucci	F	73	Hyundai i20 R5	RC2	R5
33		Pieter Tsjoen / Pieter Vyncke	B	74	ŠKODA Fabia R5	RC2	R5
34		Raphaël Astier / Frédéric Vauclare	F	75	Hyundai i20 R5	RC2	R5
35		Kristian Poulsen / Ole R. Frederiksen	DK	76	ŠKODA Fabia R5	RC2	R5
36		Eamonn Boland / M.J. Morrissey	IRL	77	Ford Fiesta R5	RC2	R5
37		Henk Vossen / Erwin Berkhof	NL	78	Ford Fiesta R5	RC2	R5
38		Marco Roncoroni / Paolo Brusadelli	I	79	ŠKODA Fabia R5	RC2	R5
39	(Gassner Motorsport)	Hermann Gassner / Karin Thannhäuser	D	80	Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X	NAT
40		Pjm Cracco / Jasper Vermaulen	B	81	ŠKODA Fabia R5	RC2	R5
41	(Gassner Motorsport)	Hermann Gassner jr. / Ursula Mayrhofer	D/A	83	Toyota GT86 CS-R3	RC3	R3
42		Patrick Gengler / Ken Krüger-Gengler	LUX	84	Renault Clio RS R3T	RC3	R3T
43		Stefan Stich / Melanie Kalinke	D	86	Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X	NAT
44	ADAC Saarland E.V.	Roman Schwedt / Henry Wichura	D	87	Peugeot 208 R2	RC4	R2
45		Lasse Murmann Sørensen / Karsten Isaksen	DK	88	Opel ADAM R2	RC4	R2
46		Mitsuhiro Kunisawa / Masahiko Kihara	J	90	Ford Fiesta R2	RC4	R2
47		Marco Oldani / Pietro D’Agostino	I	91	Peugeot 208 R2	RC4	R2
48	Renngemeinschaft Oberberg E.V.	Klaus Osterhaus / Dietmar Moch	D	92	Toyota GT86 CS-R3	RC3	R3
49		Norman Kreuter / Jeannette Kvick	D/DK	93	Citroën DS3 R3T	RC3	R3T
50	ADAC Nordbayern E.V.	Josef Wecker / Sabrina Türk	D	94	Renault Clio RS R3T	RC3	R3T
51		Fabio Peruzzo / Nicola Terrassan	I	95	Peugeot 208 R2	RC4	R2
52		Jürgen Hohlheimer / Roni Liessi	D	96	Renault Twingo R2	RC4	R2

	M-Sport Ford World Rally Team	Pontus Tidemand / Ola Fløene	S/N	25	Ford Fiesta R5 MK2	RC2	R5	cancelled entry	WRC2 PRO
	(J-Motorsport)	Kris Princen / Peter Kaspers	B	72	Citroën DS3 WRC	RC1	WRC	cancelled entry (testing accident)
		Philip Cracco / Jordy Cruys	B	82	ŠKODA Fabia R5	RC2	R5	cancelled entry (testing accident)
		Rainer Hahn / Stefan Schork	D	85	Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X	NAT		cancelled entry (testing accident)

Team Previews

Manufacturers: Citroën Total W.R.T. (F) / Citroën C3 WRC (Michelin)
1 Sébastien Ogier / Julien Ingrassia (F)
4 Esapekka Lappi / Janne Ferm (FIN)

Round ten of the WRC season sees the championship return to tarmac. Citroën Total World Rally Team crews Sébastien Ogier – Julien Ingrassia and Esapekka Lappi – Janne Ferm will be hoping to play one of the leading roles at this tough, multi-faceted test.

Having secured a podium on their very first outing in a WRC – finishing third in a C4 in 2010 – followed up with a win a year later whilst still competing for Citroën and then two other outright victories, Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia have always performed very strongly at this rally, where their ability to read the road has proven invaluable. One of only two rounds exclusively contested on a sealed surface along with the Tour de Corse, it nonetheless provides a completely different challenge to the French event and is one where Citroën has often shown their credentials (12 wins, 11 of which in the WRC). It is therefore no surprise that the six-time world champions come into this event with the firm intention of pursuing their progress in the championship.

Having claimed a stage win on their first outing in Germany in a WRC in 2017, Esapekka Lappi and Janne Ferm went even better last year, grabbing another stage win on their way to a fine third place overall. As things stand, their 2018 performance remains their only podium finish on tarmac in the WRC. And yet, this round is one of their favourites, due to the constant changes in grip and road surface. Boosted by their strong recent performance in Finland, where they finished as runners-up, Esapekka and Janne will be focusing on consistency as they seek to pick up where they left off in Scandinavia. Their seventh position in the running order may however prove to be a disadvantage, especially if there is rain, as slippery mud tends to get dragged onto the roads as more cars come through the stages.

With four days of dedicated pre-event testing held on stages that are representative of those contested during the event, the Citroën Total World Rally Team enjoyed hard-working and instructive preparations. The team tested on a wide variety of road types and was also fortunate to experience changeable weather conditions, always useful for this kind of event. It also ran through some final checks on the engine upgrade due to be introduced at this round, on which it used an upgrade token.

REACTIONS FROM…

Pierre Budar, Citroën Racing Team Principal

“After our second place in Finland, the aim will be to keep up the momentum here at this rather unusual tarmac event. We’ll be looking to secure at least another podium and also for Sébastien to score as heavily as possible for the championship. Since the last tarmac rally in Corsica, we’ve understood a few things on this surface and have worked incredibly hard to correct the issues. I’m therefore hoping that we’ll be back towards the top of the leaderboard at this round, especially as it is a rally that we know very well. We’ll also be introducing an engine upgrade on the C3 WRC at this event.”

Sébastien Ogier, Citroën Total WRT driver

“My aim coming into this round in Germany, a rally where I have always performed very well, is to secure a good result and shift the momentum a little bit in the championship. We had several types of weather conditions during testing and that’s always positive. The fact that we will be tackling the military base stage in the opposite direction to normal might make it a decisive test again, even though in the last few years the need to manage the tyres has meant we’ve been unable to push really hard. It is still a tricky section, like a lot of the rally itself. The risk of picking up a puncture is higher than usual, with the many curbs on the roads in the vineyards and the small, sharp stones that end up on the road surface in Baumholder.”

Number of appearances at the event: 10
Number of wins: 3 (2011, 2015 and 2016)

Esapekka Lappi, Citroën Total WRT driver

“My test in June was very successful. In addition to half a day in the military base, I had a full day on a good test base, with a little bit of everything we can expect road surface-wise during the race, and I felt comfortable in the C3 WRC. But it’s always difficult to know where you are compared to your rivals. In the meantime, I also spent the day at Satory, and that allowed me to get my bearings back on tarmac. So I feel ready and I think that on this kind of tricky rally, as well as having good speed, you need to be consistent given the number of incidents that invariably occur. The podium I secured last year showed just that.”

Number of appearances at the event: 5
Best result: 3rd (2018)

KEY FIGURES

19 timed stages covering a total of 344.04 km
2nd – the C3 WRC‘s best result in Germany (2017)
36 Michelin tyres, to be chosen from 32 hard compound, 26 soft compound and 12 rain tyres.
12 consecutive wins by Citroën at Rallye Deutschland: between 2001 and 2006 with Xsara WRC, from 2007 to 2010 with C4 WRC, and from 2011 to 2013 with DS3 WRC, Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia having won the 2011 rally.

RALLY DEUTSCHLAND SCHEDULE (GMT+2)

This event is often regarded as actually being three rallies in one. One part of the route features very narrow, technical stages lined with pavements that wind through steep hills of the Mosel vineyards. Another part takes the crews through the countryside of the former French department of the Sarre, with a series of tight hairpins, whilst Saturday’s leg is famous for the stages held in the Baumholder military base, where the bumpy, concrete roads are hard on both the tyres and the cars’ damper systems.

The 2019 rally will be no exception to the rule, with day one unchanged compared with 2018 (101.42km of timed stages). The main difference at this year’s event is the fact that both stages held in the Baumholder military base will be contested in the opposite direction to usual. They have also been grouped together in the second loop on Saturday, which may enable a more specific set-up to be chosen for each loop and the different surfaces found on the stages contested in the morning and afternoon. In any case, with a competitive distance of 157.92km, this leg is certain once again to provide the weekend’s heavyweight challenge. Sunday, however, will be no walk in the park. The final leg includes two runs on the long Grafschaft stage, (28.06km) with all the difficulties specific to the Mosel vineyards roads, whilst Dhrontal, the other stage contested, returns to its 2016 configuration.

The weather often plays a pivotal role at this summer round, as conditions can change very quickly. Heavy showers can be extremely localised, meaning that getting your tyre choice right can prove decisive. When it does rain, the roads – left dirty by the passing farm machinery and wine-growing vehicles – can quickly turn into an ice rink, with highly inconsistent grip levels that are difficult to read…

THE RALLYE DEUTSCHLAND NOTEBOOK BY… ESAPEKKA LAPPI

Rally Deutschland, whilst contested on the surface on which the Finn began his racing career in karting and also where he claimed his sole WRC podium to date on tarmac, is not an easy event to get to grips with.

What makes this round different?

The dirty tarmac, especially when it rains. To be honest, I’ve never really liked it. Having said that, last year our pace was pretty good and although we took advantage of the misfortune or mistakes of some of our rivals, we still finished on the podium. It just goes to show how crucial consistency is here.

Which is harder in Germany: being able to read the road or getting the right information from the safety crews?

For me, it’s definitely judging the level of grip. Our safety crews do a great job, although obviously the trickier the conditions, the more crucial it is to have the right information and the right amount of it too. But the level of grip can sometimes change so much from one corner to the next, so it’s a huge challenge to judge how slippery it is!

Experience here seems to be critical…

This will be my sixth appearance here and my third in the WRC, so I think I still have a bit of progress to make on Panzerplatte. Last year, I was between two and three tenths per kilometre off the stage-winning times, which is not bad, but I have to try and find those ten or so seconds per stage. One of the keys is good tyre management. I think I looked after my tyres well last year. They were still in good condition at the end so perhaps I need to push a bit harder this year!

You said in Corsica that your previous experience in karting helped you in judging the lines…

Yes, but I’m not sure it will help me here. The roads are too narrow and dirty.

This round is often described as three rallies in one: which part do you prefer?

My favourite part is the stages in the Saarland countryside. It’s a more natural setting and there’s a bit more space too so if you make a really minor mistake, you aren’t immediately punished by hitting a curb or a wall, which is invariably the case in the vineyards.

CITROËN SECRETS

Following their WRC debut in 2011 in a Citroën C2 R2 Max at Rally Finland and a second outing at their home event a year later, Esapekka Lappi and Janne Ferm made their third world championship appearance – and their first on tarmac – at the 2012 Rallye Deutschland, once again in a Citroën C2 R2 Max. Holding the class lead heading into the final stage, they unfortunately had to retire due to a mechanical failure. Esapekka recalls the early stages of his career…

“At the time, I was only competing in gravel events so I needed experience on tarmac. I wanted to learn this rally, as it had a reputation for being hard and unpredictable. I probably got more than I bargained for! It certainly wasn’t an easy weekend… In a two-wheel drive car on the muddy roads, we spent a lot of time sideways. I remember clipping something at the front on Panzerplatte. On the final stage, it was just a sensor failure that led to our retirement. But it was a really worthwhile experience!”

Manufacturers: Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team (D) / Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC (Michelin)
11 Thierry Neuville / Nicolas Gilsoul (B)
19 Andreas Mikkelsen / Anders Jaeger (N)
6 Daniel Sordo / Carlos del Barrio (E)

We are hoping for good fortunes as we return home for Rallye Deutschland, round ten of the 2019 WRC season and the second tarmac rally of the year.

Twisty vineyard tracks in the Mosel, smooth Saarland countryside, and multi-surface military roads keep our drivers on their toes throughout, especially when unpredictable weather is added into the mix.

Thierry/Nicolas, Andreas/Anders and Dani/Carlos will compete in the three Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC cars. All three of our crews will be aiming for a strong and consistent weekend to help the team maintain the lead of the championship.

Ready for the challenge

Our team had a satisfactory outing earlier this month in Rally Finland, our toughest event of the season. We lead the manufacturers’ standings by 24 points over our nearest rivals with five rounds of the season remaining.

“We are excited to compete in our home event and build on our recent good form,” said our Team Director Andrea. “We took victory in the first tarmac rally of the year on Corsica, and we have been working hard to be able to challenge for the win again in Germany.”

Our Belgian crew secured our maiden WRC victory at Rallye Deutschland in 2014 and have set their sights on a return to their winning ways.

“Germany is a very challenging event due to the fact that you have three different days with very different characteristics,” commented Thierry. “We will be pushing to fight at the front.”

Proven pace setters

Dani and Carlos return for their first event since their victory in Sardinia. “I have won here in the past and been on the podium many times,” said Dani. “Normally I am on the pace every year, so I hope this year will be the same.”

Our Norwegian crew will be aiming to build on their recent strong run on gravel. “Rallye Deutschland is a beautiful rally, and it will represent our first time on tarmac for quite a while. It’s important to find consistency and score as many points as possible,” concluded Andreas.

Rallye Deutschland takes in 19 stages over 343.95km, beginning on Thursday with the 5.2km St Wendeler Land sprint. Saturday will represent the longest day of the rally with eight stages over a competitive distance of 157.92km in the Saarland countryside and intimidating Baumholder military zone.

Manufacturers: TOYOTA GAZOO Racing WRT (FIN) / Toyota Yaris WRC (Michelin)
8 Ott Tänak / Martin Järveoja (EE)
5 Kris Meeke / Sebastian Marshall (GB)
10 Jari-Matti Latvala / Miikka Anttila (FIN)
17 Takamoto Katsuta / Daniel Barrit (J/GB)

The Toyota Yaris WRC returns to asphalt for round 10 of the 2019 season in Germany, where drivers Ott Tänak, Jari-Matti Latvala and Kris Meeke will take on the demanding and diverse roads of Rallye Deutschland (August 22-25). Fresh from victory on Rally Finland, Tänak is targeting his third Germany win in as many years as he seeks to further increase his 22-point lead in the drivers’ championship.

Rallye Deutschland features three distinct types of stage: Twisting roads through the Mosel vineyards, the fearsome Baumholder military training area with numerous surface changes, plus fast and narrow country lanes around the service park at the Bostalsee lake in the Saarland region. The weather is often changeable, further complicating tyre choices and car set-up.

This year the rally begins from the service park, with Thursday evening’s opening stage to take place on nearby roads that drivers will have practiced on during shakedown earlier in the day. Friday’s leg is unchanged from last year, with two loops consisting of a pair of vineyard tests and the Wadern-Weiskirchen road　circuit　on the way back to service. Saturday has a new format, beginning with two country-lane stages each run twice in the morning, followed by two loops around Baumholder – including the 41.17-kilometre Panzerplatte – separated by an additional 15-minute service. Two repeated stages back in the vineyards round out the rally on Sunday.

Tommi Mäkinen (Team Principal)
“Our fantastic result in Finland was really important for both championships, and we all hope that we can continue that form in Germany. We were strong there last year, and Ott has won the rally for the last two seasons, so we are feeling confident about our chances as a team of another top result. It’s a rally where there’s a lot that can catch a driver out, whether it’s in the vineyards or the Baumholder roads, so you need to have confidence in your car and be very focused to avoid mistakes.”

Ott Tänak (Driver car 8)
“Germany is obviously a rally that I like a lot. Martin and I have won there two years in a row and our target this year is definitely to make it three. It’s certainly not an easy rally: I think last year was one of the most difficult wins in my career, as the competition was very strong and I had to push really hard from the beginning. It’s a big challenge for a driver to have so many different types of road in one rally, and to try to be fast on all of them and not make any mistakes. We know that the weather is often a big factor as well, and it can be very hard to predict.”

Jari-Matti Latvala (Driver car 10)
“It was really good to get the podium finish in Finland, and it means that I have a more relaxed feeling going to Germany. Last year we were up to second place when we had a problem on the final day and had to retire, so we know that we can be strong there. I’m really excited to see how we will do and I hope we can be fighting for the podium places again. The last asphalt rally in Corsica was difficult for me but we really worked on this in our test in Germany before Rally Finland: We were working on the braking and the turning, and I had a good feeling in the car.”

Kris Meeke (Driver car 5)
“After a run of gravel events, I’m really looking forward to competing on asphalt again. I’ve had a great feeling with the Yaris WRC so far on asphalt and I hope that we can find that again in Germany. It’s always a really demanding event because of the three different types of terrain and, on top of that, the weather is often changing from one stage to the next. But it’s a rally where I’ve been competitive in the past and I really hope that we can secure a good result for the team.”
–
WHAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR?
Ott Tänak and the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team followed their Rally Finland triumph by securing victory on Rallye Deutschland: The maiden win on asphalt for the Toyota Yaris WRC. As in Finland, the team achieved a double podium result, with Esapekka Lappi finishing in third place. Jari-Matti Latvala began the final day in third overall but had to retire because of a hydraulic pump issue.

Manufacturers: M-Sport Ford World Rally Team (GB) / Ford Fiesta WRC (Michelin)
3 Teemu Suninen / Jarmo Lehtinen (FIN)
44 Gus Greensmith / Elliott Edmondson (GB)

M-Sport Ford World Rally Team’s EcoBoost-powered Ford Fiesta WRCs have been transformed into their asphalt guise and are ready to tackle the Tarmac – geared up for the tenth round of the FIA World Rally Championship at next weekend’s ADAC Rallye Deutschland.

With Elfyn Evans still recovering from a back injury sustained last month, the championship’s youngest team mates are back at the forefront – 25-year-old Teemu Suninen and 22-year-old Gus Greensmith both keen to show their progression on one of the sport’s most demanding sealed‑surface events.

Team Principal, Richard Millener, said:

“Having challenged for the top results last time out on asphalt, we’ll be looking to build on that next week. Obviously it’s a shame not to have Elfyn. We know how competitive he would have been here, but his fitness is the top priority and we’re still capable of a strong result with our young and ambitious team.

“Teemu had a really good performance in Corsica, and also in Germany last year. With his karting background he’s no slouch when it comes to Tarmac and we’ve seen him really progress on this surface. After watching some of his footage from the test, he was certainly committed and I’m excited to see what he can do next week.

“Gus feels most at home on asphalt and it will be interesting to see what he can do on his sealed-surface debut with the top-specification Fiesta. He was really strong in Monte-Carlo earlier this year and although next week’s focus will be on experience, I think we could see him getting a lot closer to the top guys.”

RALLYE DEUTSCHLAND: THREE RALLIES IN ONE

Rallye Deutschland has long been considered three rallies in one – and one of the toughest Tarmac tests the FIA World Rally Championship has to offer.

The stages vary from narrow tracks that twist through the region’s famous vineyards, to fast country lanes and the broken asphalt of the notorious Baumholder military range – better known as Panzerplatte.

The challenge is found in mastering each change in rhythm and adopting the right set-up for the right stage. Unpredictable weather can often make the going even tougher, and focus is key – especially in Panzerplatte where one wrong move will be punished by concrete blocks known as ‘hinkelsteins’ that line the road.

Competitors also rely heavily on their route note crews to report any change in the condition of the stages. Dirt and gravel are often dragged onto the racing line – thus producing treacherous and slippery conditions that catch out even the most experienced.

TEEMU SUNINEN AND JARMO LEHTINEN

Loose-surface rallying may be more familiar to the Finns, but with a background in karting Teemu Suninen is no stranger when it comes to Tarmac. The young Finn secured a top-five finish on his previous outing at Rallye Deutschland – and repeated the feat at the Tour de Corse earlier this year. With experienced co-driver Jarmo Lehtinen alongside, he’ll be hoping to build on those performances next week.

Teemu Suninen said:

“Rallye Deutschland is a really demanding rally, but I feel ready for the challenge. We had a good run last time out on Tarmac, and I hope we can build on that next week.

“We’ve had a day and a half testing to find the best set-ups on the car, and the feeling is really good. Of course it’s impossible to be on the limit all the time at an event like this, but if we stay focused I think we can have a good rally.

“The route note crews will also be really important next week – and I think this is the most important event for them after Rallye Monte-Carlo. There is always a lot of cutting here which brings a lot of dirt onto the road. The conditions can change so much from one corner to the next, and that means a lot of changes in the notes.”

GUS GREENSMITH AND ELLIOTT EDMONDSON

Gus Greensmith and Elliott Edmondson will make their asphalt debut with the top‑specification Fiesta at next week’s Rallye Deutschland. The young Brits were victorious on their previous sealed-surface outing – impressing with the Ford Fiesta R5 at the season opener in Monte-Carlo – and are now keen to show their potential at the sport’s highest level.

Gus Greensmith said:

“I’m really excited for this one – Tarmac is the surface I grew up on, so this is my kind of territory. I thought the Ford Fiesta WRC was quick on gravel – but it’s another level on Tarmac!

“I’ve had a day and a half testing in Germany to prepare, and everything has been really promising so far. I felt immediately more comfortable with the Fiesta WRC on Tarmac, and the feeling behind the wheel was truly special.

“Being a Tarmac event the margins are smaller and everything feels that little more on the edge. But our focus is on gaining the full experience of the rally, and if I’m relaxed I’m confident the times will come too.”

WRC2 PRO: ŠKODA Motorsport / ŠKODA Fabia R5 Evo (Michelin)
21 Kalle Rovanperä / Jonne Halttunen (FIN)
22 Jan Kopecký / Pavel Dresler (CZ)

This weekend the second – and last – tarmac rally of the season is lying in wait for the World Rally Championship crews. The ADAC Rallye Deutschland. Rallye Deutschland was first held in 1982 as a part of the European Rally Championship calendar. In 2000, it was moved from its original venue around Koblenz, Mainz and Frankfurt am Main to Trier. Two years later, it was added to the WRC calendar.

They say that Rallye Deutschland is, in fact, three rallies in one. Each day has its own distinctive character. The Friday’s special stages take place in vineyards on the banks of the river Mosel’s valley, often on very narrow roads with less than ideal surfaces. There are a lot of switchbacks and the straights are very short. The Friday’s stages are popular among fans, as they can sit on the walls above the track, with rally cars just an arm’s length away.

This year’s Saturday leg is composed differently than in previous years. The morning’s stages take place on tight roads in picturesque countryside, while in the afternoon, the crews move to the Baumholder military area and the infamous Panzerplatte stage – which will be be driven in the opposite direction this year. It’s notorious for its “hinkelsteins” and the Gina jump, where cars can fly up to 40 metres. The track’s surface is broken concrete, which is very hard on tyres, making punctures common place. On Sunday, the rally returns to the vineyards. This time, however, the stages are much faster than Friday’s.

Weather may decide

The choice of tyres will be all-important, especially when rain showers enter the equation. Rain can make the whole situation much more complicated. One reason for this is that there is a lot of corner-cutting needed in Rallye Deutschland and after a few cars, there’s a lot of dirt on the track. That’s why “weather spies”, who drive through the stages before the start, are so important here. Another change for this year sees shorter transport stages, balanced by the greater overall length of the special stages. For the first time, the official start of the rally will take place in the service park in the beautiful town of Bostalsee.

Last year, Jan Kopecký and Pavel Dresler snatched victory in the WRC 2, after a great catch-up run following a puncture on Panzerplatte. The Czech crew will appear this year as well, together with WRC 2 Pro leaders Kalle Rovanperä and Jonne Halttunen. Besides the two improved works FABIA R5 evo cars, another two private ones will appear, as well as nine other FABIA R5s.

WRC2 PRO: M-Sport Ford World Rally Team / Ford Fiesta R5 MK2 (Michelin)
24 Eric Camilli / Benjamin Veillas (F)

Service Park

https://twitter.com/El_Risson/status/1163858742213042177

https://twitter.com/HartusvuoriWRC/status/1164130276475375617

https://twitter.com/rallytravel/status/1163817103578689539

https://twitter.com/El_Risson/status/1163752493706166273

https://twitter.com/El_Risson/status/1163760751074512900

https://twitter.com/SaariJarno/status/1164212563518861313

Recce

https://twitter.com/HartusvuoriWRC/status/1163730279690854400

https://twitter.com/HartusvuoriWRC/status/1163740855213199361

https://twitter.com/HartusvuoriWRC/status/1163729495209234433

https://twitter.com/RhysYatesRally/status/1163737246211727361

https://twitter.com/nikolay_gryazin/status/1163880538106671104

https://twitter.com/thierryneuville/status/1164141538009657345

https://twitter.com/DaniSordo/status/1164209234067767297

https://twitter.com/SLefebvreRallye/status/1164219068095881217

https://twitter.com/GuillaumeMevius/status/1164233155366313985

Wednesday, 21 Agust

https://twitter.com/HMSGOfficial/status/1164184756759814144

https://twitter.com/ElfynEvans/status/1164155128972230657

https://twitter.com/HMSGOfficial/status/1164081853067911168

https://twitter.com/MotorsportSkoda/status/1164109759030710278

https://twitter.com/nepfinland/status/1164178948881862657

https://twitter.com/HMSGOfficial/status/1164215682839601152

https://twitter.com/SaariJarno/status/1164234468489617409

https://twitter.com/JariMattiWRC/status/1164228933480570881

Thursday, 22 August

Competitive distance: 5,20 km (Liaison 27,52 km, Total 32,92 km)

Sunrise 6:21 / Sunset 20:40

https://twitter.com/MKiviaho/status/1164086333461147649

https://twitter.com/OfficialWRC/status/1164441502011002880

https://twitter.com/TGR_WRC/status/1164446737190313984

https://twitter.com/CitroenRacing/status/1164441529244704771

https://twitter.com/HMSGOfficial/status/1164440748802154496

https://twitter.com/MSportLtd/status/1164443736069300224

https://twitter.com/MKiviaho/status/1164440889474854914

https://twitter.com/ma_ipp/status/1164458701350211584

https://twitter.com/eWRCresults/status/1164454146621284352

Shakedown: Andreas Mikkelsen went wide and into the field.

https://twitter.com/ma_ipp/status/1164470145416335361

Shakedown: Mads Østberg misjudged braking point and went into the field.

Shakedown: Nicolas Ciamin went off the road.

https://twitter.com/TGR_WRC/status/1164510730953154560

https://twitter.com/rallyparadise/status/1164498182723817474

https://twitter.com/ma_ipp/status/1164511285159124993

Meet the Crews Session leg 1
Quotes after the shakedown of ADAC Rallye Deutschland 2019
2019/08/22

What the drivers had to say after shakedown of ADAC Rallye Deutschland 2019.

Present:
Sébastien Ogier, Citroën Total World Rally Team
Ott Tänak, Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team
Esapekka Lappi, Citroën Total World Rally Team

Q:
Seb, it’s going to be a full-on fight, there’s only 22 points between you and Ott Tänak. It’s coming to the end of the season now. Crucial to get as many points on the board as possible. This is a rally where you’ve done that before. How confident are you feeling?
SO:
There’s five events to go, so for sure you’re getting closer and closer to the end, but still many points to catch. Ob obviously we want to change the trend and change the way it was going in the last rallies. Finland was not really nice for us, we lost some ground and obviously I don’t like these kind of weekends. For sure, coming back on tarmac the aim is much higher and we want to fight for the win this weekend, but we know that we are not alone. It was very, very close already in the shakedown this morning, not only with Ott, but obviously Ott is the one we want to beat because that’s the main rival for the championship. Not forgetting Thierry of course, who is also only three points behind me. I think we will have nice weather and the conditions will be enjoyable for a good fight for the weekend.

Q:
Yeah, it looks as if it’s going to be dry the whole weekend, which hopefully for you guys will make tyre choice quite an easy one. We like to see a bit of rain, it makes it exciting for us to watch it, but for you not so much. You’ve had an engine upgrade since we saw the car in Finland, how much of a difference is that making? Are you seeing the benefit?
SO:
A huge difference. They have no chance at all this weekend. (Laughter) We will be driving only in road mode this weekend and it was enough this morning. No, I mean, of course, every small update is always nice to take, so yes it was a small core update, so we’re always happy to have it. I’ve been asked that many times already this weekend, and it’s not something you can really sense in the car, but if they are there then they must help to set better times. That’s what we need at the end of the day. Other than that, I think we’ve been working quite hard also on the set-up, because obviously the last tarmac race was bad for us, we were not competitive in Corsica. At least this morning it looks ok, nothing crazy, but we are in the mix, so let’s see what we can do.

Q:
He is the man to beat right now, Ott Tänak. What is it going to take to beat him?
SO:
I don’t know, but it’s definitely possible. (Laughter) He’s looking away already, starting to be scared, so… No, I mean, yeah like I say, it will be an intense fight. Ott has won the last two editions here and I have to change that you know, I don’t want to let him win one more time and I’m up for the fight.

Q:
OK, thank you very much Seb. Let’s turn to Ott Tänak now. See if he is feeling scared. We can’t see your eyes behind those glasses, so we’re not sure. But how are you feeling – ahh, there we go!
OT:
There’s nothing scary.

Q:
That’s what we like to hear. Now, you’ve had a great run of success and, as Seb said, you could be on for another win here, which would make it a hat-trick of wins in Germany. Different conditions again this year, it’s going to be dry for the whole weekend. Confidence high?
OT:
The weekend is looking nice, Germany is always one of the most tricky with the weather and if it’s consistent then, of course, it makes life a lot easier. But still we’ve seen in the past that fights here are always very, very tight, as we had last year with Seb. Every stage we were most of the time in the same second, so if you want to make some difference here, you need to have a very good package. Hopefully our package this weekend is as good as it was last year.

Q:
You say hopefully. Are you not that absolutely confident that it is then? You should be by now?
OT:
I’m confident with my package, but I have no idea what kind of package the others have, so we have to see that tomorrow. But so far, my feeling is good.

Q:
A little bit away from the rally now then Mr Tänak, because we’re waiting to find out what you’ll do next year, when you sign on the dotted line. Lots of media reporting that you’ll stay with Toyota, some saying that you will move to M-Sport, maybe. What’s the latest update for us?
OT:
Latest update is that I’m still here, I’m still driving Toyota and there’s still a title to get. So, it’s as easy as that. To be honest, you know, on paper things are always a bit more complicated than you expect them to be, so it’s not so straightforward. Let’s say in the background people are working on it, but it will still take some time.

Q:
What’s making it complicated?
OT:
Rallying I believe. (Laughter)

Q:
When are you going to make this decision, have you got a deadline for yourself?
OT:
I do the decision when everything is ready, so it’s as easy as that.

Q:
OK, Ott Tänak, thank you very much
SO:
When there is enough zeroes on the contract, then he is signing. (Laughter)

Q:
I think you might be right there Seb, I think you might be right.

Q:
Esapekka, let’s talk to you now then. How are you feeling about this weekend? Because we saw you on the podium in Finland. Brilliant performance there. We were hoping it wasn’t going to be a one-off performance. Good run at shakedown this morning, you feeling good?
EL:
Yeah, I was surprised about the time to be honest. Yeah, to be honest I look forward more about the gravel now as I know the car is really much better and fit for me. But this is tarmac, I’ve never really enjoyed this rally too much because it’s so tricky, and I like clean tarmac and not dirty one, and this is all the time dirty. But yeah, the speed was good, but I was quite on the limit on the shakedown. I realised that and I understand that if I continue at this speed, I cannot see so many stages tomorrow.

Q:
We want to see you do as many stages as possible here, obviously. I asked Seb the question about the engine. Surely you’ve had the question thrown at you many times. Are you feeling the difference? Is it a noticeable difference or not?
EL:
No, no, I can’t really, it’s still fine. I mean the engine is good, but I cannot really say what’s the difference.

Q:
Well, that’s fair enough. Talk to me about Panzerplatte, because we’re seeing it in reverse. Well, we have seen it that way before, but I hear from a lot of the drivers that it was really quite dirty when you went through there. There was a lot of punctures on the recce.
EL:
Yeah, it’s correct, it’s a long stage. Some sections are really broken from the concrete parts and I guess that’s causing the punctures on the recce for many drivers. I had one, I think the next guy had more than one, I think three. Toyota boys had punctures and there were cars stopped here and there. Ok, rally tyres are stronger, but still I believe it’s a bit of a lottery who will survive without a puncture. If you can do that, you should be quite satisfied.

Q:
Final question, probably a bit of an unfair one. Where do you think Ott is going next year?
EL:
We haven’t really discussed it, you know.

Q:
What’s your opinion EP? What do you think? If you were Ott Tänak, what would you do?
EL:
I believe he will stay.

Q:
Yeah?
EL:
Yeah.
SO:
You think it’s enough zeroes?

Q:
OK guys, I’ll let you go now then. Thank you very much Sebastien Ogier, Ott Tänak and Esapekka Lappi.

Shakedown, FIA World Rally Championship

Shakedown, Michelin Motorsport

Shakedown, LiveRacingTV24

Shakedown, Mk2 Racing Videos

Shakedown, marcel206GT

Shakedown, La Sangle

Shakedown, ArdechoRallye

Shakedown, Seb Rallye Passion [SRP]

https://twitter.com/rallyplus/status/1164523771039846400

FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP
Rallye Deutschland
Pre-event Press Conference
Thursday 22nd August

Present:
Ott Tänak, Toyota (EST), Gazoo Racing World Rally Team
Sébastien Ogier (FRA), Citroën Total World Rally Team
Thierry Neuville (BEL), Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team
Gus Greensmith (GBR), M-Sport Ford World Rally Team
Takamoto Katsuta (JAP), Tommi Mäkinen Racing

Q:
Ott, you are our championship leader as we head into the weekend. It’s 22 points, the advantage you now have. It’s a very different story to what we saw last year. It could be win number three for you in Germany this weekend, but there is a long way to go, obviously. Is your confidence high?
OT:
The feeling is good. It was good to get some tarmac feeling again this morning. Generally, I am quite happy with the car. I would say, already in Corsica we had a fine, fine car to drive on tarmac and now we managed to take another step. So, in general, the balance is there and everything should be working. Today’s shakedown was still quite simple, but tomorrow we go to the vineyards and it certainly gets a bit more complicated.

Q:
It does get complicated out there. But maybe one thing that is going to help this weekend is the weather, because it looks as though it is going to be dry. Three years ago, you made a great tyre choice with that wet tyre, and you won in 2017, and it was a bit of a headache last year. Do you think, even with the dry weather here, in the early mornings there would be any call for a mixed package of Michelin tyres, or is it hard compound all the way this weekend?
OT:
Normally it should be quite straightforward. If the rally is dry and the tarmac is dry, there is really no need to make any difficult decision. I hope it will be the same way it has been so far this week. Obviously we are still in Germany and many things can happen. We have seen many surprises before, but for the moment the situation looks quite stable.

Q:
It does look quite stable. How’s the situation looking in Ott Tänak’s world in terms of the future? You are pretty cool, calm and collected when it comes to the rallies, what about behind the scenes deciding what you want to do next year? How cool and calm are you at the moment with that?
OT:
That’s happening behind the scenes. I don’t need to know everything. Other people are working on this situation. My job is to focus on the championship and let other people work on other things.

Q:
How many other teams are you talking to right now then – or have they been talking to?
OT:
Exactly. I am not actually talking to anyone.

Q:
But you know what they are doing, so what are they doing? Who are they talking to?
OT:
To other people.

Q:
Hyundai, M-Sport?
OT:
Yes, exactly. That’s the way it works. Of course, we are speaking to everybody. My aim is definitely to be in the strongest team for the future. That was actually the same when I joined Toyota two years ago. In 2017, I was in the best team. We won the Manufacturers’ Championship and also the Drivers’ Championship, which I did not win but my team did. So, I was in a very strong team. Now I have joined Toyota and I can obviously say that I am in a strong team again at the moment. On those occasions we definitely made very good decisions, so we need to continue the same way. That is the job for the future.

Q:
Final question on this subject: some media reports are saying that you have already signed at Toyota and you will stay. Is that true or not?
OT:
No, that’s not true. There is nothing on paper yet and there are still a lot of talks going on. I believe it will still take some time.

Q:
Seb, I’m so glad we don’t have to have these chats anymore, because we had so many over the years, didn’t we? Let’s talk about your situation in the championship. Second at the moment, 22 points is the difference. We know what you can do in Germany, three wins under your belt here – I know you don’t feel pressure generally, because you’ve won six championships and know how to do it, but are you starting to, now that we are getting to the tail end?
SO:
It’s not true to say that people don’t feel pressure, because we all feel pressure. We just manage it a different way, maybe, but we all feel pressure. I can tell you that I still have the excitement when I wake up in the morning and we are going to rally. I still have this tension in my belly when I have to go for it. I actually also feel the pressure, but I have usually managed it pretty well in the past. Like you mentioned, having the chance to enjoy success gives you the chance to be more relaxed. But the pressure is still there. And, actually, I need that to be competitive. If I’m too relaxed, most of the time I will not perform well. Sure, Finland was not a nice rally for us. We lost some ground to Ott. We don’t want to do the same thing this weekend. We need to fight back and need to score big points and to finish ahead of him. The goal is pretty clear for the weekend: try to win the rally and score maximum points. Other than that, let’s do it.

Q:
I know it is a long way in advance to talk about Panzerplatte at the moment, but a lot of the drivers have said, even on the recce, because it is quite dirty, you’re picking up punctures on your road car. Would that put in mind for you that perhaps two spares is an absolute must for Panzerplatte this time around?
SO:
Honestly, I haven’t seen Panzerplatte as dirty as this year for a while. I believe that things are going to happen in there. I certainly hope to have a bit of luck with me, because you need that in these conditions. We more or less all drive in the same place, but for whatever reason, sometimes you get a puncture or not. There are so many sharp rocks in there. Let’s hope we stay out of trouble. Obviously, if you pick up a puncture then your chances of fighting for a big result are gone. Before that, there is still some mileage to enjoy the fight and more clean roads. Already tomorrow in the vineyards, I think everybody is going to start flat out, because the gap might be very close.

Q:
Thierry, you’ve obviously done your training on the circuit. We saw you in race car action in TCR Germany. How was that experience?
TN:
It was a great experience. Ahead of Rally Germany, I thought that it could only help. That’s why I accepted the invitation, and it was good fun. But now we are back to real business and real competition.

Q:
It is the real business now because, as Seb said, there are five events to go this season and you are third in the championship. It was very different coming into Germany last year for you. Do you feel on the back foot now? Do you feel the title is slipping away, or do you still feel confident it is possible?
TN:
Not at all. I mean, I was in a much better situation last year, for sure. But we went to Turkey and I think both me and Seb had struggles there. We lost a lot. Tough or not, there will still be situations where anything can happen at any point in the season. Even in the last race. I mean, we all know that the championship is still on. But we also know what we are fighting for and against who we are fighting. It’s going to be a tough competition this weekend. Nobody really wants to slow down for anything. We’ll just try to take out the big hammer and try to get the win over here this weekend.

Q:
What is it going to take to beat the boys in front, Thierry? You are quite evenly matched. What extra does it take?
TN:
You could already see on Shakedown that the performance is again quite similar. It might be, over the whole weekend, who has the cleanest rally with no mistakes. And, as Seb just mentioned before, who has the lucky hand on the Panzerplatte stages. They are quite dirty with a lot of stones, but you need to find a good rhythm between giving it everything, managing your tyres and trying, if you can, to avoid all the little stones that could cause a puncture.

Q:
Gus, a WRC car on tarmac. Another new experience. How was Shakedown this morning? You weren´t feeling so great at the end of the first run. How was it towards the end?
GG:
Yeah, it was getting much better towards the end. It went from quite a big gap to the being just over half a second per kilometre, so it was much better in the end. But even then, when we were looking at the data and the onboard, there was quite a lot of time that I could see I could find. It was pretty positive. We need to keep moving from there.

Q:
What is the objective for you here this weekend? We’ve seen great performances from you in Finland and Portugal, but not quite getting to the end of the event. Always in dramatic fashion, though. That is something we can remember from you. In Finland it was a very different situation to what we saw in Portugal. It was a pace-note misunderstanding?
GG:
That’s what it was. It was a shame. It was a bit stupid. That’s what happened. This weekend obviously, the focus is just to finish the rally and get the experience. I feel a lot more comfortable on tarmac, so I’d like to see the times progress throughout the weekend.

Q:
It seems you’re getting a lot of runs in the World Rally Car right now. That’s great for you, of course. Is that going to mean that it is going to be hard to switch back to an R5. What is going to be happening in Greensmith’s future?
GG:
I have no idea. I keep having a phone call and Malcom says he will see me on the Tuesday after the rally and he tells me what I am doing. I really don’t know what I am driving next.

Q:
Taka, it’s going to be a huge weekend for you in a World Rally Car on tarmac. We’ve seen you in a WRC car on gravel up on Finnish Rally Championship events, but this is the first time in the World Rally Championship and on tarmac. How are you feeling?
TK:
I did four runs and about 20km. This is my total distance on tarmac in this year’s WRC to be honest. I drove a little in Finland on tarmac, but only on a track, so got a proper feeling in the morning. It was amazing – the car is so fast. Like I said, the car is really fast. I really need to understand my situation. This time I cannot expect anything, just driving through the stages and get the experience.

Q:
Obviously you’ve got an incredible team around you. How much advice have you been given from people like Ott and the team?
TK:
I mean it’s a great team. The drivers always share information. When I have a question, everybody is giving me concrete advice. Especially Ott. He is very busy but he is giving me a lot of advice. I have no idea what will happen in this corner or this corner – each corner. I ask him and straight away, he gives me advice. This is an amazing situation. I try to improve myself of course. I need to take full use of this amazing team. I am very happy in the team.

Q:
Is this the start of more events in a World Rally Car, Taka? Will we see you in a WRC car again this year, or more next year?
TK:
It depends of this weekend, maybe. But we are planning to do Spain as well. I think the plan for this year’s World Rally Championship was Germany and Spain. Otherwise, Japan is a candidate event for next year. I will be there. Otherwise, I have no idea.

FIA WRC 2 PRO CHAMPIONSHIP

Present:
Jan Kopecký (CZE), Škoda Motorsport
Mads Østberg (NOR), Citroën Total

Q:
Mr. Østberg, we’re going to start with you today. I think you’ve had a bit of an eventful shakedown out there. We heard from you at the end of the opening stage, you had a little problem with your rear wheel and then you had an excursion into a field? Tell us what happened this morning.
MO:
Yeah, we had a bit of everything, I think. This morning, we left service with a bit of an issue on the rear and, because of the timing and the new regulations, we actually had to do the stage, so we passed the stage knowing it was not so nice. When we came back, everything was fixed by the mechanics, so our second run was fine. Third run was a bit more interesting: there was a break in the shakedown before we started. I expected the tyres still to be warm, but I don’t think they were! And I basically misjudged my braking and went into the field. Well, jumped into the field, actually…

Q:
Well, that does sound dramatic. But as long as it happens on Shakedown, we’re good. How are you feeling about the rally itself?
MO:
Yeah, we are feeling OK. I think we have done some nice tests over the last few weeks. I still discover the car, trying to find places to improve and also to get used to the car on tarmac. I think we have made some good progress and I feel quite comfortable in the car, but I think we still have some issues, which we can’t really solve at the moment and we will try to adapt as well as possible. For sure, it’s important that my driving is precise and correct to feel good with the car.

Q:
What issues have you got then? If you need to be precise, what are the issues?
MO:
I think it’s quite similar to what we’ve had before. Some issues during braking and we’ve tried to solve it and Citroën has done some nice steps to improve, but I still don’t feel comfortable with it and it’s probably… I need some more practice to do things the way I need to do with that car. So I’m training as much as I can and, obviously, don’t do it perfectly all the time.

Q:
I know you love working with Citroën and you’ve done a lot of work with the development of the car this year, but can you tell us anything about what the future is holding for Mads Østberg right now? Because it is that time of the season, Mads.
MO:
Yeah, it is that time, definitely and I don’t really know a lot more about the future. I think that I am quite deep into what I am doing at the moment and really focused on that together with Citroën, of course. Yeah, we don’t know a lot about the future. But I feel really happy where I am with Citroën and I would like to try and stay with them for the future as well.

Q:
Jan, let’s turn to you now. First of all, congratulations on the win in Barum this weekend. That’s your home event. I’ve lost count of how many times you’ve won it now – I couldn’t tell you! But I can tell you that this is your tenth Rally Germany, which is quite a number. You’ve been competing here since back in 2002, which was the first Rally Germany. So, you know what it means to compete here, you know how to gain success at this event. Are you feeling confident?
JK:
Hello everyone. Yes, I’m feeling confident, especially now after Barum. Because we tried some new dampers on the car. They’re working very well, so basically I will start with the same set-up as I finished in Zlin. This year, I think that the conditions – the weather conditions – will be quite easy and maybe no rain is coming. But Panzerplatte is really broken so it will be a huge challenge not to get a puncture on there. And, you know, that always happens, a puncture on Panzerplatte. So, hopefully, this time, this year, it will not be like that because we already had a puncture on the Shakedown. Hopefully we’ll avoid any more.

Q:
Any on the recce?
JK:
No. Zero.

Q.
I know a number of drivers did on the recce. You mentioned Panzerplatte there. It is a key stage here. Is it the toughest stage from the driver’s perspective, or is it more the vineyard test?
JK:
I think altogether, because you have three different kinds of stages. The vineyards are very narrow but the speed has to be really high to set the fastest time. Panzerplatte is a different story, because, if you survive the punctures, you really have to take care of the tyres. And then, on these forest stages, they are tricky, so I will try to do my best for sure.

Q:
Now, the competition in WRC 2 Pro is going to be fantastic. You’ve got Mads alongside you, and of course your team-mate Kalle Rovanpera. We know what you can do on this kind of surface. My question is: are you going to be allowed to really stretch your legs out there, Jan, and go for a win? You have got a good advantage in the championship.
JK:
I don’t know, let’s see how the first stages will be tomorrow morning, but I would sure like to be in the top. The best result will be if Škoda is first and second. Let’s see.

Q:
Well, let’s see what happens. Good luck this weekend.
JK:
Thank you.

FIA WRC 2 CHAMPIONSHIP

Present:
Kajetan Kajetanowicz (POL)
Marijan Griebel (GER)

Q:
Kajetan, let’s turn to you now. It’s a great event, Rally Germany, it offers a very unique challenge. As I said to Jan, is it Panzerplatte, or is it a mixture of it all that is a real challenge for the drivers?
KK:
Hello. Yes. This is WRC. There is no easy rally and there are no easy stages. But these stages are very demanding … We are now on a very different surface, this is changing many times. But definitely, Panzerplatte is the biggest. Why? Because of tyres, the surface is very aggressive, and because it’s long and difficult. In my opinion, the opposite way is more dangerous. But we see. To be honest, I can wait for this stage.

Q:
Testing-wise: your pre-event test, were you happy with it, the set-up and the feeling that you got from the car?
KK:
Yes, I am happy. We did a two-day test. In Poland we had a one-day test. I think we found something in the one-day test, something good. My feeling in the car is much better than before. I’m looking forward. We’ll see. If you want to fight with these drivers, it’s a big challenge as you have to push 100 percent. Because this is like race, not rally. Rally is, in my opinion, like Rally Turkey, or this year, Chile, as this was a new rally … This rally is for everybody the same. Second time is better than first time…

Q:
Not like Mr. Kopecky here, a veteran of Rally Germany. Looking back across your season, we’ve seen you on the FIA WRC 2 podium twice. Have you been happy with the pace that you’ve delivered? Are you happy with your performance?
KK:
Yes. We have the chance to be third time on podium. In Argentina, we were leading but we lost the lead because of a Volkswagen Polo. Anyway, we are really happy. Now I’m back in Volkswagen so we’ll see. We want to do good for the rest of season but you know how it is…

Q:
We do. Well, good luck.
KK:
I will do my best.

Q:
Marijan, great to see you at Rally Germany again and in FIA WRC 2. What are your hopes for this weekend?
MG:
First of all, I’m really happy that I can sit here and have the opportunity to drive this new Škoda Fabia R5 evo. I’ve been doing also Barum Czech Rally Zlin last weekend, which was quite good for me that I can have some seat time before this one. Unfortunately, due to some budget issues, I was doing it in the regular Škoda Fabia this event. So, I did my very first metres with the Evo in the Shakedown and was also doing two co-drives, so testing was really, really limited. But the feeling was quite good. And I think we set second-fastest time in WRC 2, so I think we can be quite optimistic and I hope for a podium this weekend.

Q:
It wasn’t bad in Zlin for you: fifth overall.
MG:
Yeah, it was OK. I mean, I had some crashes in Poland so the worst thing I could have done in Zlin is crashing again because then Rally Germany would have been really difficult to do. So, I was driving quite a clever rally, not taking too many risks on the stages and, yeah, just going through and getting seat time and kilometres. And the car was running perfectly so I was happy with that and now we go on.

Q:
I know that, as you said, you haven’t had much time in the brand new Fabia, but can you already see the difference between the new Fabia and the old?
MG:
Yeah, I think so. The shifting is quite different and also you can feel that there is some more torque and a little bit more horsepower, especially when you go out of some narrow corners, which is not easy all the time. But for sure in the end, if you can do it in the proper way, then I think it’s faster.

Q:
It should be a really interesting weekend. Weather-wise, it is looking pretty calm out there, so that should make it easy for you. But this is never an easy rally, is it? It is a massive challenge.
MG:
For sure, yeah. I think it’s really nice that we will have some sunny weather over the weekend but I think the rally in total is longer than last year with more than 340 stage kilometres and also Panzerplatte, with 51 in total of both stages is quite a lot, so this will be very, very demanding. And the pace is really high, so if you want to be in the first slots, you have to push 100 percent from the very first metre and, for sure, this is a really difficult rally.

https://twitter.com/thierryneuville/status/1164516016275230721

https://twitter.com/TakamotoKatsuta/status/1164420377675739136

https://twitter.com/WRCgerardquinn/status/1164532187368230913

https://twitter.com/GuillaumeMevius/status/1164564428643323905

https://twitter.com/ma_ipp/status/1164582396202758144

https://twitter.com/Michelin_Sport/status/1164587562461212673

https://twitter.com/rallyparadise/status/1164594815553683458

https://twitter.com/TGR_WRC/status/1164594982587633664

https://twitter.com/MotorsportSkoda/status/1164590058160238596

Day 1, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing WRC

Day 1, RallyTielen

Friday, 23 August

Competitive distance: 101,42 km (Liaison 302,38 km, Total 403,80 km)

Sunrise 6:23 / Sunset 20:38

https://twitter.com/MKiviaho/status/1163829922827292672

The starting order:

ORD	ENTRANT (TEAM)	DRIVER/CODRIVER	NAT.	NR	CAR	GR	CL	SEED PR
1	TOYOTA GAZOO Racing WRT	Ott Tänak / Martin Järveoja	EE	8	Toyota Yaris WRC	RC1	WRC	P1	M
2	Citroën Total W.R.T.	Sébastien Ogier / Julien Ingrassia	F	1	Citroën C3 WRC	RC1	WRC	P1	M
3	Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team	Thierry Neuville / Nicolas Gilsoul	B	11	Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC	RC1	WRC	P1	M
4	Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team	Andreas Mikkelsen / Anders Jaeger	N	89	Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC	RC1	WRC	P1	M
5	M-Sport Ford World Rally Team	Teemu Suninen / Jarmo Lehtinen	FIN	3	Ford Fiesta WRC	RC1	WRC	P1	M
6	TOYOTA GAZOO Racing WRT	Kris Meeke / Sebastian Marshall	GB	5	Toyota Yaris WRC	RC1	WRC	P1	M
7	Citroën Total W.R.T.	Esapekka Lappi / Janne Ferm	FIN	4	Citroën C3 WRC	RC1	WRC	P1	M
8	TOYOTA GAZOO Racing WRT	Jari-Matti Latvala / Miikka Anttila	FIN	10	Toyota Yaris WRC	RC1	WRC	P1	M
9	Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team	Daniel Sordo / Carlos del Barrio	E	6	Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC	RC1	WRC	P1	M
10	M-Sport Ford World Rally Team	Gus Greensmith / Elliott Edmondson	GB	44	Ford Fiesta WRC	RC1	WRC	P1	M
11	Tommi Mäkinen Racing (TOYOTA GAZOO Racing WRT)	Takamoto Katsuta / Daniel Barrit	J/GB	17	Toyota Yaris WRC	RC1	WRC	P1
12	ŠKODA Motorsport	Kalle Rovanperä / Jonne Halttunen	FIN	21	ŠKODA Fabia R5 Evo	RC2	R5	P2P	WRC2 PRO
13	Citroën Total (Dg Sport Compétition)	Mads Østberg / Torstein Eriksen	N	22	Citroën C3 R5	RC2	R5	P2P	WRC2 PRO
14	ŠKODA Motorsport	Jan Kopecký / Pavel Dresler	CZ	23	ŠKODA Fabia R5 Evo	RC2	R5	P2P	WRC2 PRO
15	M-Sport Ford World Rally Team	Eric Camilli / Benjamin Veillas	F	24	Ford Fiesta R5 MK2	RC2	R5	P2P	WRC2 PRO
16	Sports Racing Technologies	Nikolay Gryazin / Yaroslav Fedorov	RUS	41	ŠKODA Fabia R5	RC2	R5	P2	WRC2
17	LOTOS Rally Team (Baumschlager Rallye & Racing)	Kajetan Kajetanowicz / Maciej Szczepaniak	PL	43	Volkswagen Polo GTI R5	RC2	R5	P2	WRC2
18	(ACI Team Italia / Motorsport Italia srl)	Fabio Andolfi / Simone Scattolin	I	45	ŠKODA Fabia R5	RC2	R5	P2	WRC2
19	(Taylors Motorsport Ltd)	Rhys Yates / James Morgan	GB	46	ŠKODA Fabia R5	RC2	R5	P2	WRC2
20	Team France FFSA Rallye (M-Sport Poland)	Adrien Fourmaux / Renaud Jamoul	F/B	47	Ford Fiesta R5 MK2	RC2	R5	P2	WRC2
21	(Friulmotor Rally Team)	Simone Tempestini / Sergiu Itu	RO	48	Hyundai i20 R5	RC2	R5	P2	WRC2
22	RACB (DG Sport)	Guillaume de Mevius / Martijn Wydaeghe	B	49	Citroën C3 R5	RC2	R5	P2	WRC2
23	THX Racing (DG Sport)	Nicolas Ciamin / Yannick Roche	F	50	Volkswagen Polo GTI R5	RC2	R5	P2	WRC2
24	(SXM Compétition)	Sebastien Bedoret / Thomas Walbrecq	B	51	ŠKODA Fabia R5 Evo	RC2	R5	P2	WRC2
25	(BMA)	Stéphane Lefebvre / Thomas Dubois	F	53	Volkswagen Polo GTI R5	RC2	R5	P2	WRC2
26	(Baumschlager Rallye & Racing)	Marijan Griebel / Pirmin Winklhofer	D	54	ŠKODA Fabia R5 Evo	RC2	R5	P2	WRC2
27	Škoda Auto Deutschland (BRR)	Fabian Kreim / Tobias Braun	D	55	ŠKODA Fabia R5 Evo	RC2	R5	P2	WRC2
28	Brose Motorsport (Sarrazin Motorsport)	Dominik Dinkel / Christina Fürst	D	56	Hyundai i20 R5	RC2	R5	P2	WRC2
29		Sebastian Schwinn / Felix Griebel	D	57	Volkswagen Polo GTI R5	RC2	R5	P2	WRC2
30	(M-Sport)	“Pedro” / Emanuele Baldaccini	I	52	Ford Fiesta R5 MK2	RC2	R5	P2	WRC2
31		Enrico Brazzoli / Manuel Fenoli	I	71	Fiat 124 Abarth Rally RGT	RGT			RGT
32	(Sarrazin Motorsport)	Stéphane Sarrazin / Jacques-Julien Renucci	F	73	Hyundai i20 R5	RC2	R5
33		Pieter Tsjoen / Pieter Vyncke	B	74	ŠKODA Fabia R5	RC2	R5
34		Raphaël Astier / Frédéric Vauclare	F	75	Hyundai i20 R5	RC2	R5
35		Kristian Poulsen / Ole R. Frederiksen	DK	76	ŠKODA Fabia R5	RC2	R5
36		Pjm Cracco / Jasper Vermaulen	B	81	ŠKODA Fabia R5	RC2	R5
37		Eamonn Boland / M.J. Morrissey	IRL	77	Ford Fiesta R5	RC2	R5
38		Henk Vossen / Erwin Berkhof	NL	78	Ford Fiesta R5	RC2	R5
39		Marco Roncoroni / Paolo Brusadelli	I	79	ŠKODA Fabia R5	RC2	R5
40	(Gassner Motorsport)	Hermann Gassner / Karin Thannhäuser	D	80	Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X	NAT
41	(Gassner Motorsport)	Hermann Gassner jr. / Ursula Mayrhofer	D/A	83	Toyota GT86 CS-R3	RC3	R3
42		Patrick Gengler / Ken Krüger-Gengler	LUX	84	Renault Clio RS R3T	RC3	R3T
43		Stefan Stich / Melanie Kalinke	D	86	Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X	NAT
44	ADAC Saarland E.V.	Roman Schwedt / Henry Wichura	D	87	Peugeot 208 R2	RC4	R2
45		Lasse Murmann Sørensen / Karsten Isaksen	DK	88	Opel ADAM R2	RC4	R2
46		Mitsuhiro Kunisawa / Masahiko Kihara	J	90	Ford Fiesta R2	RC4	R2
47		Marco Oldani / Pietro D’Agostino	I	91	Peugeot 208 R2	RC4	R2
48	Renngemeinschaft Oberberg E.V.	Klaus Osterhaus / Dietmar Moch	D	92	Toyota GT86 CS-R3	RC3	R3
49		Norman Kreuter / Jeannette Kvick	D/DK	93	Citroën DS3 R3T	RC3	R3T
50	ADAC Nordbayern E.V.	Josef Wecker / Sabrina Türk	D	94	Renault Clio RS R3T	RC3	R3T
51		Fabio Peruzzo / Nicola Terrassan	I	95	Peugeot 208 R2	RC4	R2
52		Jürgen Hohlheimer / Roni Liessi	D	96	Renault Twingo R2	RC4	R2

https://twitter.com/OfficialWRC/status/1164480740035354631

https://twitter.com/HMSGOfficial/status/1164797753727188992

https://twitter.com/CitroenRacing/status/1164801758691876864

https://twitter.com/MSportLtd/status/1164802321441669120

https://twitter.com/voiceofrally/status/1164801397600112641

SS 2: Teemu Suninen had problems with the throttle and stopped. Retired -> Rally 2

https://twitter.com/MSportLtd/status/1164817766320181250

https://twitter.com/TeemuSuninenRac/status/1164824841863626752

SS 2: Takamato Katsuta stalled on the first hairpin.

https://twitter.com/HMSGOfficial/status/1164821019510501376

https://twitter.com/thierryneuville/status/1164821893087580160

https://twitter.com/TGR_WRC/status/1164821478799364100

https://twitter.com/MotorsportSkoda/status/1164824075413274631

SS 3: Nikolay Gryazin had a puncture and stopped to change the wheel. Lost almost 2 minutes.

https://twitter.com/nikolay_gryazin/status/1164842144512843776

SS 3: Stéphane Lefebvre missed a junction and had to reverse. Lost almost 5 seconds.

https://twitter.com/MKiviaho/status/1164865020343308288

https://twitter.com/TGR_WRC/status/1164841115146735616

https://twitter.com/KalleRovanpera/status/1164840376173236224

https://twitter.com/rallyparadise/status/1164891240858562560

https://twitter.com/TGR_WRC/status/1164857907852300288

https://twitter.com/thierryneuville/status/1164883466909102081

https://twitter.com/SebOgier/status/1164870861377196032

https://twitter.com/EsapekkaLappi/status/1164859250486710272

https://twitter.com/HMSGOfficial/status/1164864025328521216

https://twitter.com/MotorsportSkoda/status/1164886639874838528

https://twitter.com/MSportLtd/status/1164889347864301571

SS 5: Esapekka Lappi couldn’t catch the rear on the dirt and had a spun. Lost at least 10 seconds.

https://twitter.com/EsapekkaLappi/status/1164903133497237510

https://twitter.com/thierryneuville/status/1164904450898694144

https://twitter.com/thierryneuville/status/1164933150717480963

https://twitter.com/TGR_WRC/status/1164903414079401984

https://twitter.com/MadsOstberg/status/1164906918097412096

https://twitter.com/RallyeSport/status/1164923763114336257

SS 6: Sébastien Ogier hit a haybale with the rear.

https://twitter.com/CitroenRacing/status/1164919163137269760

https://twitter.com/TGR_WRC/status/1164917745311453185

SS 7: Sébastien Ogier went wide & into a field. Lost a couple of seconds.

https://twitter.com/CitroenRacing/status/1164941818393481217

SS 7: Dani Sordo had a gearbox issue and only thet first gear was working. Lost over 50 seconds.

https://twitter.com/DaniSordo/status/1164940534009540608

https://twitter.com/TGR_WRC/status/1164941325717950465

SS 7: Gus Greensmith went wide on a bank and lost some time.

https://twitter.com/MSportLtd/status/1164941478235443201

https://twitter.com/SebOgier/status/1164958631667871745

https://twitter.com/JariMattiWRC/status/1165003724890263552

https://twitter.com/AMikkelsenRally/status/1164956475187499008

https://twitter.com/EsapekkaLappi/status/1164995670228525058

https://twitter.com/GreensmithGus/status/1164980262897377280

https://twitter.com/KalleRovanpera/status/1164952486500818944

https://twitter.com/TakamotoKatsuta/status/1164991648876683266

https://twitter.com/SLefebvreRallye/status/1164960625153454080

https://twitter.com/GuillaumeMevius/status/1164967630668816384

https://twitter.com/nikolay_gryazin/status/1164954876801179648

https://twitter.com/RhysYatesRally/status/1165004394875805698

https://twitter.com/HMSGOfficial/status/1164962141574709248

https://twitter.com/OttTanak/status/1164973027471319047

https://twitter.com/SebOgier/status/1165008054871625728

https://twitter.com/rallyparadise/status/1164965532061372422

https://twitter.com/rallyparadise/status/1164969688134295552

Meet the Crews session leg 2
2019/08/23

What the drivers had to say after leg 2 of ADAC Rallye Deutschland.

Present:
Kai Lindström, Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team
Andrea Adamo, Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team
Pierre Budar, Citroën Total World Rally Team
Richard Millener, M-Sport World Rally Team

Q:
Kai, what a day it has been for Ott Tänak. He’s hoping to gain victory number three in Rally Germany. He did it in 2017 and did it in 2018 as well. Looking good so far, but a heck of a battle with Neuville. Are you happy with what he has done so far today?
KL:
Yes, of course I am happy. He has been driving very well. However, as you said, Thierry and Nicolas are fighting back quite hard. 2.8 seconds is very tight. Hopefully it stays that way tomorrow as well.

Q:
He looks so cool and calm behind the wheel, as if he’s not even trying out there. I’m sure he is, but it looks effortless for him. Do you feel that when you’re watching him?
KL:
He does make it look easy. However, as I said, there is no room for an error and it is a big fight. He is good under pressure, you can say that.

Q:
Talk to me about your other boys, Jari-Matti Latvala and Kris Meeke. Both of them are towing the company line so far today. They have talked a lot about Manufacturers points, and that is the key this weekend isn’t it?
KL:
It’s part of the game, for sure. But if you look at the times the boys have done, there is now a good battle for third. Unfortunately, only with Ogier at the moment, because it was very sad to see what happened with Dani and Carlos. The boys are driving well and do not seem to be under too much pressure. They are relaxed and the times are good as well.

Q:
It’s a tough day out there tomorrow – we head out into the military ranges and the Panzerplatte stages. From what the drivers are saying, it is looking pretty rough out there. There were a number of punctures on the recce alone. You’ve been there before as a co-driver, you know how tough it can be out there. Big challenge tomorrow?
KL:
Yes, for sure. Nothing is secured until you have done Panzerplatte for the second time. According to the crews there are more holes on the top of the tarmac and, of course, those rocks. Hopefully they have found all of them – we had ten punctures on the recce.

Q:
Finally, a word on Takamoto, because it is his first WRC event in a WRC car, and on tarmac. How do you think he has done out there today?
KL:
He has done well. He told me on the first day, on the recce, that he only overshot one junction. I told him that if he could do the same on the rally then he would have done well. And he only overshot one junction, so it was a good day for him.

Q:
Let’s turn to Andrea Adamo now. Kai mentioned Dani Sordo. He was giving it a good push on that final stage and was battling for a podium position, but he had a gearbox issue. Disappointment for him and the team, what is the feeling right now?
AA:
Do you want the real feeling, or something I am allowed to say?

Q:
I want the real feeling.
AA:
Quite sh*t.

Q:
I thought that might be the feeling. It is a real shame for him. Do we know what happened at this point, or do we have to wait?
AA:
At the moment, we only know that it was not possible to shift up to second gear. That is what I know so far. Of course, it was a disappointment, because he was catching up. He was doing good times, so I’m not happy.

Q:
Thierry Neuville put in a really good performance out there today. He’s not too far away from Ott Tänak. He mentioned this morning that he was a little hesitant out on the stages. Do you think he was more confident this afternoon?
AA:
What we have seen today, and I hope it will happen again tomorrow and again on Sunday, is Hyundai performance catching up. I have to say that my people have done an amazing job, and seeing Thierry and Nicolas able to extract what my people gave them is something that makes me very proud of my people. I’m very happy about that. Thierry is very confident. He looks calm. So far, I am very pleased. As you say, tomorrow will be a difficult day.

Q:
Finally, Andreas Mikkelsen and Anders Jaeger. What have you thought of their performance today?
AA:
Everyone was pointing their finger at me, because I didn’t enter Loeb here, so I anticipated that question. I think we have to see it over the season, and if I had to make the same decision this evening, then I would make the same choice. Considering we are on tarmac, we are doing very well. If you compare the times for the two loops, they are doing very well and are doing what we expect. Of course, in our plans they were the back-up crew. They will now have to be the crew that has to catch up, so the strategy will change a bit.

Q:
I am sure everybody has been asking the Loeb question, but we are also all asking what driver line-up we will see from you next year. We know Loeb is going to be there, we know Thierry is going to be there as well. When are you going to announce your other spots for 2020?
AA:
Good question, and one that I am also asking myself. I don’t have the answer. I can tell you bullsh*t, but I don’t think you would like that.

Q:
Pierre Budar, we know what your drivers are going to be doing, because they have both signed a contract. Let’s talk about the performances out there today. It has been a frustrating day for Ogier, he has talked about understeer. It seemed to get a bit better in the afternoon. A few mistakes crept in. He seems to be driving out of his skin right now.
PB:
Yes, it is obviously very frustrating for him. And it is also frustrating for us. We have done a lot of work since Corsica, on tarmac, and we thought we had solved a lot of problems. However, today showed that they are not solved.

Q:
What can be done here, if anything? I guess there is very little change that can be made here at the event.
PB:
We have already made some changes at the midday service. It was a bit better this afternoon, although if he wants to catch Thierry or Ott he has to push very hard, and he made a few mistakes this afternoon. That can happen when you push so hard. As you mentioned, he was maybe on the limit with the car this afternoon. We still have to make some adjustments tonight to try to give him a better car tomorrow, which will be another day.

Q:
Richard Millener, you lost Teemu Suninen very early on. What exactly happened with him this morning?
RM:
There was a technical problem with the throttle pedal. That is not good. You cannot do very much without a throttle. Just a very disappointing day for him. He has spent a lot of time and effort testing and we had a very good test. To come to the second test and be put out like that is difficult. It’s a shame and not where we want to be at all, but we can’t do much about that one.

Q:
And as for Gus Greensmith, it is his debut in a WRC car on tarmac. He set some decent times out there today.
RM:
He was the same speed as Seb Ogier on the last one.

Q:
He was. What do you think of his performance? Can we see more? I know he wants to finish the event. He seems tempted to push a little bit…
RM:
He is always tempted to push. He’s hard to slow down. He is driving sensibly. He has not had any real problems and has set some impressive times. We’ve asked him just to carry on like that. It’s important for him to finish the rally, as it is for us. We’ve had a couple of bad and tough rallies and we want to do the best we can. We don’t want an accident, basically.

Present:
Ott Tänak (EST), Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team
Thierry Neuville (BEL), Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team
Sébastien Ogier (FRA), Citroën Total World Rally Team

Q:
Welcome to you, guys! Ott, an incredible day for you but not much of a lead into day two. Are you a happy man?
OT:
Yeah, I’m happy. I mean we can see we’re playing in Thierry’s backyard today. It’s really great to see so many fans.

Q:
It is good to see so many fans. How do you feel your day has gone? Have you given absolutely everything or is there more “Tänak magic” to come tomorrow?
OT:
I guess everything that is more is magic already. I’ve been doing my best and I’ve showed everyone that I have been on the limit. It was very difficult to make any time difference today, so I’m quite happy with my day. In the morning I was a bit rusty, but after I got in a good rhythm and I’m happy with the car.

Q:
Rusty? You? Are you sure about that?
OT:
I was not in a perfect rhythm, but it came quite quickly. It’s been a long time away from tarmac, so it wasn’t perfect immediately, but after it was quite good.

Q:
Really challenging day tomorrow out there. The question is can you keep ahead of Thierry? He’s got a bit between his teeth now, he wants to catch you.
OT:
Yeah, sure! Tomorrow is a big day, because there are two routes in the forest in the morning. It is more or less the same rhythm as it was today, but after that we go to the military, so it’s a different characteristic and a different surface. It’s a new challenge again. I guess if we arrive there with the same gap, we’ll still be going for the maximum. if we arrive there with a nice car and we will go for the maximum.

Q:
As you mentioned we are in Thierry’s backyard, so where are the Estonians right now? All I can see is Belgian flags. Where are you guys at? You have seen many Estonian flags out there, I’m sure!
OT:
Yeah, there are quite many, but I guess Thierry is strong here. We were strong in Finland and he is stronger here with his fans [laughs].

Q:
He certainly is. Let’s turn to Thierry Neuville then. Congratulations on a great day, Thierry. Are you happy with your performance today? Ott said he was bit rusty.
TN:
We could expect that it would really be a tough fight yesterday and today and it’s going to continue like this probably tomorrow and on Sunday. I have to say I woke up well this morning. We had a good speed and a good feeling with the car and I was actually able to improve that this afternoon. But not everything went to plan. I had clearly decided to catch back more than three tenths this afternoon, and I tried, but obviously Ott was resisting quite well and it is a very close gap at the end of day one. It was a lot of pleasure in the car and a good atmosphere on the stages.

Q:
You came to the final stage this morning and it was only this short nine-kilometre stage. You looked at Ott’s time and you went: Not a chance! You couldn’t quite believe how much time he had taken in that stage. But did that motivate you to push on this afternoon?
TN:
My motivation is there always. For sure, it sometimes is a bit frustrating, when you think you’ve done everything and you lose so much time. But on the other hand, you’ll always find some places where you could have improved a little bit. That’s why we tried to do even better in the afternoon and, I mean, we did a run without any mistakes. And that is really important here on this rally. Tomorrow, we’ll repeat that and do it maybe even a little bit better.

Q:
You want to catch him and you want to win. Can you?
TN:
The feeling is good. I’m convinced that we are able to put a lot of pressure on him. After all, nobody knows who will be fastest tomorrow. I mean, it’s different stages in the morning and in the afternoon. Everything is open. For sure, the battle is great and that’s what people want to see.

Q:
Seb, today must have been frustrating for you. You hadn’t quite the machinery to be able to keep the pace with these two, right?
SO:
Yeah, they didn’t wait for me, unfortunately. We tried everything we could. But it seems we haven’t quite solved the problem we had in Corsica. Still a lot of understeer. It’s not so much fun to drive a car that is not turning the way you want. At least we improved a little bit in the afternoon. My feeling was a bit better, but we were still losing time and I had to take a lot of risk to try to stay on their pace. Unfortunately, I made some mistakes and lost more time. It was not the day we wanted to have. But tomorrow is another day and we keep fighting.

Q:
We saw you on the onboard and it looked as if you were absolutely driving on your limit, wrestling with the car in places. I know there is not a huge amount the mechanics can do, but can they do anything else this evening to make it a little bit more comfortable for you?
SO:
I wish we could, but the truth is, we know we have this problem for quite a while. Unfortunately, we do not really have an answer yet. I think things need to be deeply changed – in the differential. I don’t think we’ll improve so much tomorrow. But as I said, this afternoon was better, so if we can at least stay as close as this afternoon, that would be an improvement. Even if they [Tänak, Neuville] are far from us, we have to stay at least in front of the car behind us. Tomorrow is a very long day with Baumholder and many things can happen.

At the end of six stages and 101.42 competitive kilometres on Friday, Ott Tänak leads Rallye Deutschland for Toyota. The Estonian maintained the small advantage that he gained in the morning to end the day 2.8 seconds ahead of Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville.

The three speed tests run in the afternoon were an exact repeat of the morning loop, however with conditions that were more equal for all WRC contenders, as none of the crews benefitted from cleaner roads. The weather remained dry and hot – an unusual scene for Rally Deutschland, which often features cooler temperatures and sometimes even rain.

Neuville slightly reduced Tanäk’s lead on the first stage of the afternoon, but the Yaris WRC driver bounced back on the second and final tests, setting two more fastest times, with the Belgian confessing that he was on the limit and couldn’t take any more risks.

Reigning champion Sébastien Ogier had worked with his team to improve the issues that affected his Citroën on this morning’s loop during the midday service, but the Frenchman threw away some of the benefit after he hit a hay bale on the middle stage of the afternoon and then made a mistake on the final stage too, running wide onto the grass. Nonetheless, he retained third, just three seconds ahead of Toyota’s Kris Meeke.

The Northern Irishman headed his team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala. Both Toyotas were able to keep Hyundai’s Andreas Mikkelsen at bay in sixth, who adapted his driving style during the day to suit the German roads.

Citroën’s Esapekka Lappi was a disappointed seventh, while M-Sport driver Gus Greensmith ended up Friday in eighth overall, on his first asphalt outing in the Ford Fiesta WRC. Also making his asphalt WRC debut was Toyota protégé Takamoto Katsuta , who maintained his cautious approach to the rally, just outside the top 10.

Finland’s rising rally star Kalle Rovanperä continued to lead the FIA WRC 2 Pro class for Škoda in 10th overall, after another strong day in his Fabia R5 Evo. On his comeback to WRC competition, former Citroën factory driver Stéphane Lefebvre maintained the FIA WRC 2 lead that he has earned in the morning in a privateer Volkswagen Polo R5.

There was bitter disappointment for Dani Sordo, who was challenging for a podium place until he experienced a gearbox issue, with his Hyundai getting stuck in first gear on the final stage. The Spaniard dropped down from fourth to ninth.

Tomorrow is the longest day of the rally, with eight stages totalling 157.92 competitive kilometres. These include the notorious ‘Panzerplatte’ tests run on the unforgiving concrete roads of the Baumholder military area.

Results after Section 3:

1. Ott Tänak (EST) / Martin Järveoja (EST)	Toyota Yaris WRC	59min 12.4sec
2. Thierry Neuville (BEL) / Nicolas Gilsoul (BEL)	Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC	59min 15.2sec
3. Sébastien Ogier (FRA) / Julien Ingrassia (FRA)	Citroën C3 WRC	59min 34.5sec
4. Kris Meeke (GBR) / Sebastian Marshall (GBR)	Toyota Yaris WRC	59min 38.0sec
5. Jari-Matti Latvala (FIN) / Mikka Anttila	Toyota Yaris WRC	59min 40.2sec
6. Andreas Mikkelsen (NOR) / Anders Jaeger-Amland (NOR)	Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC	59min 52.4sec
7. Esapekka Lappi (FIN) / Janne Ferm (FIN)	Citroën C3 WRC	1hr 00min 5.3sec
8. Gus Greensmith (GBR) / Elliott Edmondson (GBR)	Ford Fiesta WRC	1hr 00min 17.9sec
9. Dani Sordo (SPA) / Carlos Del Barrio (SPA)	Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC	1hr 00min 27.5sec
10. Kalle Rovanperä (FIN) / Jonne Halttunen (FIN)	Škoda Fabia R5 Evo	1hr 02min 10.9sec

SS 5-7, FIA World Rally Championship

WRC2 Highlights Friday, FIA World Rally Championship

Day 2, Michelin Motorsport

Day 2, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing WRC

Day 2, LiveRacingTV24

Day 2, RallyTielen

Day 2, marcel206GT

Day 2, ArdechoRallye

Day 2, Seb Rallye Passion [SRP]

Day 2, Show Racing

Day 2, Rigostyle

Saturday, 24 August

Competitive distance: 157,92 km (Liaison 347,27 km, Total 505,19 km)

Sunrise 6:25 / Sunset 20:36

The starting order:

ORD	ENTRANT (TEAM)	DRIVER/CODRIVER	NAT.	NR	CAR	GR	CL	SEED PR
1	M-Sport Ford World Rally Team	Teemu Suninen / Jarmo Lehtinen	FIN	3	Ford Fiesta WRC	RC1	WRC	P1	M
2	Tommi Mäkinen Racing (TOYOTA GAZOO Racing WRT)	Takamoto Katsuta / Daniel Barrit	J/GB	17	Toyota Yaris WRC	RC1	WRC	P1
3	Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team	Daniel Sordo / Carlos del Barrio	E	6	Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC	RC1	WRC	P1	M
4	M-Sport Ford World Rally Team	Gus Greensmith / Elliott Edmondson	GB	44	Ford Fiesta WRC	RC1	WRC	P1	M
5	Citroën Total W.R.T.	Esapekka Lappi / Janne Ferm	FIN	4	Citroën C3 WRC	RC1	WRC	P1	M
6	Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team	Andreas Mikkelsen / Anders Jaeger	N	89	Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC	RC1	WRC	P1	M
7	TOYOTA GAZOO Racing WRT	Jari-Matti Latvala / Miikka Anttila	FIN	10	Toyota Yaris WRC	RC1	WRC	P1	M
8	TOYOTA GAZOO Racing WRT	Kris Meeke / Sebastian Marshall	GB	5	Toyota Yaris WRC	RC1	WRC	P1	M
9	Citroën Total W.R.T.	Sébastien Ogier / Julien Ingrassia	F	1	Citroën C3 WRC	RC1	WRC	P1	M
10	Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team	Thierry Neuville / Nicolas Gilsoul	B	11	Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC	RC1	WRC	P1	M
11	TOYOTA GAZOO Racing WRT	Ott Tänak / Martin Järveoja	EE	8	Toyota Yaris WRC	RC1	WRC	P1	M
12	ŠKODA Motorsport	Kalle Rovanperä / Jonne Halttunen	FIN	21	ŠKODA Fabia R5 Evo	RC2	R5	P2P	WRC2 PRO
13	ŠKODA Motorsport	Jan Kopecký / Pavel Dresler	CZ	23	ŠKODA Fabia R5 Evo	RC2	R5	P2P	WRC2 PRO
14	Citroën Total (Dg Sport Compétition)	Mads Østberg / Torstein Eriksen	N	22	Citroën C3 R5	RC2	R5	P2P	WRC2 PRO
15	M-Sport Ford World Rally Team	Eric Camilli / Benjamin Veillas	F	24	Ford Fiesta R5 MK2	RC2	R5	P2P	WRC2 PRO
16	(BMA)	Stéphane Lefebvre / Thomas Dubois	F	53	Volkswagen Polo GTI R5	RC2	R5	P2	WRC2
17	THX Racing (DG Sport)	Nicolas Ciamin / Yannick Roche	F	50	Volkswagen Polo GTI R5	RC2	R5	P2	WRC2
18	Škoda Auto Deutschland (BRR)	Fabian Kreim / Tobias Braun	D	55	ŠKODA Fabia R5 Evo	RC2	R5	P2	WRC2
19	(Baumschlager Rallye & Racing)	Marijan Griebel / Pirmin Winklhofer	D	54	ŠKODA Fabia R5 Evo	RC2	R5	P2	WRC2
20	(ACI Team Italia / Motorsport Italia srl)	Fabio Andolfi / Simone Scattolin	I	45	ŠKODA Fabia R5	RC2	R5	P2	WRC2
21	LOTOS Rally Team (Baumschlager Rallye & Racing)	Kajetan Kajetanowicz / Maciej Szczepaniak	PL	43	Volkswagen Polo GTI R5	RC2	R5	P2	WRC2
22	Sports Racing Technologies	Nikolay Gryazin / Yaroslav Fedorov	RUS	41	ŠKODA Fabia R5	RC2	R5	P2	WRC2
23		Raphaël Astier / Frédéric Vauclare	F	75	Hyundai i20 R5	RC2	R5
24	Team France FFSA Rallye (M-Sport Poland)	Adrien Fourmaux / Renaud Jamoul	F/B	47	Ford Fiesta R5 MK2	RC2	R5	P2	WRC2
25	RACB (DG Sport)	Guillaume de Mevius / Martijn Wydaeghe	B	49	Citroën C3 R5	RC2	R5	P2	WRC2
26	(Sarrazin Motorsport)	Stéphane Sarrazin / Jacques-Julien Renucci	F	73	Hyundai i20 R5	RC2	R5
27	(Friulmotor Rally Team)	Simone Tempestini / Sergiu Itu	RO	48	Hyundai i20 R5	RC2	R5	P2	WRC2
28	(SXM Compétition)	Sebastien Bedoret / Thomas Walbrecq	B	51	ŠKODA Fabia R5 Evo	RC2	R5	P2	WRC2
29	Brose Motorsport (Sarrazin Motorsport)	Dominik Dinkel / Christina Fürst	D	56	Hyundai i20 R5	RC2	R5	P2	WRC2
30	(Taylors Motorsport Ltd)	Rhys Yates / James Morgan	GB	46	ŠKODA Fabia R5	RC2	R5	P2	WRC2
31		Pieter Tsjoen / Pieter Vyncke	B	74	ŠKODA Fabia R5	RC2	R5
32		Pjm Cracco / Jasper Vermaulen	B	81	ŠKODA Fabia R5	RC2	R5
33	(M-Sport)	“Pedro” / Emanuele Baldaccini	I	52	Ford Fiesta R5 MK2	RC2	R5	P2	WRC2
34	(Gassner Motorsport)	Hermann Gassner / Karin Thannhäuser	D	80	Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X	NAT
35		Marco Roncoroni / Paolo Brusadelli	I	79	ŠKODA Fabia R5	RC2	R5
36	(Gassner Motorsport)	Hermann Gassner jr. / Ursula Mayrhofer	D/A	83	Toyota GT86 CS-R3	RC3	R3
37		Eamonn Boland / M.J. Morrissey	IRL	77	Ford Fiesta R5	RC2	R5
38		Sebastian Schwinn / Felix Griebel	D	57	Volkswagen Polo GTI R5	RC2	R5	P2	WRC2
39		Henk Vossen / Erwin Berkhof	NL	78	Ford Fiesta R5	RC2	R5
40	ADAC Saarland E.V.	Roman Schwedt / Henry Wichura	D	87	Peugeot 208 R2	RC4	R2
41		Enrico Brazzoli / Manuel Fenoli	I	71	Fiat 124 Abarth Rally RGT	RGT			RGT
42		Lasse Murmann Sørensen / Karsten Isaksen	DK	88	Opel ADAM R2	RC4	R2
43		Stefan Stich / Melanie Kalinke	D	86	Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X	NAT
44		Marco Oldani / Pietro D’Agostino	I	91	Peugeot 208 R2	RC4	R2
45		Patrick Gengler / Ken Krüger-Gengler	LUX	84	Renault Clio RS R3T	RC3	R3T
46		Norman Kreuter / Jeannette Kvick	D/DK	93	Citroën DS3 R3T	RC3	R3T
47	ADAC Nordbayern E.V.	Josef Wecker / Sabrina Türk	D	94	Renault Clio RS R3T	RC3	R3T
48		Mitsuhiro Kunisawa / Masahiko Kihara	J	90	Ford Fiesta R2	RC4	R2
49		Fabio Peruzzo / Nicola Terrassan	I	95	Peugeot 208 R2	RC4	R2
50		Jürgen Hohlheimer / Roni Liessi	D	96	Renault Twingo R2	RC4	R2

https://twitter.com/OfficialWRC/status/1165111489260163077

https://twitter.com/MSportLtd/status/1165136087368503298

https://twitter.com/CitroenRacing/status/1165133199875432449

https://twitter.com/EsapekkaLappi/status/1165132279917817856

SS 8: Gus Greensmith stopped at the 4,5 km point. Lost the front, slid wide, clipped a tree and bent the steering arm and got a puncture. Was able to fix it after the stage and carry on. Lost over 3 minutes.

https://twitter.com/MSportLtd/status/1165151294153252865

SS 8: Kalle Rovanperä went wide, off the road at 14,6 km and got stuck in the grass. Was able to get out of the ditch with the help from the spectators. Lost over 4 minutes.

https://twitter.com/OfficialWRC/status/1165168511657893889

https://twitter.com/KalleRovanpera/status/1165159017506848768

https://twitter.com/HMSGOfficial/status/1165155177386713088

https://twitter.com/TeemuSuninenRac/status/1165154416971980800

https://twitter.com/TGR_WRC/status/1165154477390934016

SS 9: Thierry Neuville was late on the brakes at a junction and stalled a little bit. Struggled to restart the engine and lost at least 5 seconds.

https://twitter.com/thierryneuville/status/1165168445991899136

SS 9: Kalle Rovanperä went off again at the 5,8 km point. Lost over 20 seconds.

https://twitter.com/KalleRovanpera/status/1165179285889568768

SS 9: Guillaume de Mevius went off at the 5,8 km point. Lost over 12 minutes.

SS 9: Sebastien Bedoret went off at the 5,8 km point. Lost over 2 minutes.

https://twitter.com/TGR_WRC/status/1165169236974743553

SS 10: Esapekka Lappi locked the front tyres under braking, went wide and got stuck in the ditch. Lost at least 16 seconds.

https://twitter.com/CitroenRacing/status/1165198008381841409

SS 10: Stéphane Lefebvre went wide and off the road at 10,9 km. Retired -> Rally 2

https://twitter.com/HMSGOfficial/status/1165196978860515333

SS 11: Nicolas Ciamin stopped at 1,2 km in the stage. Went off the road adn the rear of the car was damaged badly. Retired

https://twitter.com/HMSGOfficial/status/1165212433281105921

https://twitter.com/TGR_WRC/status/1165213827920797696

https://twitter.com/thierryneuville/status/1165242471481262080

https://twitter.com/SaariJarno/status/1165227962247065601

https://twitter.com/Michelin_Sport/status/1165221637886791687

https://twitter.com/MSportLtd/status/1165244632298610688

https://twitter.com/HMSGOfficial/status/1165239952311013376

https://twitter.com/MotorsportSkoda/status/1165232086409760768

https://twitter.com/krismeeke/status/1165258231222013952

https://twitter.com/TGR_WRC/status/1165259309267267585

SS 13: Thierry Neuville had a puncture on the rear-left. Lost over 1.30 minutes.

https://twitter.com/HMSGOfficial/status/1165272708642476032

https://twitter.com/thierryneuville/status/1165273574191620098

https://twitter.com/thierryneuville/status/1165292905495445510

SS 13: Mads Østberg had a puncture at 31,8 km. Stopped to change the tyre. Lost almost 2 minutes.

https://twitter.com/MadsOstberg/status/1165278400413687809

SS 13: Nikolay Gryazin stopped in the stage at the 22,6 km point. Stopped to change the tyre. Lost almost 2 minutes.

https://twitter.com/nikolay_gryazin/status/1165281115596308480

SS 13: Adrien Fourmaux stopped in the stage at the 31,9 km point. Lost over 5 minutes.

https://twitter.com/TGR_WRC/status/1165273941189042177

https://twitter.com/JariMattiWRC/status/1165280415592210433

https://twitter.com/rallyparadise/status/1165274409793462284

https://twitter.com/rallytravel/status/1165311092849041410

SS 14: Takamoto Katsuta got a puncture and the front-right tyre was delaminating. Lost almost 30 seconds.

https://twitter.com/MKiviaho/status/1165349463608741895

https://twitter.com/TGR_WRC/status/1165316382168363008

https://twitter.com/JariMattiWRC/status/1165316865868148738

SS 15: Sébastien Ogier stopped at 11,7 km. Stopped to change the tyre. Lost at least 1.30 minutes.

https://twitter.com/SebOgier/status/1165330304724328453

SS 15: Thierry Neuville lost the rear suddenly and had to spin the car to avoid hitting anything. Lost over 10 seconds.

https://twitter.com/thierryneuville/status/1165330713102737409

SS 15: Jan Kopecký had a puncture. Lost almost 50 seconds.

SS 15: Mads Østberg had a puncture at 28,2 km. Stopped to change the tyre. Lost almost 2 minutes.

https://twitter.com/MadsOstberg/status/1165334551654215685

SS 15: Eric Camilli hit a deer and the front of the car was slightly damaged and had no lights at the end.

https://twitter.com/TGR_WRC/status/1165329801906982913

https://twitter.com/krismeeke/status/1165328075166552068

https://twitter.com/TeemuSuninenRac/status/1165335068568674305

https://twitter.com/krismeeke/status/1165352369573568512

https://twitter.com/JariMattiWRC/status/1165366996281823232

https://twitter.com/MiikkaAnttila/status/1165368609486639104

https://twitter.com/DaniSordo/status/1165342664256032770

https://twitter.com/AMikkelsenRally/status/1165345208181121024

https://twitter.com/CitroenRacing/status/1165365828516306946

https://twitter.com/SebOgier/status/1165362669383294979

https://twitter.com/TakamotoKatsuta/status/1165373372827652097

https://twitter.com/EricCamilli/status/1165360879694577664

https://twitter.com/nikolay_gryazin/status/1165346195528658944

https://twitter.com/GuillaumeMevius/status/1165319067718311936

https://twitter.com/Karlip1/status/1165303683145506818

https://twitter.com/colmcklein/status/1165337366401343494

https://twitter.com/rallyparadise/status/1165333788567777280

https://twitter.com/rallyparadise/status/1165336382249807872

https://twitter.com/rallyparadise/status/1165366371183730688

Meet the Crews Session leg 3
2019/08/24

What the top 3 drivers had to say after the third day of 2019 ADAC Rallye Deutschland.

Q:
Kai, fantastic result. At the end of the day today, it is a Toyota one-two-three, with Ott leading the pack. A perfect result if it were to end like this tomorrow, but there’s still a long way to go here in Germany.
KL:
Yes, Ott was very strong today. I’m very pleased with his performance once again. The unfortunate puncture for Thierry and Nicolas made it a bit easier, but it’s obviously nice to have a one-two-three. That was also thanks to the help of some other drivers. But still, like you said, there’s still a long day to go tomorrow.

Q:
That one-two-three would be good tomorrow, as I mentioned. What was the feeling at Toyota when you were watching your guys go through the final stage and seeing the splits that Kris Meeke was setting? He came through with the fastest time on the final stage, so were you worried at all, Kai?
KL:
I had the same worry for all the drivers. I was thinking ‘please stay black, don’t go yellow’, so luckily it worked for him as well.

Q:
It’s looking good for Ott’s championship chances now. There has been bad luck for his championship rivals today and he’ll be the first to say that he doesn’t want it to happen like that. If he can walk away with maximum points here tomorrow, it would do his chances exceptionally good.
KL:
Well, like I said, it’s been a good day today and hopefully it’ll continue tomorrow. We’re going a bit too far ahead at the moment.

Q:
Andrea Adamo, bad luck did hit Thierry Neuville this afternoon. Tell me your thoughts on Thierry this afternoon and how disappointed you were to see that.
AA:
Of course, we were disappointed. But you always have to be fair. We won in Sardinia because they had a steering rack problem three kilometres from the end. I think life is a turning wheel. Maybe the wheel will turn again in Australia. You have to be fair. I don’t believe in luck and things like that, you also have to be a bit critical of yourself.

Q:
Neuville is behind his team-mate Dani Sordo – there is about 24 seconds difference. Dani has had a brilliant day. We are expecting Thierry to move ahead tomorrow – maybe by himself, maybe with a little help…
AA:
If he can do it himself, okay. If not, I’m paid to help him.

Q:
And how would you be doing that, Mr Adamo? I think we know, but you can tell us.
AA:
I think that everyone there is paid by Hyundai to get the best for Hyundai.

Q:
Pierre Budar, we know that Seb has had his struggles this weekend, but he’s been setting brilliant times. Andrea has just said that he doesn’t believe in luck, and that what goes around comes around. On that final stage we saw a really quick opening split from Seb and we thought ‘right, he’s going to challenge back for the podium’, and then, sadly, a puncture. Do you believe in luck?
PB:
The best time to have the puncture would certainly have been at the end of the stage. Of course, the puncture was a bit of bad luck at that moment. But, overall, we have to see the complete picture and see that the performance was probably not enough to fight for the lead.

Q:
What are you thinking now when you look at the championship and the way it is playing out? What do you think of Ogier’s chances right now?
PB:
I will not think about it tonight.

Q:
Richard Millener, we talked a lot about Gus Greensmith yesterday. Let’s focus on Teemu Suninen today, because he was back in action after retiring yesterday morning. Brilliant times from him today. Really confident. He’s talking about winning power stage points. Do you think he can do that?
RM:
I would say he could, yes. He’s allowed to. It was frustrating to see the times he did today. If we could cancel yesterday, he would be in a really good position and a really good fight. Everybody has had their own bad luck today – we had our yesterday. Unfortunately, that was us for this event. It was good to see the pace today, and his pace on tarmac is very good, so let’s see what he can do tomorrow.

Q:
Last year, you were there fighting for the title with Sébastien Ogier, so you know how quickly it can turn around. What do you think of the situation in the championship?
RM:
I think the two guys next to me [Andrea Adamo and Pierre Budar] have a more difficult job than they did about three hours ago.

Present:
Ott Tänak (EST), Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team
Kris Meeke (GBR), Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team
Jari-Matti Latvala (FIN), Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team

Q:
It is a little bit of a different story to what we saw last night. Ott, for you it’s very similar in the middle seat. It is the lead. Three days done, one day remaining. And it’s your team-mates who are behind you now. Another good day out there. Are you feeling good at the end of it?
OT:
Yeah, good feeling. We had a quiet intense day today. Obviously. in the morning Thierry was pushing really hard. He was always a bit faster than I was. But my target was always just to be very consistent and without any mistakes. We manage to do that. Military area was always going to be a bit of a lottery. First time I tried to push, but second time I had to look around everything. So, it was a bit more stress, but in the end we came through with no issues. So, a good day.

Q:
It’s been a really good day. As you said, no issues at all out there. It’s a tough final day. Well, everyday is tough here. And even though you have a good advantage over your team-mates, who you know are not going to put you under pressure tomorrow, it is still a long way to go. 70 kilometres tomorrow?
OT:
It’s still a good rally day tomorrow. Actually, not so easy stages, a quiet specific characteristic. A lot to focus for. We still need to keep going and keep doing our job. Let’s say, we have been many times one-two-three on this podium here, but it would be nice finally to be on the final podium as well.

Q:
It would be great for the team to see you one-two-three. You were quickest on the first run of the Panzerplatte stage. Your team-mate was then quickest in the final run. What did you think of his time when you saw it on the board?
OT:
It was a good time. Obviously, I saw that Sebastian had some issues. Then I understood that it should be a good situation for the team. That’s where we are at the moment and we still have a job to finish.

Q:
Kris, a really strong day from you out there. Second position at the end of it and as I mentioned a brilliant run on the final Panzerplatte test. Did you expect it to be that quick when you got to the end of it?
KM:
I knew I had a good stage, but in this type of long stage – Panzerplatte – you never really know, because you don’t have split times, you don’t really understand if you are in a good rhythm. Honestly, I knew it was good but the objective was simply to keep Seb behind. I wasn’t aware he had a puncture, but when we got the end we knew it was enough and also we took a few seconds off Jari. The team is in a very good position also. We have to try to maintain that tomorrow.

Q:
But as Ott said there are tricky stages tomorrow. It’s by no means over, so what’s the plan in your head going out there tomorrow?
KM:
Just to hold station to be honest. It’s very rare that you’ve got these sort of gaps on a Sunday, especially sitting in a one-two-three position, so we really have to try to bring it home tomorrow.

Q:
Jari-Matti Latvala, we have seen so many different parts of your character today. The confused Jari-Matti, the thinking Jari-Matti and then all came together and you got it: The Jari-Matti who knew it!
JM:
The third one was the best one. After that I finally got it.

Q:
We like the third one. A great performance across the afternoon stages and it is the perfect position now.
JM:
Thank you. It was a very good day. Overall, when I look at my team-mates, they have done an excellent job. And I am also very happy about my day. The morning was a bit difficult, but towards the end of the day we started to get the feeling back. The target was to be top five and suddenly we’re on the podium now. Like Kris said, the most important thing tomorrow is to hold these positions. It doesn’t happen that often to have a one-two-three and you want to hold on to that.

Q:
It is important for Ott to win here for his championship, which is looking great, and also for the manufacturers. So, a level head tomorrow?
JM:
I just have to focus on a clean drive and there is no reason to start pushing. There are so many things we have to consider for tomorrow.

Ott Tänak sits at the top of a Toyota 1-2-3 heading into the final day of Rallye Deutschland, after the infamous Panzerplatte stage dented the championship hopes of his rivals Thierry Neuville and Sébastien Ogier.

After midday service, the drivers tackled two loops on the Baumholder military area, consisting of the short “Arena Panzerplatte” stage (10.73km) and the 41.17 kilometre “Panzerplatte” test, with an 15 minute service at Bostalsee in-between.

Tänak and Neuville were separated by just five seconds heading into the afternoon, but disaster struck Neuville early in the first run through the long Panzerplatte stage, when he had to stop and change a tyre on his Hyundai, losing 1min26sec to Tänak.

Ogier meanwhile struggled for pace in the same stage and was passed by Tänak’s team-mates Kris Meeke and Jari-Matti Latvala, who both moved into podium places. But the problems continued for Ogier on the repeat of Panzerplatte, when he also suffered a puncture, losing 1min33sec and dropping four places in the overall standings.

Meeke was fastest on Panzerplatte 2 to build a gap of 9.4 seconds between himself and Latvala, while Tänak ended the day with a lead of 32.4s over his British team-mate.

After starting the day in ninth, Dani Sordo finished in fourth as the lead Hyundai, in front of Neuville and Mikkelsen. Ogier dropped to eighth behind his team-mate Esapekka Lappi, with Gus Greensmith and Takamoto Katsuta rounding out the top 10.

Jan Kopecký leads the FIA WRC2 Pro category in his Škoda Fabia R5 Evo in 11th overall, while Fabian Kreim heads FIA WRC 2, ahead of fellow German Škoda driver Marijan Griebel.

Results after Section 7:

1. Ott Tänak (EST) / Martin Järveoja (EST)	Toyota Yaris WRC	2hr 27min 21.9sec
2. Kris Meeke (GBR) / Sebastian Marshall (GBR)	Toyota Yaris WRC	2hr 27min 54.3sec
3. Jari-Matti Latvala (FIN) / Mikka Anttila	Toyota Yaris WRC	2hr 28min 03.7sec
4. Dani Sordo (SPA) / Carlos Del Barrio (SPA)	Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC	2hr 28min 32.7sec
5. Thierry Neuville (BEL) / Nicolas Gilsoul (BEL)	Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC	2hr 28min 57.1sec
6. Andreas Mikkelsen (NOR) / Anders Jaeger-Amland (NOR)	Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC	2hr 28min 59.2sec
7. Esapekka Lappi (FIN) / Janne Ferm (FIN)	Citroën C3 WRC	2hr 29min 05.0sec
8. Sébastien Ogier (FRA) / Julien Ingrassia (FRA)	Citroën C3 WRC	2hr 29min 39.6sec
9. Gus Greensmith (GBR) / Elliott Edmondson (GBR)	Ford Fiesta WRC	2hr 33min 24.5sec
10. Takamoto Katsuta (JAP) / Daniel Barritt (GBR)	Toyota Yaris WRC	2hr 34min 19.3sec

SS 12-15, FIA World Rally Championship

WRC2 Highlights Saturday, FIA World Rally Championship

Leg 2, Michelin Motorsport

Day 3, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing WRC

Day 3, LiveRacingTV24

Day 3, RallyTielen

Day 3, ArdechoRallye

Day 3, Seb Rallye Passion [SRP]

Day 3, Show Racing

Day 3, Rigostyle

Day 3, Rallyeszene

Sunday, 25 August

Competitive distance: 79,50 km (Liaison 207,02 km, Total 286,52 km)

Sunrise 6:26 / Sunset 20:33

https://twitter.com/MKiviaho/status/1163458687454916608

The starting order:

ORD	ENTRANT (TEAM)	DRIVER/CODRIVER	NAT.	NR	CAR	GR	CL	SEED PR
1	M-Sport Ford World Rally Team	Teemu Suninen / Jarmo Lehtinen	FIN	3	Ford Fiesta WRC	RC1	WRC	P1	M
2	Tommi Mäkinen Racing (TOYOTA GAZOO Racing WRT)	Takamoto Katsuta / Daniel Barrit	J/GB	17	Toyota Yaris WRC	RC1	WRC	P1
3	M-Sport Ford World Rally Team	Gus Greensmith / Elliott Edmondson	GB	44	Ford Fiesta WRC	RC1	WRC	P1	M
4	Citroën Total W.R.T.	Sébastien Ogier / Julien Ingrassia	F	1	Citroën C3 WRC	RC1	WRC	P1	M
5	Citroën Total W.R.T.	Esapekka Lappi / Janne Ferm	FIN	4	Citroën C3 WRC	RC1	WRC	P1	M
6	Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team	Andreas Mikkelsen / Anders Jaeger	N	89	Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC	RC1	WRC	P1	M
7	Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team	Thierry Neuville / Nicolas Gilsoul	B	11	Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC	RC1	WRC	P1	M
8	Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team	Daniel Sordo / Carlos del Barrio	E	6	Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC	RC1	WRC	P1	M
9	TOYOTA GAZOO Racing WRT	Jari-Matti Latvala / Miikka Anttila	FIN	10	Toyota Yaris WRC	RC1	WRC	P1	M
10	TOYOTA GAZOO Racing WRT	Kris Meeke / Sebastian Marshall	GB	5	Toyota Yaris WRC	RC1	WRC	P1	M
11	TOYOTA GAZOO Racing WRT	Ott Tänak / Martin Järveoja	EE	8	Toyota Yaris WRC	RC1	WRC	P1	M
12	ŠKODA Motorsport	Jan Kopecký / Pavel Dresler	CZ	23	ŠKODA Fabia R5 Evo	RC2	R5	P2P	WRC2 PRO
13	M-Sport Ford World Rally Team	Eric Camilli / Benjamin Veillas	F	24	Ford Fiesta R5 MK2	RC2	R5	P2P	WRC2 PRO
14	ŠKODA Motorsport	Kalle Rovanperä / Jonne Halttunen	FIN	21	ŠKODA Fabia R5 Evo	RC2	R5	P2P	WRC2 PRO
15	Citroën Total (Dg Sport Compétition)	Mads Østberg / Torstein Eriksen	N	22	Citroën C3 R5	RC2	R5	P2P	WRC2 PRO
16	Škoda Auto Deutschland (BRR)	Fabian Kreim / Tobias Braun	D	55	ŠKODA Fabia R5 Evo	RC2	R5	P2	WRC2
17	(Baumschlager Rallye & Racing)	Marijan Griebel / Pirmin Winklhofer	D	54	ŠKODA Fabia R5 Evo	RC2	R5	P2	WRC2
18	LOTOS Rally Team (Baumschlager Rallye & Racing)	Kajetan Kajetanowicz / Maciej Szczepaniak	PL	43	Volkswagen Polo GTI R5	RC2	R5	P2	WRC2
19	(ACI Team Italia / Motorsport Italia srl)	Fabio Andolfi / Simone Scattolin	I	45	ŠKODA Fabia R5	RC2	R5	P2	WRC2
20		Raphaël Astier / Frédéric Vauclare	F	75	Hyundai i20 R5	RC2	R5
21	Sports Racing Technologies	Nikolay Gryazin / Yaroslav Fedorov	RUS	41	ŠKODA Fabia R5	RC2	R5	P2	WRC2
22	Brose Motorsport (Sarrazin Motorsport)	Dominik Dinkel / Christina Fürst	D	56	Hyundai i20 R5	RC2	R5	P2	WRC2
23	RACB (DG Sport)	Guillaume de Mevius / Martijn Wydaeghe	B	49	Citroën C3 R5	RC2	R5	P2	WRC2
24	(Taylors Motorsport Ltd)	Rhys Yates / James Morgan	GB	46	ŠKODA Fabia R5	RC2	R5	P2	WRC2
25	(Friulmotor Rally Team)	Simone Tempestini / Sergiu Itu	RO	48	Hyundai i20 R5	RC2	R5	P2	WRC2
26	Team France FFSA Rallye (M-Sport Poland)	Adrien Fourmaux / Renaud Jamoul	F/B	47	Ford Fiesta R5 MK2	RC2	R5	P2	WRC2
27		Pieter Tsjoen / Pieter Vyncke	B	74	ŠKODA Fabia R5	RC2	R5
28		Pjm Cracco / Jasper Vermaulen	B	81	ŠKODA Fabia R5	RC2	R5
29	(M-Sport)	“Pedro” / Emanuele Baldaccini	I	52	Ford Fiesta R5 MK2	RC2	R5	P2	WRC2
30	(Gassner Motorsport)	Hermann Gassner / Karin Thannhäuser	D	80	Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X	NAT
31	(Gassner Motorsport)	Hermann Gassner jr. / Ursula Mayrhofer	D/A	83	Toyota GT86 CS-R3	RC3	R3
32		Marco Roncoroni / Paolo Brusadelli	I	79	ŠKODA Fabia R5	RC2	R5
33	ADAC Saarland E.V.	Roman Schwedt / Henry Wichura	D	87	Peugeot 208 R2	RC4	R2
34		Eamonn Boland / M.J. Morrissey	IRL	77	Ford Fiesta R5	RC2	R5
35		Norman Kreuter / Jeannette Kvick	D/DK	93	Citroën DS3 R3T	RC3	R3T
36		Henk Vossen / Erwin Berkhof	NL	78	Ford Fiesta R5	RC2	R5
37		Marco Oldani / Pietro D’Agostino	I	91	Peugeot 208 R2	RC4	R2
38		Patrick Gengler / Ken Krüger-Gengler	LUX	84	Renault Clio RS R3T	RC3	R3T
39	ADAC Nordbayern E.V.	Josef Wecker / Sabrina Türk	D	94	Renault Clio RS R3T	RC3	R3T
40		Stefan Stich / Melanie Kalinke	D	86	Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X	NAT
41		Mitsuhiro Kunisawa / Masahiko Kihara	J	90	Ford Fiesta R2	RC4	R2
42		Fabio Peruzzo / Nicola Terrassan	I	95	Peugeot 208 R2	RC4	R2

https://twitter.com/OfficialWRC/status/1165473877159481344

https://twitter.com/MSportLtd/status/1165483315060772864

https://twitter.com/CitroenRacing/status/1165484714058309633

https://twitter.com/SebOgier/status/1165482030500646914

https://twitter.com/HMSGOfficial/status/1165484449091469313

https://twitter.com/AMikkelsenRally/status/1165493486977785857

https://twitter.com/thierryneuville/status/1165495979765899264

https://twitter.com/TGR_WRC/status/1165504993371312128

https://twitter.com/JariMattiWRC/status/1165497650415833090

https://twitter.com/KalleRovanpera/status/1165505076577951744

https://twitter.com/MKiviaho/status/1165496389230628870

https://twitter.com/hervetusoli/status/1165507002207997953

SS 16: Andreas Mikkelsen went off the and had to find way back to the road again. Lost almost 10 seconds.

https://twitter.com/AMikkelsenRally/status/1165508294938636288

SS 16: Eric Camill stopped for a short while at the 16 km point. Went straight on at one hairpin, when had no bite on the brakes. Lost some time.

SS 16: Mads Østberg had a brief stop. Lost a couple of seconds.

https://twitter.com/MadsOstberg/status/1165513299850682368

https://twitter.com/HMSGOfficial/status/1165518476947152896

https://twitter.com/thierryneuville/status/1165509008343601152

https://twitter.com/thierryneuville/status/1165511098507943936

https://twitter.com/TGR_WRC/status/1165511067855917057

https://twitter.com/TGR_WRC/status/1165538086132027392

https://twitter.com/JariMattiWRC/status/1165537907823828992

https://twitter.com/MadsOstberg/status/1165546483288084481

SS 18: Fabio Andolfi went off the road and hit a tree. Retired

https://twitter.com/HMSGOfficial/status/1165549564092473345

https://twitter.com/TGR_WRC/status/1165549880355491840

https://twitter.com/rallyparadise/status/1165569930634432512

SS 19 Eric Camilli completed with a front-right puncture. Lost at least 15 seconds.

SS 19: Ott Tänak had some brake issues. Only one brake disc left.

https://twitter.com/thierryneuville/status/1165585951470555141

https://twitter.com/MSportLtd/status/1165584568705081344

https://twitter.com/TeemuSuninenRac/status/1165584852168642561

https://twitter.com/TGR_WRC/status/1165583200325898241

https://twitter.com/Ryan_Champion/status/1165592723258249216

https://twitter.com/TGR_WRC/status/1165591537390096385

https://twitter.com/OttTanak/status/1165583190561628162

https://twitter.com/krismeeke/status/1165587248966000640

https://twitter.com/sebmarshall/status/1166009953485766656

https://twitter.com/JariMattiWRC/status/1165583535392120833

https://twitter.com/JariMattiWRC/status/1165675633931882496

https://twitter.com/MiikkaAnttila/status/1165607577755017216

https://twitter.com/TGR_WRC/status/1165636305138700289

https://twitter.com/RallyinAfrika/status/1166009796279066629

https://twitter.com/HMSGOfficial/status/1165580230465118208

https://twitter.com/thierryneuville/status/1165619724203548672

https://twitter.com/HMSGOfficial/status/1165581140306137088

https://twitter.com/HMSGOfficial/status/1165577877863247872

https://twitter.com/AMikkelsenRally/status/1165584658400186368

https://twitter.com/CitroenRacing/status/1165585472057413632

https://twitter.com/EsapekkaLappi/status/1165659939739787264

https://twitter.com/FordPerformance/status/1165604174966480898

https://twitter.com/MSportLtd/status/1165576651641708545

https://twitter.com/TGR_WRC/status/1165574459744555008

https://twitter.com/TakamotoKatsuta/status/1165693064544960519

https://twitter.com/MotorsportSkoda/status/1165572220028145668

https://twitter.com/MSportLtd/status/1165632034200592384

https://twitter.com/EricCamilli/status/1165644203910733824

https://twitter.com/MotorsportSkoda/status/1165584700364271620

https://twitter.com/BRRBaumschlager/status/1165590211251904512

https://twitter.com/volkswagenms/status/1165705547003453441

https://twitter.com/Kajto_pl/status/1165590539556839425

https://twitter.com/nikolay_gryazin/status/1165602481604321280

https://twitter.com/RhysYatesRally/status/1165630587731894272

https://twitter.com/tmgofficial/status/1165638516468060162

Ott Tänak clinched a commanding third Rallye Deutschland victory on Sunday in Bostalsee, boosting his drivers’ championship lead, as he headed a historic one-two-three finish for Toyota.

The final day of the event took the crews back to the vineyards above the Mosel river for a pair of stages, each run twice, totallingf 79.5 competitive kilometres.

Following the demanding Panzerplatte on Saturday, the Japanese manufacturer began the day in the provisional first three positions. The Yaris WRC drivers took a relatively cautious approach to the final day, although Jari-Matti Latvala took the win SS17, as he was defending his third place against attack from Hyundai’s Dani Sordo.

A brake issue in the final stage held Tänak back from fighting for the extra Power Stage points but the victory of the Estonian seemed quite assured thanks to a comfortable buffer of 20.8 seconds over his team-mate Kris Meeke.

Meeke’s second place was his best result of the year and his first podium finish with Toyota, while Latvala repeated the third position he scored last time out in Finland.

Toyota is the first manufacturer to claim all three places on the podium of a FIA WRC round since Volkswagen did so in Germany in 2015. It’s also Toyota’s first WRC 1-2-3 since the 1993 Safari Rally.

Sordo finished fourth but checked in late at the final time control to give the position to his team-mate Thierry Neuville. Demoted after the puncture he suffered in Panzerplatte on Saturday, Neuville showed he had not conceded defeat by taking the maximum five points in the Power Stage. By taking fourth overall, he is now 33 points behind Tänak in the championship.

Citroën also used similar tactics at the finish. Esapekka Lappi had beaten Andreas Mikkelsen to claim sixth place during the final day, but checked in late to enable team-mate Sébastien Ogier to climb up to seventh, with Mikkelsen also benefitting from the transaction to get sixth.

Gus Greensmith was ninth for M-Sport and Takamoto Katsuta scored his maiden point in 10th on his WRC debut for Toyota.

Czech Republic’s Jan Kopecký is the winner of the FIA WRC 2 Pro class for Škoda in 11th overall, ahead of his French rival Eric Camilli, driving for M-Sport Ford, and his Finnish team-mate Kalle Rovanperä.

Fabian Kreim took FIA WRC 2 honours on home ground in 12th, in front of fellow compatriot and team-mate Marijan Griebel, and Russia’s Kajetan Kajetanowicz.

Final Results

1. Ott Tänak (EST) / Martin Järveoja (EST)	Toyota Yaris WRC	3hr 15min 29.8sec
2. Kris Meeke (GBR) / Sebastian Marshall (GBR)	Toyota Yaris WRC	3hr 15min 50.6sec
3. Jari-Matti Latvala (FIN) / Mikka Anttila	Toyota Yaris WRC	3hr 16min 05.8sec
4. Thierry Neuville (BEL) / Nicolas Gilsoul (BEL)	Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC	3hr 16min 28.3sec
5. Dani Sordo (SPA) / Carlos Del Barrio (SPA)	Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC	3hr 16min 46.4sec
6. Andreas Mikkelsen (NOR) / Anders Jaeger-Amland (NOR)	Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC	3hr 17min 16.0sec
7. Sébastien Ogier (FRA) / Julien Ingrassia (FRA)	Citroën C3 WRC	3hr 17min 26.1sec
8. Esapekka Lappi (FIN) / Janne Ferm (FIN)	Citroën C3 WRC	3hr 17min 32.0sec
9. Gus Greensmith (GBR) / Elliott Edmondson (GBR)	Ford Fiesta WRC	3hr 21min 52.0sec
10. Takamoto Katsuta (JAP) / Daniel Barritt (GBR)	Toyota Yaris WRC	3hr 23min 49.0sec

SS 19, FIA World Rally Championship

WRC2 Highlights, FIA World Rally Championship

Highlights,, Michelin Motorsport

Highlights, Citroën Racing

Review, Hyundai Motorsport

Day 4, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing WRC

Review, ŠKODA Motorsport

Highlights, Rallysupport

Highlights, BelgiumRallyVideo

Highlights, LiveRacingTV24

Leg 3, RallyTielen

Highlights, Mk2 Racing Videos

Highlights, marcel206GT

Highlights, La Sangle

Day 4, ArdechoRallye

Day 4, Seb Rallye Passion [SRP]

Day 4, Show Racing

Day 4, Rigostyle

Highlights, REmember Producties

RESULTS

	ENTRANT (TEAM)	DRIVER/CODRIVER	NAT.	NR	CAR	GR		TIME
1	TOYOTA GAZOO Racing WRT	Ott Tänak / Martin Järveoja	EE	8	Toyota Yaris WRC	RC1	WRC	3:15:29.8	M
2	TOYOTA GAZOO Racing WRT	Kris Meeke / Sebastian Marshall	GB	5	Toyota Yaris WRC	RC1	WRC	3:15:50.6	M
3	TOYOTA GAZOO Racing WRT	Jari-Matti Latvala / Miikka Anttila	FIN	10	Toyota Yaris WRC	RC1	WRC	3:16:05.8	M
4	Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team	Thierry Neuville / Nicolas Gilsoul	B	11	Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC	RC1	WRC	3:16:28.3	M
5	Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team	Daniel Sordo / Carlos del Barrio	E	6	Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC	RC1	WRC	3:16:46.4	M
6	Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team	Andreas Mikkelsen / Anders Jaeger	N	89	Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC	RC1	WRC	3:17:16.0	M
7	Citroën Total W.R.T.	Sébastien Ogier / Julien Ingrassia	F	1	Citroën C3 WRC	RC1	WRC	3:17:26.1	M
8	Citroën Total W.R.T.	Esapekka Lappi / Janne Ferm	FIN	4	Citroën C3 WRC	RC1	WRC	3:17:32.0	M
9	M-Sport Ford World Rally Team	Gus Greensmith / Elliott Edmondson	GB	44	Ford Fiesta WRC	RC1	WRC	3:21:52.0	M
10	Tommi Mäkinen Racing (TOYOTA GAZOO Racing WRT)	Takamoto Katsuta / Daniel Barrit	J/GB	17	Toyota Yaris WRC	RC1	WRC	3:23:49.0
11	ŠKODA Motorsport	Jan Kopecký / Pavel Dresler	CZ	23	ŠKODA Fabia R5 Evo	RC2	R5	3:27:24.1	WRC2 PRO
12	Škoda Auto Deutschland (BRR)	Fabian Kreim / Tobias Braun	D	55	ŠKODA Fabia R5 Evo	RC2	R5	3:28:16.7	WRC2
13	(Baumschlager Rallye & Racing)	Marijan Griebel / Pirmin Winklhofer	D	54	ŠKODA Fabia R5 Evo	RC2	R5	3:28:35.2	WRC2
14	LOTOS Rally Team (Baumschlager Rallye & Racing)	Kajetan Kajetanowicz / Maciej Szczepaniak	PL	43	Volkswagen Polo GTI R5	RC2	R5	3:28:38.2	WRC2
15	M-Sport Ford World Rally Team	Eric Camilli / Benjamin Veillas	F	24	Ford Fiesta R5 MK2	RC2	R5	3:28:43.2	WRC2 PRO
16	ŠKODA Motorsport	Kalle Rovanperä / Jonne Halttunen	FIN	21	ŠKODA Fabia R5 Evo	RC2	R5	3:30:18.1	WRC2 PRO
17	Citroën Total (Dg Sport Compétition)	Mads Østberg / Torstein Eriksen	N	22	Citroën C3 R5	RC2	R5	3:31:00.6	WRC2 PRO
18		Raphaël Astier / Frédéric Vauclare	F	75	Hyundai i20 R5	RC2	R5	3:31:56.5
19	(Friulmotor Rally Team)	Simone Tempestini / Sergiu Itu	RO	48	Hyundai i20 R5	RC2	R5	3:33:03.9	WRC2
20	Sports Racing Technologies	Nikolay Gryazin / Yaroslav Fedorov	RUS	41	ŠKODA Fabia R5	RC2	R5	3:33:11.4	WRC2
21	Brose Motorsport (Sarrazin Motorsport)	Dominik Dinkel / Christina Fürst	D	56	Hyundai i20 R5	RC2	R5	3:34:12.0	WRC2
22	(Taylors Motorsport Ltd)	Rhys Yates / James Morgan	GB	46	ŠKODA Fabia R5	RC2	R5	3:34:14.2	WRC2
23	Team France FFSA Rallye (M-Sport Poland)	Adrien Fourmaux / Renaud Jamoul	F/B	47	Ford Fiesta R5 MK2	RC2	R5	3:36:15.6	WRC2
24		Pieter Tsjoen / Pieter Vyncke	B	74	ŠKODA Fabia R5	RC2	R5	3:37:51.5
25		Pjm Cracco / Jasper Vermaulen	B	81	ŠKODA Fabia R5	RC2	R5	3:38:35.7
26	(M-Sport)	“Pedro” / Emanuele Baldaccini	I	52	Ford Fiesta R5 MK2	RC2	R5	3:48:14.6	WRC2
27	(Gassner Motorsport)	Hermann Gassner / Karin Thannhäuser	D	80	Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X	NAT		3:49:37.5
28	(Gassner Motorsport)	Hermann Gassner jr. / Ursula Mayrhofer	D/A	83	Toyota GT86 CS-R3	RC3	R3	3:50:24.0
29	M-Sport Ford World Rally Team	Teemu Suninen / Jarmo Lehtinen	FIN	3	Ford Fiesta WRC	RC1	WRC	3:57:24.0 SR	M
30	ADAC Saarland E.V.	Roman Schwedt / Henry Wichura	D	87	Peugeot 208 R2	RC4	R2	3:57:35.5
31		Eamonn Boland / M.J. Morrissey	IRL	77	Ford Fiesta R5	RC2	R5	4:00:07.8
32		Norman Kreuter / Jeannette Kvick	D/DK	93	Citroën DS3 R3T	RC3	R3T	4:09:26.0
33		Patrick Gengler / Ken Krüger-Gengler	LUX	84	Renault Clio RS R3T	RC3	R3T	4:10:07.6
34		Marco Roncoroni / Paolo Brusadelli	I	79	ŠKODA Fabia R5	RC2	R5	4:10:52.1
35	RACB (DG Sport)	Guillaume de Mevius / Martijn Wydaeghe	B	49	Citroën C3 R5	RC2	R5	4:12:44.7 SR	WRC2
36		Marco Oldani / Pietro D’Agostino	I	91	Peugeot 208 R2	RC4	R2	4:19:01.5
37	ADAC Nordbayern E.V.	Josef Wecker / Sabrina Türk	D	94	Renault Clio RS R3T	RC3	R3T	4:19:02.2
38		Henk Vossen / Erwin Berkhof	NL	78	Ford Fiesta R5	RC2	R5	4:22:33.8 SR
39		Mitsuhiro Kunisawa / Masahiko Kihara	J	90	Ford Fiesta R2	RC4	R2	4:23:01.3
40		Fabio Peruzzo / Nicola Terrassan	I	95	Peugeot 208 R2	RC4	R2	4:27:30.4
41		Stefan Stich / Melanie Kalinke	D	86	Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X	NAT		5:13:39.4
LEADING RETIREMENTS		SS=Special Stage
SS	ENTRANT (TEAM)	DRIVER/CODRIVER	NAT.	NR	CAR	GR		CAUSE
2	M-Sport Ford World Rally Team	Teemu Suninen / Jarmo Lehtinen	FIN	3	Ford Fiesta WRC	RC1	WRC	throttle	M
18	(ACI Team Italia / Motorsport Italia srl)	Fabio Andolfi / Simone Scattolin	I	45	ŠKODA Fabia R5	RC2	R5	accident	WRC2
11	THX Racing (DG Sport)	Nicolas Ciamin / Yannick Roche	F	50	Volkswagen Polo GTI R5	RC2	R5	accident	WRC2
15	(SXM Compétition)	Sebastien Bedoret / Thomas Walbrecq	B	51	ŠKODA Fabia R5 Evo	RC2	R5	accident with aimal	WRC2
10	(BMA)	Stéphane Lefebvre / Thomas Dubois	F	53	Volkswagen Polo GTI R5	RC2	R5	accident	WRC2
2		Sebastian Schwinn / Felix Griebel	D	57	Volkswagen Polo GTI R5	RC2	R5	personal reason	WRC2
10		Enrico Brazzoli / Manuel Fenoli	I	71	Fiat 124 Abarth Rally RGT	RGT		mechanical	RGT
15	(Sarrazin Motorsport)	Stéphane Sarrazin / Jacques-Julien Renucci	F	73	Hyundai i20 R5	RC2	R5	punctures
2		Kristian Poulsen / Ole R. Frederiksen	DK	76	ŠKODA Fabia R5	RC2	R5	mechanical
		Henk Vossen / Erwin Berkhof	NL	78	Ford Fiesta R5	RC2	R5
2		Stefan Stich / Melanie Kalinke	D	86	Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X	NAT
5		Lasse Murmann Sørensen / Karsten Isaksen	DK	88	Opel ADAM R2	RC4	R2	mechanical
4	Renngemeinschaft Oberberg E.V.	Klaus Osterhaus / Dietmar Moch	D	92	Toyota GT86 CS-R3	RC3	R3	personal reason
3		Jürgen Hohlheimer / Roni Liessi	D	96	Renault Twingo R2	RC4	R2	accident

	STARTERS 52 (4 WRC2 Pro, 15 WRC2, 1 RGT)	FINISHERS 41 (4 WRC2 Pro, 10 WRC2, 0 RGT)			WINNER´S AVER. SPEED			kph
	RALLY LEADERS	SS 1 Tänak, 2 Neuville, 3-19 Tänak
	WRC2 Pro	SS 1-7 Rovanperä, 8-19 Kopecký
	WRC2	SS 1 Kreim, 2-9 Lefebvre, 10 Ciamin, 11-19 Kreim
	RC2	SS 1-7 Rovanperä, 8-19 Kopecký
	RGT	SS 1-10 Brazzoli
	RC3	SS 1 Kreuter, 2-19 Gassner jr.
	RC4	SS 1-19 Schwedt

	STAGE POSITIONS	1 2 3 4 5 6	THE ROUTE			SS		DISTANCE, km
	Ott Tänak	8 3 1 2 1 1
	Thierry Neuville	7 5 2 1 1 0
	Jari-Matti Latvala	2 0 4 2 2 3
	Dani Sordo	1 7 3 2 1 3
	Kris Meeke	1 1 1 5 5 2
	Teemu Suninen	0 2 3 3 1 2
	Esapekka Lappi	0 2 0 2 2 1
	Sébastien Ogier	0 0 3 3 4 6
	Andreas Mikkelsen	0 0 1 0 1 0
	Gus Greensmith	0 0 0 0 1 0

	WRC2 Pro
	STAGE POSITIONS	1 2 3 4 5 6
	Kalle Rovanperä	9 6 2 2 0 0
	Jan Kopecký	6 5 6 2 0 0
	Eric Camill	2 4 6 7 0 0
	Mads Østberg	2 4 6 7 0 0

	WRC2
	STAGE POSITIONS	1 2 3 4 5 6
	Nicolas Ciamin	7 2 0 0 0 1
	Fabian Kreim	5 1 8 1 3 1
	Marijan Griebel	3 5 1 7 0 0
	Stéphane Lefebvre	2 5 1 1 0 0
	Kajetan Kajetanowicz	1 2 4 3 6 1
	Fabio Andolfi	1 2 2 3 3 3
	Simone Tempestini	0 2 0 4 0 2
	Nikolay Gryazin	0 1 0 0 7 4
	Adrien Fourmaux	0 0 2 0 0 3
	Sebastien Bedoret	0 0 0 0 1 3

	RC2
	STAGE POSITIONS	1 2 3 4 5 6
	Kalle Rovanperä	8 4 1 2 0 0
	Nicolas Ciamin	4 1 2 1 1 0
	Jan Kopecký	3 2 5 0 2 3
	Marijan Griebel	1 3 2 2 0 3
	Eric Camill	1 2 2 1 2 1
	Mads Østberg	1 1 3 2 2 1
	Kajetan Kajetanowicz	1 0 0 1 3 4
	Fabian Kreim	0 3 2 1 5 4
	Stéphane Lefebvre	0 3 1 5 0 0
	Fabio Andolfi	0 1 0 1 3 1
	Simone Tempestini	0 0 0 2 0 1
	Nikolay Gryazin	0 0 0 1 0 0
	Stéphane Sarrazin	0 0 0 0 1 1
	Adrien Fourmaux	0 0 0 0 1 0

	RC3
	STAGE POSITIONS	1 2 3 4 5 6
	Enrico Brazzoli	10 0 0 0 0 0

	RC3
	STAGE POSITIONS	1 2 3 4 5 6
	Hermann Gassner jr.	17 0 0 2 0 0
	Norman Kreuter	2 14 1 2 0 0
	Patrick Gengler	0 5 13 1 0 0
	Josef Wecker	0 0 3 14 2 0
	Klaus Osterhaus	0 0 2 0 1 0

	RC4
	STAGE POSITIONS	1 2 3 4 5 6
	Roman Schwedt	18 1 0 0 0 0
	Mitsuhiro Kunisawa	1 0 10 8 0 0
	Marco Oldani	0 18 0 1 0 0
	Fabio Peruzzo	0 0 5 10 2 2
	Lasse Murmann Sørensen	0 0 4 0 0 0
	Jürgen Hohlheimer	0 0 0 0 2 0

2019 FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP FOR DRIVERS AFTER ROUND 10:

1	Ott Tänak / Martin Järveoja	EE	Toyota Yaris WRC	205
2	Thierry Neuville / Nicolas Gilsoul	B	Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC	172
3	Sébastien Ogier / Julien Ingrassia	F	Citroën C3 WRC	165
4	Kris Meeke / Sebastian Marshall	GB	Toyota Yaris WRC	80
5	Andreas Mikkelsen / Anders Jaeger	N	Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC	79
6	Elfyn Evans / Scott Martin	GB	Ford Fiesta WRC	78
7	Jari-Matti Latvala / Miikka Anttila	FIN	Toyota Yaris WRC	74
8	Teemu Suninen / Marko Salminen, Jarmo Lehtinen	FIN	Ford Fiesta WRC	70
9	Daniel Sordo / Carlos del Barrio	E	Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC	62
10	Esapekka Lappi / Janne Ferm	FIN	Citroën C3 WRC	62
11	Sébastien Loeb / Daniel Elena	F/MC	Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC	39
12	Kalle Rovanperä / Jonne Halttunen	FIN	ŠKODA Fabia R5	16
13	Benito Guerra / Jaime Zapata	MEX	ŠKODA Fabia R5	8
14	Gus Greensmith / Elliott Edmondson	GB	Ford Fiesta R5	8
15	Marquito Bulacia / Fabian Cretu	BOL/RA	ŠKODA Fabia R5	6
16	Craig Breen / Paul Nagle	IRL	Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC	6
17	Jan Kopecký / Pavel Dresler	CZ	ŠKODA Fabia R5 Evo	5
18	Mads Østberg / Torstein Eriksen	N	Citroën C3 R5	4
19	Pontus Tidemand / Ola Fløene	S/N	Ford Fiesta WRC	4
20	Yoann Bonato / Benjamin Boulloud	F	Citroën C3 R5	4
21	Stéphane Sarrazin / Jacques-Julien Renucci	F	Hyundai i20 R5	2
22	Ole Christian Veiby / Jonas Andersson	N/S	Volkswagen Polo GTI R5	2
23	Pierre-Louis Loubet / Vincent Landais	F	ŠKODA Fabia R5	2
24	Adrien Fourmaux / Renaud Jamoul	F/B	Ford Fiesta R5	1
25	Janne Tuohino / Mikko Markkula	FIN	Ford Fiesta WRC	1
26	Ricardo Triviño / Marc Martí	MEX/E	ŠKODA Fabia R5	1
27	Pedro Heller / Marc Marti	CHL/E	Ford Fiesta R5	1
28	Emil Bergkvist / Patrik Barth	S	Ford Fiesta R5	1
29	Nikolay Gryazin / Yaroslav Fedorov	RUS	ŠKODA Fabia R5	1
30	Takamoto Katsuta / Daniel Barrit	J/GB	Toyota Yaris WRC	1

2019 FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP FOR MANUFACTURERS AFTER ROUND 10:

1	Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT	Hyundai	(Neuville,Loeb,Mikkelsen,Sordo)	289
2	TOYOTA GAZOO Racing WRT	TOYOTA	(Tänak,Latvala,Meeke)	281
3	Citroën Total W.R.T.	Citroën	(Ogier,Lappi)	216
4	M-Sport Ford World Rally Team	Ford	(Suninen,Tidemand,Evans)	168

https://twitter.com/rallyparadise/status/1165879082430738432

FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP
Rallye Deutschland
Post-event Press Conference
Sunday 25th August

Present:
1st – Ott Tänak (EST), Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team
1st – Martin Järveoja (EST), Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team
2nd – Kris Meeke (GBR), Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team
2nd – Sebastian Marshall (GBR), Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team
3rd – Jari-Matti Latvala (FIN), Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team
3rd – Miikka Anttila (FIN), Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team
Tommi Mäkinen (FIN), Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team

Q:
Ott, it is very déjà vu to last year: a win in Finland, a win here in Germany. This is now your third win at Rally Germany, and it seemed like a completely faultless weekend out there. Has it been a perfect one for you?
OT: Almost. I would say that my only target was to avoid any kind of mistake. Since the very beginning, the competition was really tight with Thierry Neuville. On Friday, we were normally one or two tenths faster per stage than he was but on Saturday, it was actually the opposite – Thierry was actually a bit faster than I was. It was looking difficult, so I must say that if it had continued the same way, I would have accepted second place. Of course, I tried to be on my limit all the time without any mistake. In the end, we managed to do it. So, sure, I am happy to finish.

Q:
And it’s a great team result. It’s a Toyota one-two-three. That is the first time we have seen that in this generation of Toyota. 1993 was the last time that three Toyotas were on the podium, in Safari Rally. That is a long time back. How satisfying is it to have a great team result like this?
OT:
It is important to have this kind of result. Only a short time ago, we had quite a dramatic end to the rally in Sardinia, and these situations always bring some tension into the team. We had two cars on the podium in Finland and now three here, so I believe it is important to have this kind of result for the team. Especially for every member in the team, to give them this motivation. I am sure they can also understand that their hard work is paying off and I hope it keeps the motivation high to push forward.

Q:
We were wondering whether you would go for maximum points in the Power Stage. We have seen it before when you have taken a win, but you mentioned at the end of the previous one that you weren’t too sure. You said “maybe not”. Was the feeling not there, or did you know from the beginning of the day, that was not going to be the objective?
OT:
To be honest, something happened on the penultimate stage, on the long stage. At the end, I started to lose braking stability and then, I only had one-wheel braking at the front. We tried to do many different things on the road section, but we couldn’t understand what was happening. I tried for the first two corners of the Power Stage but in the end, there was no chance for us to really push with this car, so it was important to bring it home.

Q:
You extend your lead in the Drivers’ Championship, which I am sure is very satisfying as we head to Turkey – another event you won last year, which made it three in a row. I am sure, in your mind, that there is nothing against you doing that again.
OT:
Yes. But, as we know, Turkey is definitely the hardest event of the season. We can also say that last year, it was, in a way, our weakest event of the season. We really didn’t have performance and we were slow but in the end, we were smarter and had a one-two there. This year, we have been working really hard and I really hope that our performance is on a better level. Our team has been trying to prepare really hard for this rough event. I still know that this event needs the same approach, maybe, as we had here: to be consistent with no puncture. Let’s say, no stopping on the stage: that would be the best way to finish this rally. I believe we need to try to do the same as we did last year, but some extra speed would help.

Q:
Martin, congratulations on the win, and a third win overall here at Rally Germany. Very different conditions this year: It has been beautifully sunny, completely dry. Tell me how that has changed the work with the gravel crew. Has there been less information coming in? Has it been a little bit easier, maybe?
MJ:
Yes. Coming from the fast Finland roads to the tarmac here, it may look the same speed but actually, I think that, on tarmac, these cars are even faster on the braking and the acceleration. Basically, I also have to do all my work a little bit faster. It is always intense to work with the gravel crews, because there is lots of communication. This year, the weather was pretty stable, so it was a little bit easier.

Q:
We talk very much about Ott’s confidence growing, and we can see that in the drive. What about your confidence, Martin, in the role you are doing? Obviously, you are getting it absolutely “bang on the money” as well. It is two of you achieving the wins, not just one. How big is your confidence right now?
MJ:
I’m okay (he laughs).

Q:
Kris Meeke, congratulations on a podium position with Toyota – your best result this year, your first podium with the team and with Seb as well. Talk to me about the feeling at the end of it, now that this result has been achieved.
KM:
It’s nice. It is special to be part of a one-two-three, to be honest. It doesn’t happen that often. We had a strong weekend – obviously, coming off the back of Finland, where a one-two-three might have been possible, but we tripped up there. So, coming here I was not particularly full of confidence. But we started and picked up the pace gradually. It seemed like we were in a battle with Sébastien Ogier throughout Friday and then into Saturday morning. I haven’t so much experience of the stages on Saturday morning – I had only done them once in the wet, in 2017. So, I was happy to keep him at bay on Saturday morning. Then, on Panzerplatte, we were able to make a difference and he picked up his puncture there. The result certainly came to us and it is nice to be a part of this one-two-three.

Q:
We saw a great stage time from you on the final run of Panzerplatte yesterday. Obviously, feeling good within the stage, with yourself and the car. Did you expect it to be as quick as it was?
KM:
Yes. It is always a little cleaner on Panzerplatte on the second pass. It wasn’t so much to try to pull a gap on Jari, it was to try to make a difference to Seb. I felt good in the car. When you have a good feeling, there is no reason not to take profit from it. As we saw with Thierry and Seb, it is easy to pick up a puncture in there, so you have to be extra careful as well. We’ve had a clean rally, strong stage times, and I think we deserved the second place we got.

Q:
You mentioned your confidence was a little bit low heading into this, after Finland. It has obviously been boosted now. We head to an event which is going to be brand-new for you in Turkey. A massive challenge ahead. What is going to be the plan?
KM:
I’ll have to wait and see. Everyone says how rough it was last year. Obviously, I’ve only seen the TV images, so we will have to wait until we get there and see the recce. As Ott said, they got the result last year from being smart and clever, and not necessarily chasing the stage times. Let’s see. It’s for sure going to be a little bit more difficult for me, not having been there last year, but that’s the way it is. Maybe that could play into my hands.

Q:
Seb Marshall, congratulations on the result here. It is special to be part of a one-two-three, how are you feeling at the end of it?
SM:
Yes, like Kris and the guys said, it is an amazing feeling to be up there on the podium and with the whole team there as well. It has been a fantastic effort from everyone the whole weekend. It has been a tough weekend. I am quite relieved to be here, to be honest. On Panzerplatte, in particular, you feel every bump. You think: oh no, is that a puncture? It is so easy to make a mistake and there are such fine margins with these stages. I am delighted with the result.

Q:
We’ve seen you guys on form this year – very much on pace and almost getting the podium result, and then having it snatched away, so how satisfying is it to finally be here?
SM:
Like I said, it is a relief. I think it is three times that we could perhaps have been on the podium and, for one reason or another, have not quite been able to make it. But, to be here now is a dream result.

Q:
Jari-Matti Latvala, let’s turn to you. A Toyota one-two-three in 1993. Come on, you are the encyclopaedia of knowledge. Who was on the top step of the podium?
JML:
Juha Kankkunen, Markku Alén and Ian Duncan.

Q:
There is just no flooring him, is there?
OT:
Who is this Duncan?
JML:
It’s a local guy from Kenya

Q:
He knows everything. Talk to me about the weekend because, as I mentioned a few times during it, we have seen many different characters to you. You over-thought a lot during this weekend. You studied times at the stage end, which may not have been what you wanted. It’s a call from Mr Mäkinen telling you to just relax, which made the difference. Has that been the case?
JML:
Yeah, he called me twice (he laughs). I realise that when I just focus on the driving, it seems to be working the best. But when I start to think too much about the driving techniques – you know, being smooth, thinking about tyres, trying to carry the speed through the corners – then that just seems to go a bit over. Maybe I am not clever enough to think (he laughs)! Luckily, Tommi called us and then I relaxed my shoulders, tried not to think and just to focus on the driving, and it started to get better.

Q:
If the first call was to relax, was the second one to slow down?
JML:
No. It was this morning, the second one. After the first stage. I thought I was driving okay, but it was too cautious. Dani got quite close – I think he was getting to within twelve seconds. Tommi just called and said: “No panic. Everything is okay. I know you were just taking it too easy. No worries. There is no panic.”

Q:
You said at the stage end: “no panic, it’s all okay, I’m fine”. But then, on the end of the next stage, you said you did feel a bit under pressure. Were you fibbing to us?
JML:
I knew that that kind of pace was not going be enough to keep him behind. So, of course, I needed to raise the pace. But, in a way, when you are relaxed and focused and you sort of have a target, then it is easier to concentrate.

Q:
Miikka, second podium in a row. We saw you in Finland. Does this mean the Latvala-Anttila battleship is back in action?
MA:
Yeah, for sure we want to carry on like this, not like we did the first half of the season. This was better and it feels better.

Q:
I want to know how much of an influence you are in the car? Because, when he is overthinking, and we could see that on the TV screen, what do you say to him? Do you tell him: “come on, chill out”?
MA:
I try, but like on Saturday evening, there were, I would say, 7,000 people telling him to cool down. Then maybe I was the 7,001th! Of course, I said the same thing. But there were so many others saying the same thing.

Q:
Obviously, it’s Mr Mäkinen who has the special touch. Thank you Miikka. Tommi, congratulations, this must be a very proud moment to see your team archive a one-two-three. You must be a very happy man right now.
TM:
Yes, very, very happy. Thanks to all of you. It’s going to go down in history, it will be written in history, what you did. I am so absolutely proud of the whole team and what they have done.

Q:
It has almost been achieved a few times – a one-two-three. Were there tense moments in there today, watching you drivers, or did you know that they would achieve it today?
TM:
Of course, it was a tough time. I was very confident. Luckily, nothing more serious with Ott. We will investigate carefully what happened with the brakes. That was my biggest worry: that some technical failures could happen.

Q:
You edge closer in the Manufacturers Championship with this. It all seems to be coming together at the moment?
TM:
At the moment, it’s looking very good. I am sure Jari-Matti and Kris, you can do good relaxed driving.

FIA WRC 2 PRO CHAMPIONSHIP

Present:
1st – Jan Kopecký (CZE), Škoda Motorsport
1st – Pavel Dresler (CZE), Škoda Motorsport

Q:
Congratulations to you on your results. Jan, let’s kick-start with you, the FAI WRC 2 Pro winner. You know what it takes to win here in Germany, of course, but we saw a really good battle between you and your team-mate Kalle Rovanperä. Germany bites back, though, doesn’t it? It has its own challenges, as you discovered yesterday. Are you satisfied to be on the top step of the podium?
JK:
Actually, there was no battle between us because he was so much faster than we were today. We were just looking at his back, but I think he was driving a bit over the limits and he made two mistakes, that’s it. Anyway, it was a challenging rally in these conditions; I think everyone had a little bit higher motivation, because it was dry, so the grip was quite high. But there were some places with loose gravel where, if you were too quick, you were out.

Q:
I was trying to be kind there when I mentioned the battle. He was very quick, your team-mate Mr Rovanperä. Were you surprised by the pace he was setting?
JK:
No. He is still young, very young, and he’s hungry too.

Q:
He certainly is. You mentioned the condition of the stages. We’ve seen beautiful sunshine all weekend. You’ve seen this rally in all kinds of different conditions over your ten years competing here. How much of a challenge did it represent this time around?
JK:
I’d have to say that maybe we were a bit lucky that there was no rain, because the roads were a little bit messy this year, with a lot of loose gravel and a lot of dry mud, so if the rain had come, it would’ve been really challenging.

Q:
We saw frustration from you at the end of the day yesterday, when you damaged a tyre. You weren’t a happy boy there.
JK:
Yes, because this Panzerplatte stage is getting rougher and rougher every year. We had the puncture and we were irritated in a way because there were huge blocks of concrete lying the middle of the road. But what can you do? I was a little bit frustrated.

Q:
But you’re in a much better mood today, obviously.
JK:
Yes.

Q:
Thank you very much, Jan. Pavel, let’s turn to you now. From your perspective, how much of a challenge has it been out there?
PD:
The first day of the rally was very challenging with Kalle. He made a mistake on the second day, so then we got some time, which was a little bit better for us, because we could really use our strategy. For me, it was almost the same strategy as at Barum Rally, and we finished first like at Barum Rally, so it is working.

Q:
It has certainly been a busy couple of weeks for you guys, so I’m sure you’ll be glad to get home.
PD:
Yes, we’re very much looking forward to spending time with our families after these two weeks.

Q:
But you’re satisfied with the result this weekend…
PD:
Yes, for sure.

FIA WRC 2 CHAMPIONSHIP

Present:
1st – Fabian Kreim (GER)
1st – Tobias Braun (GER)

Q:
Now, Fabian, let’s turn to you. Congratulations on the FIA WRC 2 win. We’ve seen quite a few leaders of FIA WRC 2 over the weekend and quite a lot of drama. Tell me about your weekend out there. Are you happy with your performance and the pace that you’ve shown?
FK:
Yes, at the end, I’m quite happy with our performance. It was a really tough and challenging rally, especially yesterday. It was quite hard on the Panzerplatte. We lost a little bit too much time on the first one, but at the end, we had no punctures. That was our target, to keep the pressure on, and today we made no mistakes. It was quite a good weekend and now we’re really happy.

Q:
Obviously, you’re going to be happy at winning FIA WRC 2, but going into this morning with those four challenging stages ahead of you, knowing that you had to keep it clean out there, were you a little bit nervous at all?
FK:
Yes, of course, I was really nervous in the morning. Our plan was to try to push a little bit in the first stage and it was good. In the last three stages, we managed to drive safely through, which was quite good.

Q:
And, obviously, it’s a win at home as well, so that’s quite special.
FK:
Yes, of course.

Q:
Tobias, let’s turn to you now, then. Congratulations on a brilliant result this weekend. How much of a challenge has it been? How stressful has it been throughout the weekend for you?
TB:
Yes, it’s the first year for Fabian and me together as driver and co-driver, and our first FIA WRC event together, so it was quite challenging. But to do it the first time, to win here in Germany, is quite special and I think we did quite well in the end.

Q:
And how has the relationship worked, then? Especially when you’re going through such challenging stages as Panzerplatte, with so many notes and 89 junctions. Was it all good?
TB:
In the end, I would say it was quite good. Of course, it wasn’t the same as with his old co-driver, whom he worked with for five years. It is our first year together and just four rallies into the season. It’s not 100% perfect but I think we’ve done quite well and I’m happy with the rally.

Q:
Fabian, what did you think of his performance, then? Is it shaping up?
FK:
Yes.

Team Reviews

Manufacturers: Citroën Total W.R.T. (F) / Citroën C3 WRC (Michelin)
1 Sébastien Ogier / Julien Ingrassia (F)
4 Esapekka Lappi / Janne Ferm (FIN)

Sébastien Ogier – Julien Ingrassia and Esapekka Lappi – Janne Ferm ended Rallye Deutschland a disappointing seventh and eighth overall, as both crews struggled throughout the event to deliver their full potential in the C3 WRC, the French pair also collecting two harsh punctures. A tough weekend that the Citroën Total World Rally Team nevertheless leaves in determined mood, aiming to bounce back at the next round in Turkey (12-15 September).

With their chances of a podium place dealt a serious blow by the two punctures picked up by Ogier – Ingrassia yesterday on Panzerplatte, the Citroën Total World Rally Team concentrated today on improving the handling of the C3 WRC. The work done highlighted a few ideas on how to change the set-up, whilst also underlining the need to go further still. Today’s final leg concluded with Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia in seventh place, whilst Esapekka Lappi and Janne Ferm were just behind in eight overall, after briefly fighting back up to sixth position. This result means the French crew, who also scored a bonus point in claiming fifth place on the Power Stage, now lie third in the provisional world championship standings.

Although they very quickly noted that the set-up wasn’t quite right and the C3 WRC was understeering, meaning they had to push really hard to compensate, Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia ended the opening leg in third place. This despite making a few minor mistakes, unsurprisingly so given they were having to drive on – or over – the limit to keep in touch with the leaders. With day two including stages in the Baumholder military base, where they have delivered some formidable performances in the past, they had high hopes of being able to consolidate their position. Unfortunately, they fell foul of the very unpredictable nature of the Panzerplatte stage. They lost a little time with a slow puncture on the first run but worse was to come on the repeat, with a second puncture costing them more than 1m 30s. Their poor luck dropped them out of contention for the leading positions, leaving them to use the final leg as a test.

Less experienced on this demanding event, Esapekka Lappi and Janne Ferm were nevertheless just 7.3s off fourth place halfway through the first leg. However, they too made a mistake, a spin on SS5, as they struggled to push despite the set-up of the car not being entirely to their liking. They ended day one in seventh position. Whilst setting two second fastest times (SS9 and SS11) on Saturday, reflecting the progress made on the set-up of the C3 WRC, they were unable to avoid another minor error, but they dug in to make their contribution to the efforts undertaken by the team.

REACTIONS FROM…

Sébastien Ogier, Citroën Total WRT driver

“Obviously, it was not the weekend we were hoping for, but I gave it everything. I was flat out a lot of the time, but it wasn’t enough. The times just weren’t there and the punctures certainly didn’t help. We had hoped to buck the trend here, but unfortunately, our situation in the championship hasn’t improved. I’m still going to keep fighting, like I have always done.”

Esapekka Lappi, Citroën Total WRT driver

“It was a very difficult weekend for us. We had difficulty finding confidence in the car and the speed to fight with the leading crews. We managed to make some small steps during the weekend but it wasn’t enough. We need more. I have faith in our ability to find the right solutions together for the future.”

TWO QUESTIONS FOR PIERRE BUDAR, CITROËN RACING TEAM PRINCIPAL

What is your analysis of your disappointing performance this weekend?

We thought we had understood the reasons for our below-par performance in Corsica and had made the necessary changes for this tarmac round. We had hoped to be among the frontrunners this weekend, but the truth is that wasn’t really the case. We were closer to the leaders this weekend than in Corsica, but still too far away to be satisfied. We clearly missed something in our preparations. The only full day of testing conducted by Sébastien and Julien was disrupted by rain, something we didn’t have during the rally in the end. So that prevented us from completing our test programme on dry tarmac. We were also unlucky with the two punctures picked up by Sébastien and Julien in the Baumholder military base, when they were definitely still in contention for a podium place. In any event, our crews tried really hard all week, always looking to get the absolute maximum from the car, regardless of the circumstances. That is also why, as they tried to compensate for the handling issues, they ended up making a few minor mistakes. The technical team never let up either, despite the obvious disappointment, and it is this fighting spirit – combined with the lessons learned here – that will enable us to come away stronger from this test.

How do you see the rest of the championship developing?

We are obviously in a more difficult situation in the championship now. But we’re not the kind of people to give up whilst there is still hope. There are four rallies still to go, including some of the most difficult events in the championship, so a lot can still happen. We have a pre-event test for Turkey coming up next week and we’ll be fighting right to the end of the season with togetherness, commitment and passion.

We have completed Rallye Deutschland, our home event, with all three of our crews inside the top-six, but the improved pace of our i20 Coupe WRC promised to deliver so much more.

Thierry and Nicolas got off to a competitive start, taking two stage wins on Friday to move into close contention for the lead. Our Spaniards Dani and Carlos were also on fine form as they chased down the top-three.

Their hunt for a provisional podium was hit by a transmission problem on the Wadern-Weiskirchen stage, dropping them down to ninth. “Hugely disappointing,” was Dani’s assessment. “Unacceptable,” said our Team Director Andrea.

Never ones to be knocked down, the pair returned with intent on Saturday and immediately laid claim to a stage win in SS8 (Freisen).

Victory hopes punctured

Our Belgians, meanwhile, were involved in a game of ‘cat and mouse’ with the rally leader. The gap between the crews was just five seconds heading to lunchtime service.

While the afternoon began well, there was drama in the first run through the fearsome 41.17km Panzerplatte test as Thierry/Nicolas picked up a puncture. Despite changing the left-rear in an impressively quick time, the 84 seconds lost pushed them out of the victory charge.

Sunday’s itinerary was not a straightforward stroll through the vineyards for crews with 80km of special stages left to contest. Our crews were at the heart of the action. Thierry and Nicolas led a 1-2 in both runs through Grafschaft, ahead of Dani and Carlos, while also putting in a masterful performance in the Power Stage.

Ultimately, the Belgians were classified in fourth. “We have given absolutely everything possible this weekend. To be honest, we could have fought for the win this weekend, but we were just unlucky with the puncture in Baumholder. It is part of the game.”

Home improvements

Our Spaniards took fifth place and focused on the positives. “The most important thing is the improvements made to the car performance on tarmac,” said Dani. “We are now competitive on this surface, and this is thanks to the hard work of the team.”

A steady weekend for Andreas and Anders resulted in sixth place and valuable progress. “For our first tarmac event of the season, it was never going to be an easy one,” said Andreas. “We have worked a lot on improving our feeling with the car, the driving style and adapting to the varied tarmac stages. We have taken some steps but it’s still not perfect.”

With four rallies left on the calendar, we remain at the top of the manufacturers’ championship with an eight-point lead. For Andrea, there are important lessons to learn. “Thierry and Nicolas were fighting for the lead of the rally before their puncture on Saturday. I don’t think anyone would have expected it to be so close prior to the start of the weekend,” he said. “Dani and Carlos, too, have been on strong form. Without a reliability problem, they would surely have been in the mix. This is where we cannot be happy.”

He added: “We have to be in control of our own destiny, and that means being high-performing and reliable in every single area of our operation. So, in summary, our car performance in Germany has been good but our team performance has not. We have to do better.”

WRC action moves back to gravel roads for the next round, Rally Turkey, from September 12-15.

The TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team has claimed a historic lock-out of the podium places on Rallye Deutschland. Ott Tänak claimed victory to increase his lead in the drivers’ championship to 33 points, with team-mates Kris Meeke and Jari-Matti Latvala joining him on the podium. The result – the first time in four years that a single manufacturer has filled the overall podium on a WRC round – brings the team to within eight points of the lead in the manufacturers’ championship.

Tänak led the rally almost from start to finish as he and co-driver Martin Järveoja notched up their third win in as many years on the demanding German asphalt event. After an intense battle they built a gap on the fearsome Panzerplatte stages on Saturday afternoon, when Meeke and Latvala moved up into the podium positions.

On the final day the three crews protected their positions, with Tänak ultimately winning by 20.8 seconds as he clinched his fifth triumph of the year. For Meeke and co-driver Seb Marshall, second place represents their first podium finishes for Toyota, while third for Latvala and Miikka Anttila was a strong repeat of their result on the previous round in Finland. Together, it was a perfect result on the home event of Toyota Motorsport GmbH, based nearby in Cologne and responsible for developing the engine of the Toyota Yaris WRC.

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Rally Challenge Program driver Takamoto Katsuta reached the end of his first event at the highest level of the WRC in a fine 10th place, driving a separately-entered Toyota Yaris WRC.

Quotes:

Akio Toyoda (Team Chairman)
“All six TOYOTA GAZOO Racing WRT drivers and co-drivers stood on the podium at Rally Germany. It was a great sight! I would have loved to be standing next to you while being soaked in champagne on the podium. But today I feel great! And Takamoto Katsuta finished his first WRC event with the Yaris. This was also something I wanted to see. The scene I truly want to see is him standing on the podium. But today I feel great! Thank you very much to the drivers, co-drivers, Tommi, the team members, and all of the fans who are pleased with this result. Ott and Martin, thank you very much for your two consecutive wins, and your wins in Germany, the home of the Yaris WRC engine. Kris and Jari-Matti were continually saying in interviews, ‘I will drive for the team! I’ll drive through and get the points for the manufacturers’ championship!’ It’s normal for a driver to want to drive faster than anyone else. I really thank them for controlling that feeling and driving for the team. It’s a really good team. Let’s keep fighting for the remaining four events this season with this team! And let’s do our best to keep delivering the best sights for the fans! To all the fans, I wish for your continuous support for TOYOTA GAZOO Racing WRT.”

Tommi Mäkinen (Team Principal)
“It feels incredible to have our three cars in the first three positions. We had the possibility to achieve a similar situation a few times already and now finally we managed it. It’s a very exciting day today. Our car was clearly very strong here but this weekend we also had the strongest drivers, who showed how to do it in the most challenging asphalt conditions we have. Our test mileage is very limited on asphalt and still we are able to do this sort of result. That says a lot about our teamwork and how well everybody has been working together. I have to be very proud of everybody today.”

Ott Tänak (Driver car 8)
“It’s an amazing result for the team, so I’m sure there will be big celebrations tonight, and also when we go to visit the team at TMG here in Germany tomorrow. We still have four more rounds to go and we need to stay focused and give our maximum. The championship is still tight, and we’ve seen this weekend that nothing is coming easy. We were not always the fastest but we were more consistent, and in the end we managed to get the victory. The main job was done yesterday and today we just had to bring home the 1-2-3.”

Jari-Matti Latvala (Driver car 10)
“If you finish 1-2-3, you cannot ask for more. This is the most perfect of perfect results. We had a really nice weekend without any problems, and the car worked perfectly. And even though there were some stages that did not go so well for me, I was able to bounce back on the next one. I was slightly too cautious on the first stage this morning, but I realised that I needed to give a bit more attack and after that it was fine. After Finland, it’s a great feeling to be on the podium again.”

Kris Meeke (Driver car 5)
“I’m delighted. I could have had four or five, maybe six podiums already this year, and through different issues and my own mistakes, we never got there. To be on the podium and to bring a big haul of points to Toyota with a perfect score, a 1-2-3, it’s special to be part of this weekend. To take maximum points for the manufacturers’ championship is really important. I felt good in the Yaris all weekend, it gave me great confidence, and I definitely was able to drive at a good speed and be comfortable.”

What’s next?
Rally Turkey (September 12-15) returned to the WRC in 2018 in a new location around Marmaris on the Mediterranean coast. Rocky gravel roads and high temperatures make for a gruelling event.

Manufacturers: M-Sport Ford World Rally Team (GB) / Ford Fiesta WRC (Michelin)
3 Teemu Suninen / Jarmo Lehtinen (FIN)
44 Gus Greensmith / Elliott Edmondson (GB)

M-Sport Ford World Rally Team’s EcoBoost-powered Ford Fiesta WRCs had the pace but not the luck at this weekend’s ADAC Rallye Deutschland – Teemu Suninen having the speed to challenge for the podium were it not for an unfortunate technical issue through the early stages.

A broken wire on the first stage of Friday morning was the culprit – denying the young Finn any chance of challenging for the top results. But having restarted the following day, he and co‑driver Jarmo Lehtinen were determined to showcase what might have been.

Posting a series of top times, the Finns were consistently amongst the front runners and would have been challenging for the podium were it not for their earlier misfortune. Continuing their strong performance into the final day of competition, they ended on a high by setting the second fastest time through the points-paying Power Stage.

Gus Greensmith and Elliott Edmondson were also delivering a strong drive and improving with every kilometre. Making their asphalt debut with the top-specification Fiesta, the young Brits got closer to the leading times and were outperforming a number of their more experienced rivals on occasion.

Saturday proved a trickier day with a mistake in the morning and much to learn on their first encounter with the Panzerplatte stages, but they persevered – showcasing their mechanical skills by changing a steering arm on the road section and continuing to gain the vital knowledge and experience needed to succeed at rallying’s highest level.

Team Principal, Richard Millener, said:

“It’s great to see that we had the speed to challenge for the podium, but obviously fairly frustrating that we had an issue so early on. We knew from the test how much potential Teemu would have here, and he’s proven that over the past couple of days. It’s a shame not to get the result he deserved, but he can still take a lot of confidence away from this weekend.

“Gus also delivered another strong performance and is getting a lot of experience under his belt. This was his first time with a world rally car on Tarmac, and we saw him get a lot closer to the leaders – beating some more experienced guys through some stages and even equalling the World Champion on one!

“He knows that there’s still a lot to learn, but we’ve seen some great progress already. Considering how little time he’s had in the car it really is incredible how calm he is and how well he deals with the pressure. I certainly hope we can continue his development over the remainder of the season.”

Gus Greensmith (9th) said:

“It’s been an awesome weekend, and I was pleasantly surprised by how quickly we were able to get on the pace. We were never right at the front, but we were mixing it with the likes of Mikkelsen and Lappi. They have a lot more experience, so for our first time on Tarmac I’d say that was pretty good.

“The time was there, but we still need to improve the consistency – and once we do that it will make our lives a lot easier. It was a really positive weekend and the only real negative was clipping a tree on Saturday – but that did give me some practice at changing a steering arm!”

Teemu Suninen (Restarted) said:

“It’s not the result we wanted, but I’m still really pleased with our performance and my pace was even better than I had expected. My aim was to finish in the top-five, but actually it looks as though it could even have been enough to fight for the podium.

“The technical issue on Friday means we don’t take any strong points away from this weekend, but I think our second fastest time on the Power Stage says a lot about our pace. I was really pleased with that and really enjoyed my driving – so that’s a big positive for the future.”

WRC2 PRO: ŠKODA Motorsport / ŠKODA Fabia R5 Evo (Michelin)
21 Kalle Rovanperä / Jonne Halttunen (FIN)
23 Jan Kopecký / Pavel Dresler (CZ)

Shakedown and SS1

The pair of ŠKODA works cars had a great start into the Germany’s round of WRC 2 Pro, with Kalle Rovanperä dominating the shakedown from the first run and steadily improving his time. His did his final run in 2:49.2, a second faster than the runner-up Jan Kopecký, who was in turn a 0.2 second faster than Ford-driving Eric Camilli in the third spot. A great start of one of the hardest rallies in the calendar!

On Thursday evening, the rally started with a Super Special Stage in St. Wendeler Land. The results mirrored those from the Shakedown, with Rovanperä being a second faster than Kopecký at 2:48.6. This time, though, there was a third FABIA R5 evo to complete the 1-2-3, driven by the local crew of Fabian Kreim and Tobias Braun. They did the first stage in 2:50.2, just 0.6 seconds behind Jan Kopecký and Pavel Dresler.

“At Barum we tried some different setups to test for this rally and they worked well. This stage is not so bumpy”, commented Jan Kopecký after the first stage. His teammate Rovanperä was satisfied with his performance, but noted that Rally Deutschland certainly won’t be easy: “It will be much tougher than in previous events. The time is good.”

Friday

Kalle may have said that Rallye Deutschland would be much tougher to win than the previous ones, but he certainly didn’t seem to have a hard time during the Friday morning run. He posted the fastest times in the first two stages of the day, the SS2 Stein und Wein and the SS3 Mittelmosel. Only during the third test of the day, was he beaten by his teammate Jan Kopecký, who placed third in both of the previous stages. The victory at the SS4 Wadern-Weiskirchen was enough for Kopecký to move ahead of Stéphane Lefébvre’s Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 and into second place of the RC2 class. Rovanperä is now more than 11 seconds ahead of the rest of the field.

Another two FABIA R5 evo drivers, Fabian Kreim and Marijan Griebel, are in 8th and 6th place, followed by Fabio Andolfi with his first-generation FABIA R5 in 9th place.

After first two days of Rallye Deutschland, the ŠKODA Motorsport works drivers Kalle Rovanperä and Jan Kopecký are in the first two places of WRC 2 Pro category. The repetition of afternoon’s special stages didn’t change a lot in the WRC 2 Pro standings. Kalle Rovanperä once again won first two stages of the loop in his category, noting that the afternoon run was even better for him than the morning’s part of the leg: “It went much better than the first time, at least in my opinion. At the end of the day, when the brakes are quite worn it is not the best feeling for me.”

In the last stage of the day, the second run of Wadern-Weiskirchen, the young Finn got into a bit of trouble for the first time, after a small mistake cost him some time and moved him to 2nd position in WRC 2 Pro, behind Jan Kopecký. Still, he retained his first place overall, even increasing his lead to 19.6 seconds ahead of Jan Kopecký. “It was not so good. I messed up the first corner and went wide onto a gravel bank. However, I am really happy with the day – we went really well.”

Jan Kopecký did a great job as welll, posting four second-best and two best times in the WRC 2 Pro category, keeping the second place. He was satisfied with his performance, but after SS5, he commented that whatever he may do, he’s not able to catch his young teammate: “It’s a little bit more slippery in some places so we are trying not to take any risks. For sure we would like to try and catch Kalle but at this moment it is not possible!” He further commented on his speed one stage later: “I think we can not do more. If I push more then some small mistakes would come. I can not go any faster.”

The two German drivers Fabian Kreim and Marijan Griebel, for whom this is the first event with ŠKODA FABIA R5 evo, are currently in 3rd and 4th place in WRC 2 category, reserved for private teams. Behind them, in the 5th place, is Fabio Andolfi, driving a ŠKODA FABIA R5.

During the first two days, the ŠKODA works crews posted best times among the 27 R5 cars in six out of seven stages.

Saturday

Saturday is the longest day of Rallye Deutschland. Unlike a typical leg, where morning stages are repeated in the afternoon, it includes two pairs stages, each repeated right away – SS1 and SS2 repeated as SS3 and SS4, and SS5 and SS6 repeated as SS7 and SS8. This presents a challenge for the teams, as the morning ones take place on country roads in the Saarland and the Rhineland Palatinate Region, while in the afternoon, the crews have to deal with the the notorious military area of Baumholder. And once again, the abrasive concrete roads, lined by concrete blocks, the infamous “Hinkelsteins”, will be a tough test for both men and machines.

Kalle Rovanperä and his co-driver Jonne Halttunen begun the day with some bad luck. Starting the day as leaders of both WRC 2 Pro and the whole RC2 class, they went off the road in the last corner of the morning’s first stage and got stuck in the undergrowth. Although spectators came to help, there weren’t enough of them in that spot and in the end, the recovery took more than four minutes. This meant that the Finns dropped from the lead to the 4th position. “It was a stupid mistake, I didn’t have it as narrow on my notes and went too wide and got stuck in the grass. I feel sorry for the team,” Kalle Rovanperä explained. It was really not his morning as just one stage later, he slid off the road again after a jump and lost another 23 seconds to his teammate Jan Kopecký who was now comfortably leading the WRC 2 Pro category. “We have to be really focused because the stages are very tricky – there is a lot of loose gravel everywhere,” commented the recently crowned Czech Rally Champion at the midday rest halt at Lake Bostal.

For the ŠKODA customer teams, the morning run was a successful one. Both German drivers on ŠKODA FABIA R5 evo, Fabian Kreim and Marijan Griebel, moved up to the lead of the WRC 2 category, followed by Fabio Andolfi on ŠKODA FABIA R5, who completes the 1-2-3 for ŠKODA cars.

In the afternoon, the action moved to the military area of Baumholder, well-known for its Panzerplatte special stages. Its combination of rough surface and “hinkelsteins” – a concrete obstacles designed to stop tanks and thus well-able to stop a rally car – makes for a special challenge. Jan Kopecký knows this well, as he suffered punctures here in both 2018 and 2017.

This year, Kopecký started out really well, posting the best time in the first stage of the afternoon, the SS12 Arena Panzerplatte. His teammate Kalle Rovanperä was close behind him, with a 1.2 second gap, and is on his way up the charts after the morning’s mishap. In the first run of the Panzerplatte stage, the two works drivers placed second (Rovanperä) and third (Kopecký) in WRC 2 Pro, while Marijan Griebel and Fabio Andolfi took the two top spots in the WRC 2 category.

The second runs were less lucky for Kopecký. In the second run of Arena Panzerplatte, he finished sixth in the RC2 classification and 4th in WRC 2 Pro, while Rovanperä won both in WRC 2 Pro and overall among R5 cars. The second run of the Panzerplatte proved that things tend to come in threes – like in previous two years, Kopecký suffered a puncture and lost almost a minute. Still, his lead was big enough to stay in the first place of both the WRC 2 Pro and RC2 class overall. Rovanperä won both stages of the second run and moved up to the 3rd place in the WRC 2 Pro.

Among privateers in WRC 2, four out of the top five cars are ŠKODAs. Two ŠKODA FABIA R5 evo drivers, Kreim and Griebel, are first and second, followed by ŠKODA FABIA R5 drivers Andolfi and Gryazin in 4th and 5th place.

Sunday

The final leg of Rallye Deutschland took the crews back to the picturesque vineyards around the river Mosel. The leg included two pairs of stages, run twice each. The 28.06-kilometre-long “Grafschaft”, the second-longest stage of the rally, was an early wake-up for the crews, starting at 7:46.

The challenge for the two ŠKODA works crews was clear: Recently crowned Czech Rally Champions Jan Kopecký and Pavel Dresler had to defend their lead in the WRC 2 Pro category. Their teammates Kalle Rovanperä and Jonne Halttunen, who had been in the category lead until a small off-road excursion on Saturday morning, had to secure their third place in the WRC 2 Pro category valuable championship points.

Although Kopecký started the day with a cautious pace, he still managed to increase his category lead. “The stage was hard – there was a lot of gravel on the road and some muddy parts in the forest. So I really had to be careful,” he said. His young teammate Rovanperä added: “In the morning, it was quite slippery on hard tyres. I was cautious, but it was good.” Having said that, he emerged as the quickest driver of the category.

Eventually, Jan Kopecký and Pavel Dresler defended their lead until the finish, claiming their first WRC 2 Pro victory in the FIA World Rally Championship 2019. Kalle Rovanperä and Jonne Halttunen took no risks with their ŠKODA FABIA R5 evo. With a third place in the WRC 2 Pro category they secured valuable championship points in both drivers’ and manufacturers’ overall standings.

In the WRC 2 category for private teams, Fabian Kreim (German champion 2016 and 2017) and reigning German champion Marijan Griebel, both being supported by ŠKODA Auto Deutschland, secured a double victory on their first event with the new ŠKODA FABIA R5 evo.

ŠKODA Motorsport boss Michal Hrabánek was delighted at the podium near Lake Bostal: “Congratulations to Jan and Pavel for bringing home this victory thanks to a great performance. We are proud, that our new ŠKODA FABIA R5 evo remains undefeated in its category in the FIA World Rally Championship. This is a big reward for the great work the whole team has done. After their mishap, Kalle and Jonne made the most of the situation by finishing third in the WRC 2 Pro category and collecting valuable championship points!”

WRC2 PRO: M-Sport Ford World Rally Team / Ford Fiesta R5 MK2 (Michelin)
24 Eric Camilli / Benjamin Veillas (F)

The all-new EcoBoost-powered Ford Fiesta R5 delivered a strong result at this weekend’s ADAC Rallye Deutschland – Éric Camilli and Benjamin Veillas securing second place in the FIA World Rally Championship’s premier support series, WRC 2 Pro.

Improving with every kilometre, the Frenchman fine-tuned the set-up and dialled into the terrain to deliver stage-winning pace.

Setting the fastest time through one of the championship most demanding and iconic stages, the pairing were the quickest crew through the 41.17 kilometres of Panzerplatte – and maintained that same level of performance throughout the remainder of the competition.

Continuing to challenge for the fastest times through the closing stages, the pairing confirmed their pace before picking up a puncture on the final speed test. And were it not for 50 seconds worth of time penalties, they could have been in a battle for victory.

There was further good news for the all-new Fiesta as ‘Pedro’ and Emanuele Baldaccini secured another points finish in the WRC 2 category. And further afield in Norway where Anders Grøndal and Marius Fuglerud secured second place in the penultimate round of the Norwegian Rally Championship – second only to WRC 2 regular Ole Christian Veiby.

Team Principal, Richard Millener, said:

“This car is completely different to its predecessor and it has taken Éric a while to adapt to the different style of driving. There is so much technology and so much potential in this car and it’s great to be seeing that now. Éric has shown some really good speed this weekend and were it not for the puncture and the check-in issues, we could have seen him battling for victory.

“It’s also great to see our customers delivering such strong performances with their newly delivered cars – ‘Pedro’ having a great run here in Germany, and Anders Grøndal producing a great drive in Norway. Congratulations to both of them from the whole team, and we look forward to seeing some more strong results as the season continues.

“We have an on-going test and set-up programme lined-up to ensure we keep these strong results coming, and I’m excited to see the team unlock even more potential in the coming weeks and months.”

Éric Camilli (2nd WRC 2 Pro) said:

“This has been a very good weekend for us and we have made a lot of improvements since the last outing in Finland. At the start of the weekend we knew we had to prove some things, but we worked hard and got closer and closer to the top times – eventually setting the fastest time on Panzerplatte which is the most important stage of this rally. It was very good to have this improvement and see the real potential of the car.”

‘Pedro’ (9th WRC 2) said:

“This is such a difficult rally but I can tell you that it was an incredible experience – especially with this car. The car was perfect all weekend and we really enjoyed all four days of competition. Also the M-Sport organisation has been fantastic – giving us everything we need to finish our third rally in as many events. To finish again in the points, for us really is heaven.”

Almost everything about World Rallying…

WRC 2019, Round 10/14 – ADAC Rallye Deutschland (August 22/25)

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