RALLY DEUTSCHLAND HIGHLIGHTS WRC CREWS' RETURN TO SEASON'S FINAL RUN
2010-08-20 17:48:28 Author: admin Source:
The World Rally Championship (WRC) has returned following a long summer break with the Rally Germany event this weekend. WRC manufacturer contenders Citroen and Ford have already assumed the title struggle, beginning with the Rally Germany's Thursday shakedown schedule.
Drivers' championship leader Citroen's Sebastian Loeb (below) has accumulated a total of 108 points after eight rounds to lead closest rival Ford's Jari-Matti Latvala on 72 points. Last season WRC championship runner-up Mikko Hirvonen is currently a further eight points adrift of his Ford team mate. After the Rally Germany, it should be an exciting run towards the end of season for the trio, featuring the final four rallies of 2010 ; the Rally Japan, Rally de France, Rally de Espana and Rally GB.
For Loeb, Rally Germany is an exceptional event. Since its reintegration into the WRC calendar in 2002, the Frenchman has won it on every occasion and he is determined to pursue his unbeaten record. Loeb holds the record for the number of consecutive wins here and an eighth success this weekend would enable the six-time WRC champion to improve the statistics, but that would be purely incidental. In the previous eight rallies this season, Loeb has always finished on the podium and four times on the topmost step.
Loeb commented, “I’ve always felt good in this rally and things have always gone well for me here. My aim in Germany is obviously an eighth victory.”
“But three other good drivers also have C4 WRCs, the best car of the moment. That means that I’m going to have to pull out all the stops to stay in front of them. It’s an interesting challenge as the three legs are all different. The stages among the Mosel vines have nothing in common with those in the Baumholder military camp. As is often the case, the weather can play a very important role in the outcome of the event, so it looks like it‘s going to be an exciting and unpredictable race,” he added.
In the Citroën World Rally Team’s second C4, Dani Sordo partners a new co-driver, Diego Vallejo who has replaced Marc Marti. Fresh from competing in Rally Finland in the Citroën Junior Team, Sordo is keen to return into the cockpit of the big league's C4 WRC. Sordo was second in this event in 2006 and 2008 and intends to do at least as well this year. “As in Bulgaria, I’ll try and score the maximum number of points for Citroën. It won’t be easy and in particular, I will have to watch out in the 47-km stage in the military camp. It’s very hard on tyres and you have to adopt the right rhythm to avoid punctures,” he said.
Ford World Rally team take their assault against main rival to build on the optimism of Latvala's victory in Finland last time out. The Finnish driver also moved into second place in the drivers' standings for his home event's efforts. Team mate Mikko Hirvonen looks to get back on the pace in Trier and is keen to prove a point as the WRC heads to the final stages.
Latvala has six Rallye Deutschland starts to his name. "Germany's stages have many cuts and so the roads are dirty giving me a lack of confidence when the grip level is changing so regularly. That's why this has always been a difficult event for me. Previously I have set some good times on the Baumholder sections because you can't cut the corners and I prefer the wide, fast roads in this military area. The weather can be changeable and you have to adapt very quickly to the conditions," the Rally Finland winner quoted.
It is Hirvonen's sixth start here, and his best result was third in 2007. "I have a love, hate relationship with this rally! When it's dry the stages are really nice to drive but when the conditions are wet it makes the roads very tricky with all the mud and water around. Of all the three different characteristics we see in Germany I prefer the vineyards. We have fantastic grip, the stages are not very technical and we can build up a really good rhythm because of the high speeds. The Baumholder stages are a unique challenge. The surface is changing all the time, it's very tricky and the road is bumpy meaning that the right car setup is crucial. With the all the improvements we've made I'm looking forward to seeing what's possible. I want to be fighting for the podium." commented Hirvonen.
François Duval joins the Stobart team at the Rally Deutschland and is expected to assist the team to gather some much needed championship points at the end of the rally on Sunday. Duval, an experienced tarmac driver, has contested Rallye Deutschland every year since its inception in 2002. The Belgian driver has had three second place finishes in 2004, 2005 and in 2007; where he finished just 20 seconds behind the leader. His last outing at the Trier-based event was also with the Stobart team in 2008 when he finished third overall.
Joining Duval as the other nominated points scorer in Germany are regulars Matthew Wilson (above)and Henning Solberg, though only Wilson is the other nominated scorer. Wilson has been preparing hard for the second asphalt round of the season by undergoing testing in the south of France two weeks ago, while Solberg is scheduled to drive a Ford Fiesta Super 2000 for this year’s event. However, the Norwegian driver is not nominated to score any manufacturer points. And, will return to drive the Focus RS WRC at Rally Japan next month for points, of course.
By MSC
