Rallye Deutschland 2011

[sleenster]

The Citroën DS3 WRCs prepare for their debut on tarmac

Three Citroën DS3 WRCs have been entered for the ADAC Rally Germany for Petter Solberg / Chris Patterson, Kimi Räikkönen / Kaj Lindström and Peter van Merksteijn Jr / Erwin Mombaerts with the backing of Citroën Racing Technologies. The three crews fettled in their cars in intense test sessions that left nothing to chance for this event, the first on tarmac in 2011.

The three drivers shared six days’ testing in Germany on roads in the Mosel vineyards and then in the Baumholder military camp. Almost 1200 kilometres – the equivalent of a complete rally per crew – were covered.

“After between six and eight months without racing on tarmac, it was necessary to spend at least two days finding our marks,” said Benoît Nogier, the Citroën Racing Technologies team manager. “Our three crews were able to test the setups decided by the works team in the heart of the vines and on the special roads in the military camp. Peter Solberg, Kimi Räikkönen and Peter Van Merksteijn Junior were very happy with the solutions and were able to fine-tune their setups. We hope that our preparation will be translated into good times in the stages.”

The Citroën DS3 WRCs took advantage of the variable weather to run on both wet and dry roads: “The situation was perfect to find our grip level in different conditions. We also worked on new tyres and their working windows. The drivers felt a bigger difference between the soft and hard rubber. Tyre choice will play a greater role than in the past. In all cases there’s no room for error.

Petter Solberg (Petter Solberg World Rally Team), currently lying fifth in the world championship, used the test to get back into the rhythm on tarmac. The Norwegian is the only driver still racing – with Sébastien Loeb – to have already won on this surface in the WRC.

Last year Kimi Räikkönen (ICE1 Racing), on his maiden outing in Rally Germany set his first quickest time in the FIA World Rally Championship. At the wheel of a Citroën WRC, the Finn topped the time sheets in the last city stage. This season the Power Stage will be Circus Maximus Trier.

Peter van Merksteijn Jr (Van Merksteijn Motorsport) is back again after giving Rally Finland a miss, but this time his co-driver will be his father’s regular, Erwin Mombaerts. During testing, Peter and Erwin made progress as they tried to fine-tune their coordination. Eddy Chevallier, who is recovering from the injuries he suffered in Greece, will be with the Van Merksteijn Motorsport team in Rally Germany.

http://i.imgur.com/wxG7j.png

[luieluv]

Rally Deutschland 2011: 18th Aug to 21st Aug

Detail Itineraries and Maps (PDF files):
Stages & Itinerary
- http://www.rallye-deutschland.de/zuscha ... &orgaSess=
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Maps
- http://www.rallye-deutschland.de/zuscha ... &orgaSess=
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Entries :
- http://www.rallye-deutschland.de/zuscha ... &orgaSess=
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Live / Deferred Video :
- http://www.vipbox.tv/sports/motorsports.html
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- http://www.myp2p.eu/competition.php?com ... otorsports
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More Links if any for Live telecast of Super Special Stage and Power Stage would be updated soon.
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Webcam Shots
To be updated if any
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Live Stage Timings :
- http://www.wrc.com/results/2011/adac-ra ... age-times/
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Live split times:
- http://www.wrc.com/results/2011/adac-ra ... lit-times/
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Live Text
- http://www.wrc.com/results/2011/adac-ra ... live-text/
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Live Radio :

- http://www.wrc.com/jsp/index.jsp?lnk=250
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Official WRC channel on Youtube
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- http://www.youtube.com/user/wrc?blend=1&ob=4&rclk=cth
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- http://www.youtube.com/show/worldrallychampionship
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many videos and highlights would be uploaded during the course of Rally. Please Register

[luieluv]

Wrc.com preview: ADAC Rallye Deutschland

WRC round 9 of 13. Thursday 18 August - Sunday 21 August.

The rally
After the ice-coated roads of Sweden, the high altitude gravel tracks in Mexico and the high-speed jumps in Finland a challenge of a different kind awaits the stars of the World Rally Championship in Germany: Tarmac.

Based in the historic city of Trier in western Germany, ADAC Rallye Deutschland marks the first asphalt round of 2011. While all stages take place mainly on sealed surfaces - albeit with a few gravel stretches on Friday and Saturday - the event is essentially three different rallies in one with each day posing a unique test for the 83 crews set to do battle for WRC glory.

Friday’s action is contained in the vineyards of the Mosel region and consists of three repeated stages either side of a service halt at Trier’s Messepark. The narrow and sometimes undulating roads are characterised by their bumpy and slippery surface. With hairpins peppering the route, drivers struggle to find a good rhythm, while overhanging vines simply add to the task facing competitors.

Saturday’s route begins with stages through the more fast and flowing woodland stages of the northern Saarland region before crews tackle the notorious Arena Panzerplatte test through the Baumholder military training area.

The stage, which has been shortened from 48 kilometres to a no-less-gruelling 34, is a mixture of wide asphalt areas and rugged concrete, which places a huge onus on tyre durability, particularly in the event of high ambient and ground temperatures.

With a coating of dust on the stage surface, the Baumholder roads are notoriously slippery. To add to the challenge, giant hinkelsteins - kerbstones used to keep army tanks on the road - line the course and will punish any mistakes.

Sunday’s route heads back to the vineyards of the Mosel region for four more stages before the event-closing Circus Maximus Power Stage around Trier’s Porta Nigra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where the ceremonial start will take place on Thursday evening. The 4.37-kilometre course will be shown live on Sport 1 television in Germany and on other networks around the world and is set to provide a thrilling climax to the event.

The various changes to the route - including the addition of two stages not used since 2008 - means the overall competitive distance has been trimmed from 405 kilometres to a slightly less intensive 360 over 19 stages.

In addition to counting as round nine of the main World Rally Championship, ADAC Rallye Deutschland counts as round six of the Super 2000 World Rally Championship for two-litre, normally aspirated, four-wheel-drive machines and the fourth event of the FIA WRC Academy Cup season, which pitches 16 of the sport’s brightest young talents against each other in identical Ford Fiesta R2s. Previews of those two championships will be published on wrc.com next week.

Who’s going to win?

Having won on all eight occasions that Germany has hosted a round of the World Rally Championship, few would bet against Sebastien Loeb making it win number nine when the rally concludes next Sunday.

Loeb took his first WRC victory in Germany back in 2002 and remains undefeated on the Trier-based event he once considered to be his ‘home’ rally due to its close proximity to the Alsace region in France where he grew up.

The only slight question mark for Loeb is whether his Citroen DS3 WRC will pack the same punch it has demonstrated on the previous seven rounds this season. By his own admission, the French make has done limited running on asphalt and its pre-event test took place in July and in completely dry conditions.

Although rain hasn’t been a factor in Germany in recent years, the Mosel and Saarland regions are known for their inclement weather, which could have a bearing on the end result. However, Loeb has proved on numerous occasions that he is a master at battling against adversity so it’s highly unlikely that he would come unstuck if it rained.

Ford, conversely, is testing in Germany this weekend when mixed weather conditions are forecast. The Blue Oval’s Fiesta RS WRC set the pace on the limited amount of asphalt sections that featured in Portugal and Argentina earlier in the year. However, on both occasions crews were using gravel tyres and settings so the true pace of the car is unclear, while drivers Mikko Hirvonen and Jari-Matti Latvala have yet to win on asphalt in the world championship.

Sebastien Ogier, Loeb’s Citroen team-mate, has also yet to triumph on a sealed-surface rally at world level. Like his Ford rivals, Ogier has prepared for Rallye Deutschland by receiving coaching at a race circuit. The ex-Junior world champion has stated that he must beat Loeb in Germany to stand any chance of taking the drivers’ title at the end of the season so expect a major push from the very first stage.

Petter Solberg is expected to be the fastest of the three works-supported Citroen drivers and enjoyed a successful test in Germany last week. Kimi Raikkonen, the 2007 Formula One world champion, and Peter van Merksteijn Jr will also be equipped with DS3 WRCs. Raikkonen has been growing in stature on each round this season, although van Merksteijn Jr has endured a troubled campaign to date.

Mads Ostberg will be determined to put on a strong showing on what could be his final appearance in the WRC this season at the wheel of his M-Sport Stobart Fiesta. The young Norwegian doesn’t have any more cash to continue in the semi-works Ford team, where he is partnered by Matthew Wilson. Briton Wilson has been a consistent point-scorer throughout the year and will be expected to increase his tally in Germany.

Henning Solberg and local hero Aaron Burkart will also compete under the M-Sport Stobart banner. Burkart, the last driver to win the Junior world championship, has never driven a Fiesta RS WRC before so will face a steep learning curve.

The MINI WRC Team impressed in Finland and with asphalt ace Dani Sordo on board, another encouraging performance is expected from the Prodrive-developed John Cooper Works WRCs. Sordo’s team-mate Kris Meeke has also impressed on outings in Germany in the past but fears his lowly road position of 15th will hold him back if it rains on the opening day due to the possibility of mud and gravel being dragged onto the road.

Other MINI drivers in action in Germany include Armindo Araujo, Patrik Flodin and Daniel Oliveira, who will line up for the Brazil World Rally Team. Araujo topped the Production Car World Rally Championship classification in Germany last season so will be a threat. Flodin is making his first start in the World Rally Car version of the MINI having driven the S2000 model in Sardinia back in May.

Pierre Campana, a 26-year-old from Corsica, will also be at the wheel of a MINI WRC after being handed a dream opportunity by the French motorsport federation, which his helping to fund his seat. Entered by the French Drive-Pro organisation, Campana is preparing for Rallye Deutschland by contesting the asphalt-based Richard Burns Memorial Rally in the United Kingdom this weekend.

Dennis Kuipers will be a contender for a top 10 finish for the Dutch FERM Power Tools World Rally Team operation, which will enter a second Fiesta RS WRC for his father Rene.

Ken Block starts his first WRC event since Rally Argentina at the end of May. The American, who will drive a Monster World Rally Team Fiesta, was in an impressive ninth overall in Germany last year when a technical failure forced him out on the final morning.

Volkswagen Motorsport will continue its WRC initiation in Germany, running a brace of Skoda Fabia Super 2000s for rising stars Christian Riedemann and Hans Weijs.

On this rally last year

Sebastien Loeb won with ease for Citroen. Team-mate Dani Sordo shadowed him in the early stages before being ordered to hold station for a one-two finish for the French make, which became a podium lockout when Sebastien Ogier grabbed third from Jari-Matti Latvala on the final day. A spate of punctures wrecked Petter Solberg’s challenge while gearbox failure forced Mikko Hirvonen’s premature exit. Francois Duval, making a rare start in the WRC, had been expected to fight for a podium finish but was slowed on day one by a broken driveshaft before he suffered a huge crash on Saturday afternoon, which left his co-driver Denis Giraudet requiring hospital treatment after he fractured some ribs.

Did you know?
ADAC Rallye Deutschland is an amalgamation of three rallies: the Deutschland Rally, the Hunsruck Rally and the Saarland Rally. It first took place in 1987 before being elevated to world championship status for 2002.

Tyres
Michelin will provide its Pilot Sport asphalt tyre in hard and soft compounds. The hard tyre is intended for use in dry conditions, the soft in the event of rain or a damp road surface. Priority drivers will be restricted to 36 hard compound tyres and 28 soft compound tyres. However, the total amount of tyres that can be used for the duration of the rally is 40 plus six for the pre-event shakedown.

http://www.wrc.com/news/features/wrccom ... &page=5522

[luieluv]

Wilson: we will win on asphalt

News13th August 2011
By Anthony Peacock

Ford will win an asphalt rally this year: that's the firmly-held view of M-Sport team principal Malcolm Wilson.

Although Marcus Gronholm won for Ford on the Tarmac-based Rallye Monte Carlo in 2006, the Blue Oval hasn’t triumphed on a pure sealed surface event since Markko Martin’s victory in Catalunya in 2004.

This week’s ADAC Rallye Deutschland makes the first of three asphalt rallies before the end of the season. While Sebastien Loeb and his Citroen team have not been beaten on the Trier-based event since it was first included in the world championship in 2002, Wilson is confident that his team can challenge on Tarmac.

“I’m totally convinced we’re going to win a Tarmac rally this year – I don’t know which one it will be but I really feel confident,” said Wilson. “Wherever there has been Tarmac this year – okay it’s been with a gravel set-up on gravel tyres but everywhere we’ve been quickest. Mikko Hirvonen was quickest on the Lisbon superspecial stage in Portugal, while Jari-Matti Latvala was quickest in Argentina. Okay the cars were a long way off being on full Tarmac settings but from what the drivers are saying after the Tarmac testing we have done is very, very encouraging.”

One of the key priorities for the Christian Loriaux designed Ford Fiesta RS WRC, which will make its sealed-surface debut in Germany next week, was to improve its performance on asphalt.

http://www.maxrally.com/news/entry/wils ... n_asphalt/

[luieluv]

Ford optimistic over Germany prospects

The Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team will start this week's ADAC Rallye Deutschland with high hopes of a strong result, despite the squad's lack of success on asphalt in recent seasons.

Ford hasn’t triumphed on a Tarmac round of the world championship since legendary Finn Marcus Gronholm took victory on Rallye Monte Carlo in January 2006 driving a Focus RS WRC.

However, with two successful tests on asphalt in France and Germany under its belt, coupled with the pace shown by its Fiesta RS WRC on sealed-surface sections of the WRC rounds in Portugal and Argentina earlier this season, the Blue Oval is optimistic prior to battle commencing on Friday morning.

“We have high hopes for the Fiesta on asphalt,” said lead driver Mikko Hirvonen, who has made six appearances in Germany in the past. “From our testing we know it works well on that surface and we believe we can make good results. I enjoy driving the German stages when the conditions are dry, particularly in the vineyards where the grip is usually excellent. In the wet, it’s a different matter because the roads become dirty with a lot of mud and gravel dragged onto them.”

Hirvonen’s team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala finished fourth in Germany last term. He said: “This rally has a little bit of everything. The surface in the vineyards is abrasive with many cuts and tight junctions, and the countryside stages also have many cuts. In both areas a lot of dirt is dragged onto the surface from the cuts, and if it’s wet this dirt is muddy and extremely slippery. In Baumholder, the situation is different because you simply must not cut. The roads are wide but are lined with 50cm high hinkelsteins on both sides, so there’s no room for error.”



Latvala continued: “The Fiesta is well-balanced, especially through a combination of corners, and it should be strong in the vineyards especially. The unpredictable weather can make this a stressful rally. Because there is no dedicated wet weather tyre, it’s a compromise between speed and grip if it rains. But at least it’s the same compromise for everyone.”

Ford prepared for ADAC Rallye Deutschland with a four-day test, which finished in the country on Monday (Monday). Hirvonen and Latvala both took turns behind the wheel of a Fiesta test car.

http://www.wrc.com/news/ford-optimistic ... ?fid=15175

[zoefrances]

thank you for the news on rally germany

[Kriss]

thanks lui

[Mar]

Any shakedown times?

[Mar]

I just found some times in Forocoches. I don't know where they got them from:

Tiempos actualizados (los de antes eran a las 10.15)
1Ogier 3m36.3
2Loeb 37.7
3Hirv 38.5
4Meek 39.1
5Raikk 39.9
6Sord 40.1
7Otsbrg 41.2
8Solbrg 41.2

[luieluv]

Shakedown times (till 11:00 hour)

1. Ogier 3.36,3 (4 runs)
2. Loeb 3.37,7 (4 runs)
3. Hirvonen 3.38,5 (4 runs)
4. Meeke 3.39,1 (4 runs)
5. Raikkonen 3.39,3 (4 runs)
6. Sordo 3.40,1 (4 runs)
7. Ostberg 3.41,2 (2 runs)
8. P. Solberg 3.41,2 (3 runs)
9. H. Solberg 3.41,4 (3 runs)
10. Araujo 3.42,0 (4 runs)
11. Latvala 3.43,2 (2 runs)
12. D. Kuipers 3.44,1 (4 runs)
15. P. van Merksteijn 3.46,4 (3 runs)
21. Weijs 3.52,8 (3 runs)
22. B. ten Brinke 3.53,2 (6 runs)
28. R. Kuipers 3.56,1 (4 runs)
29. E. van Loon 3.56,5 (5 runs)

http://www.vm-motorsport.nl/Blog/tabid/ ... -hour.aspx

[momo]

Shakedown times (till 11:00 hour)

1. Ogier 3.36,3 (4 runs)
2. Loeb 3.37,7 (4 runs)
3. Hirvonen 3.38,5 (4 runs)
4. Meeke 3.39,1 (4 runs)
5. Raikkonen 3.39,3 (4 runs)
6. Sordo 3.40,1 (4 runs)
7. Ostberg 3.41,2 (2 runs)
8. P. Solberg 3.41,2 (3 runs)
9. H. Solberg 3.41,4 (3 runs)
10. Araujo 3.42,0 (4 runs)
11. Latvala 3.43,2 (2 runs)
12. D. Kuipers 3.44,1 (4 runs)
15. P. van Merksteijn 3.46,4 (3 runs)
21. Weijs 3.52,8 (3 runs)
22. B. ten Brinke 3.53,2 (6 runs)
28. R. Kuipers 3.56,1 (4 runs)
29. E. van Loon 3.56,5 (5 runs)

http://www.vm-motorsport.nl/Blog/tabid/ ... -hour.aspx

Thanks a million, luieluv

[Carolinaktss]

Shakedown results:

Sébastien Ogier 3.36,3
Sébastien Loeb 3.37,7
Mikko Hirvonen 3.37,7
Jari-Matti Latvala 3.37,9
Petter Solberg 3.38,6
Henning Solberg 3.38,7
Mads Ostberg 3.39,0
Kris Meeke 3.39,1
Kimi Räikkönen 3.39,3
Daniel Sordo 3.40,1
Armindo Araujo 3.42,0
Patrik Flodin 3.43,5
Matthew Wilson 3.43,7
Dennis Kuipers 3.44,1
Peter van Merksteijn 3.46,4
Aaron Burkart 3.47,5

http://www.rallye-deutschland.de/news/i ... e=&id=1690

[amoljoshi]

Shakedown times (till 11:00 hour)

1. Ogier 3.36,3 (4 runs)
2. Loeb 3.37,7 (4 runs)
3. Hirvonen 3.38,5 (4 runs)
4. Meeke 3.39,1 (4 runs)
5. Raikkonen 3.39,3 (4 runs)
6. Sordo 3.40,1 (4 runs)
7. Ostberg 3.41,2 (2 runs)
8. P. Solberg 3.41,2 (3 runs)
9. H. Solberg 3.41,4 (3 runs)
10. Araujo 3.42,0 (4 runs)
11. Latvala 3.43,2 (2 runs)
12. D. Kuipers 3.44,1 (4 runs)
15. P. van Merksteijn 3.46,4 (3 runs)
21. Weijs 3.52,8 (3 runs)
22. B. ten Brinke 3.53,2 (6 runs)
28. R. Kuipers 3.56,1 (4 runs)
29. E. van Loon 3.56,5 (5 runs)

http://www.vm-motorsport.nl/Blog/tabid/ ... -hour.aspx

Thanks a million, luieluv

Awesome!

Loeb continuing for 2 more years.. Kimi 5th shakedown.. Great start to the weekend!

[luieluv]

SS1 to start in 5 mins

[Kriss]