WRC Germany Aug 19-22 talk/results spoiler**

[Weasel 555]

Next Round WRC Germany Aug 19-22
http://i965.photobucket.com/albums/ae140/Weasel_555/WRCRallyResults/ADAC-WRC-Germany.jpg

The second asphalt rally of the 2010 season, Rally Deutschland is held in Germany’s wine-producing Mosel region, near to the historic city of Trier.

This may be a pure asphalt event, but it has one of the widest variety of sealed surfaces on the calendar. As such, it's a tricky rally that demands the very best from drivers.

The stage conditions are different on each day. Friday is made up of narrow and dirty vineyard access roads that feature a mix of straights and hairpins, making handbrake turn skills essential. Saturday’s stages are held on the rough concrete roads of the Baumholder military ranges, with the ever present hazard of huge concrete blocks designed to stop tanks straying from the road.

The final day features smooth, fast bitumen-coated roads and the ‘Circus Maximus’ Superspecial that runs right through the heart of Trier’s old city. All-in-all, it’s a challenging mix.

Official Website: rallye deutschland (http://www.rallye-deutschland.de/start/index.php?lg=e)


.:cool:

[daDriftah]

This is always an exciting event on the WRC calender as the surface changes are varied through out the stage and even the event of rain changes the road surface radicaly. S. Loeb is definately the man to beat here but I am watching F. Duval as he has been quick here. I will be watching this event.

[Weasel 555]

Citroen’s bid for an eighth victory on Rally Deutschland got off to a strong start earlier today when C4 World Rally Cars locked out the top four times at the pre-event shakedown.

The four hour test - a prelude to this weekend's rally - took place on a 5.80km asphalt road near the villages of Mesenich and Grewenich, 16km west of the Service Park in Trier. Conditions were dry and sunny throughout, with the temperature peaking at 23 degrees Celsius.

Citroen works team driver Dani Sordo shared the joint fastest time with privateer entrant Petter Solberg. Sordo, competing alongside new co-driver Diego Vallejo for the first time, completed four passes through the stage, setting his best time of 3m 39.4s on his final run.

“It felt good,” said Sordo. “Of course it’s a big change having Diego alongside me but we’ve tested for three days [in the rally car] and since then we have been driving together in a road car in Spain. It’s not the same as proper competition but this morning everything is okay. The aim for the rally is to try and get a podium. But running sixth on the road isn’t an ideal position to be in because there will be a lot of dirt on the road. If the weather stays dry that will help.”

Solberg, who started a new co-driving partnership with Chris Patterson six weeks ago, matched Sordo’s time on his fourth run. The Norwegian drove the stage five times after hitting a snag on his first pass. “The handbrake didn’t release after a hairpin and we were stationary for about 15 seconds,” he explained. “Luckily it happened today and we were able to fix it. After that we tried a few different settings, confirming what we found at our pre-event test. In the end the car feels absolutely perfect and we matched Sordo’s time. I’m happy with that.”

Seven-time Rally Deutschland winner Sebastien Loeb was the closest to Sordo and Solberg, in a time 1.3sec adrift. “The test has been okay for me, no problems,” he said. The road was fast and narrow, so always difficult, but the feeling was good and the car is perfect for the moment. We made a little change to the suspension but nothing special.”

Citroen Junior Team driver Kimi Raikkonen set the fourth fastest time, 1.9sec slower than Loeb, while Ford team-leader Mikko Hirvonen rounded off the top five as the first Focus RS WRC pilot.

ADAC Rally Deutschland gets underway on Friday 19 August at 0900hrs when crews leave the Service Park bound for the opening Ruwertal / Fell stage. Follow this link to find out how to follow the rally LIVE and FREE here on wrc.com.

Here are the Shakedown times of the leading WRC drivers:

1. SORDO. Citroen C4 WRC. 3:39.4

=1. P. SOLBERG. Citroen C4 WRC. 3:39.4

3. LOEB. Citroen C4 WRC. 3:40.7

4. RAIKKONEN. Citroen C4 WRC. 3:42.6

5. HIRVONEN. Ford Focus RS WRC 09. 3:42.7

6. DUVAL. Ford Focus RS WRC 08. 3:42.8

7. OGIER. Citroen C4 WRC. 3:43.3

8. LATVALA. Ford Focus RS WRC 09. 3:44.4

9. WILSON. Ford Focus RS WRC 08. 3:48.3

10. Al QASSIMI. Ford Focus RS WRC 08. 3:51.4

11. BLOCK. Ford Focus RS WRC 08. 3:52.2

Click: wrc.com/Germany Shakedown/News (http://www.wrc.com/news/citroens-dominate-rally-deutschland-shakedown/?fid=13484)

.:cool:

[Francisco]

2010 FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP - RALLYE DEUTSCHLAND

Pre-Event Press Conference (JWRC, SWRC, & PWRC continued in following post)

Thursday 19 August

Present:
Dani Sordo, Citroën Total World Rally Team
Sébastien Loeb, Citroën Total World Rally Team
François Duval, Stobart M-Sport Ford Rally Team
Malcolm Wilson, BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team
Thierry Neuville, FIA Junior World Rally Championship
Per-Gunnar Andersson, FIA Super 2000 World Rally Championship
Ott Tänak, FIA Production Car World Rally Championship

Q:
Dani a big change for you in the past few weeks as you have a new co-driver, what prompted the change?
DS:
We had some problems in the last rallies, and the feeling in the car was a little bit bad, so we decided to change.

Q:
You tested with Diego – how was that?
DS:
Obviously, it was quite a big change. I spent three days testing with Diego in a road-going car. Not the same, but the recce here and everything else was good, so we will see what this rally brings.

Q:
Last time we were here it was a Citroën one-two - do you feel comfortable enough with Diego to be able to achieve a podium here?
DS:
I will try to finish on the podium and try to drive well.

Q:
Do you prefer dry or wet conditions?
DS:
I would be happy if the weather continues like this.

Q:
What about your aims for the rest of the season? Will you try and get your first win at your home event in Spain?
DS:
Actually, I wouldn’t mind winning here either! And I also need to do well in Japan, but generally, I will just try and do my best in every rally, like before.

Q:
Sébastien, every year we see you walk away with a win here in Germany, seven so far! Is there a secret to success that only you know?
SL:
If I had one, I wouldn’t say, but I don’t have a secret. I just have a good feeling. This is quite a tricky rally. First of all, you have to stay on the road. Then grip is changing almost at every junction. Like I said, it is just a question of feeling, but I have always been good at this kind of rally, also in Monte Carlo, where it can be slippery, too.

Q:
How eager are you to score your eighth win here?
SL:
Actually, my priority is the Championship. I will just try to score some points and do well here. At the start, I will try to find my rhythm, then we will continue if we have the feeling that we can win. However, I will definitely not take too many risks.

Q:
You have been quoted as saying that Arena Panzerplatte will be the decisive stage this year; is that purely because of the amount of kilometres involved?
SL:
Panzerplatte is a very specific stage compared to all the other stages of the rally. It is quite rough for a tarmac stage. There are many holes, so the risk to get a puncture is quite big. The stage can be crucial, but we have also seen in the past that the longest stage isn’t necessarily the one that makes the difference. It will just be important to make it through without any problems.

Q:
The weather has been mixed this week with the recce taking place on rain soaked roads – would you prefer wet or dry conditions?
SL:
I prefer dry if I am leading, but if I am not leading, I hope for rain, which will allow me to catch up. Dry is normally a bit less tricky.

Q:
Are you feeling comfortable in the battle for the title?
SL:
At the moment, everything is okay and I have a comfortable lead, but I have some memories from last year when it was important to remain competitive until the end. We have to continue to fight, nothing has been decided yet.

Q:
François, welcome back to the Championship. There were rumours that you had retired from rallying though... Was that the case and if so what has made you change your mind?
FD:
I am happy to come back here. This one has always been a good rally for me. The roads are similar to those back home in Belgium. After two years sitting at home, it will be difficult to find the rhythm right away, but I hope it comes back pretty soon once I am in the car tomorrow.

Q:
What kind of result do you expect here? Will it be possible to score a podium finish?
FD:
It will be quite difficult to finish on the podium. The Citroëns always go well here and the BP Fords are fast, too. I would already be happy with a top five finish.

Q:
What is the most difficult aspect of this rally?
FD:
I will be starting tenth, so that is quite far away. I remember from previous years that the roads here are usually quite dirty, which isn’t very easy either.

Q:
Would you be looking to rejoin the WRC full time next season?
FD:
That is difficult. First of all, I will try to stay on the road here. When the result in this rally is not so bad, maybe my sponsor continues for France and Spain.

Q:
You scored a very good result in Finland. How motivating was that?
MW:
Obviously, our performance in Bulgaria was disappointing for the whole team, but we came back very well and we were really pleased with the performance in Finland. Hopefully, we improve the performance here, too.

Q:
Malcolm, Ford trails Citroën in the Manufacturers’ Championship by 55 points, how realistic is the fight now?
MW:
Nobody has beaten Sébastien here since this event came into the World Rally Championship. We need to be on the podium, but we also need some times that are competitive compared to those of Sébastien.

Q:
You had some problems with the tyre choice in Bulgaria. What steps have been done to prevent mistakes in weather forecasting?
MW:
We have made no changes in the system. We use the same people, the same system, but we have looked into it and we will try to prevent this in the future.

Q:
The FIA recently announced that next year the tyre contract will allow any manufacturers to supply tyres – what does this mean for you as team?
MW:
Everybody knows that the Pirelli control tyres worked very well since they came into the WRC two and a half years ago, and they have been a big benefit to the teams in terms of cost savings. Hopefully, we can continue in that pattern, finding ways to reduce costs. There will be a tender (list of suppliers) in September and then we will decide on which brand of tyres to go with.

Q:
How is the development of the new Fiesta coming along?
MW:
The development is going very well. It is difficult: we are working on the current car while also working on the new car, but we are quite happy with the progress that is being made.

Q:
You have spoken about strengthening the team – is that still the plan for next year and how are you going to do that?
MW:
We are always looking at ways to strengthen the team, to finish on the podium and score points in the Championship. We are still looking at ways to make some changes, but we are not in a position to make any announcements, probably until the end of November.

-

Continued Below

[Francisco]

2010 FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP - RALLYE DEUTSCHLAND

JWRC, SWRC, & PWRC Pre-Event Press Conference

Thursday 19 August

Present:
Thierry Neuville, FIA Junior World Rally Championship
Per-Gunnar Andersson, FIA Super 2000 World Rally Championship
Ott Tänak, FIA Production Car World Rally Championship

Q:
Thierry, we hear there may have been a few problems at shakedown this morning – what happened?
TN:
We had a big moment on the first lap. I was a bit too fast and I went off, but it only caused a little bit of cosmetic damage to the car. I was able to continue after that.

Q:
How did the recce go? What do you think of this event?
TN:
I had a good recce car, a Citroën DS3. The grip was good, but I soon found out that we have to be really careful at the start. It was difficult to drive, but I am looking forward to the event.

Q:
What conditions do you prefer for this event?
TN:
I prefer dry conditions, because the speed is higher and it is more fun in the dry.

Q:
What do you think of changing conditions here on the various days?
TN:
I prefer the stages on Saturday, so we will try to be not too far off on Friday. At Panzerplatte, it will be easy to lose a lot of time, so we have to remain focused in order to stay competitive. Hans Weijs Jr. will be very fast here, he knows the stages well.

Q:
There are many fast drivers here, not just Hans Weijs, but also Abbring, Burkhart and others. What result do you expect here?
TN:
My aim is to get my second win of the season, but the stages are more difficult than I had imagined. We will try to do our best.

Q:
Last time we saw you on tarmac P-G it was in a WRC car in Bulgaria. Now it’s back to the SWRC, are you ready for the challenge of Germany?
P-GA:
Definitely. I have been here two, three times before, but I was never really successful. Now it is time for me to end on the podium.

Q:
There’s another strong field of competitors this weekend, including Championship leader Xevi Pons, what is your aim?
P-GA:
This season, I try to make the step back to WRC for next year. I try to get as good a result as possible during every rally, taking it rally by rally.

Q:
What can you do to get a good result here?
P-GA:
In Bulgaria, the speed was fine and I had a lot of confidence. Here as well. There are many slippery places where you have to be careful, but the rest we can attack.

Q:
In this event, we have a 48 kilometre stage. How difficult will that one be?
P-GA:
There are about 96 junctions! The speed will not be that high, but the grip and conditions are changing very frequently, so that stage is really challenging.

Q:
Will we see you in a WRC car again this season or are you concentrating on the SWRC now?
P-GA:
I prefer a WRC car every day in the week, so that is an easy choice.

Q:
Ott, this is your first tarmac event – how have you prepared for it and are you looking forward to the challenge?
OT:
It is not the easiest place to start with tarmac experience. The recce was very wet, but we hope for dry conditions during the event.

Q:
Your mentor Markko Märtin has had great results on tarmac – what advice if any has he given you?
OT:
He gave me some advice, but I am the driver, he can’t drive for me. I have to do it myself.

Q:
What do you think about the event?
OT:
I don’t know the places where there is more mud or less, we need to keep our eyes open.

Q:
You won the PWRC category in Finland, how much does that boost your confidence?
OT:
It gave a big boost for me and for the team, but this is my first time on tarmac, which makes it quite difficult.

Q:
What is your focus this weekend?
OT:
Of course, all drivers want to win, but it is our first time on tarmac. We need to concentrate on learning and getting experience first.

-

END

[Weasel 555]

Day 1

Citroen C4 WRC driver Sebastien Loeb streaked into an early lead of ADAC Rally Deutschland by setting the fastest time on Friday's opening stage.

The Citroen team leader completed the 24.01km Ruwertal/Fell test 5.4sec quicker than his nearest rival, his team-mate Dani Sordo. Jari-Matti Latvala was third fastest in his Ford Focus RS WRC.

Petter Solberg dropped 2min 36sec to the leaders when his Citroen picked up a flat tyre. The Norwegian stopped 11.3km from the start to change the wheel.

Khalid Al Qassimi also hit problems early on. The BP Ford Abu Dhabi Team driver went off the road 1.5km from the start and had to wait for spectators to push his car out of a ditch.

J-WRC series leader Kevin Abbring retired after rolling his Renault Clio R3 13.6km from the stage start.

Click: wrc.com/News/SS1 (http://www.wrc.com/news/ss1-loeb-streaks-into-an-early-lead/?fid=13488)

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Sebastien Loeb and Dani Sordo repeated their dominating form on Friday's second test, pulling 17.5sec clear of the chasing pack by the end of the 23km Grafschaft Veldenz.

Loeb said the roads were tricky and dusty, but reported no problems after setting the fastest time, 1.3sec quicker than his team-mate.

Also in a C4 WRC, Citroen privateer Petter Solberg was third fastest through SS2, but remained almost three minutes behind in the overall standings after his earlier tyre problem. “It happened on a long left-hander when the tyre just went off the rim,” he said. “It was very unfortunate. Now I’m pushing harder - a little too hard perhaps.”

Ford team-leader Mikko Hirvonen was fourth fastest through SS2, to hold third place overall.

Stobart team driver Henning Solberg retired 14.5km from the start line. The Norwegian’s Fiesta S2000 is thought to have suffered an electrical problem.

Click: wrc.com/News/SS2 (http://www.wrc.com/news/ss2-citroen-pair-pull-further-ahead/?fid=13491)

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Sebastien Loeb completed a clean sweep of stage wins on Friday morning by setting the fastest time through the Moselland test.

The rally leader had a trouble-free run through the 19km stage despite a damaged rear wheel on his Citroen, collected when he side-swiped a barrier on the previous stage.

Loeb’s team-mate Dani Sordo was second fastest through Moselland to hold second place overall. Petter Solberg set the third fastest stage time.

Sebastien Ogier was more than 20 seconds slower than Loeb though the stage. The Frenchman said the anti-stall system on his C4 WRC had failed, causing him to stop several times at hairpin corners.

Mikko Hirvonen lost third place to his team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala after making a mistake at a junction and stalling near the start.

Stobart team driver Francois Duval ended the morning loop in eighth place after dropping time with a transmission problem. Duval’s Ford Focus RS WRC lost front-wheel drive 5km before the end of Stage two. He completed all of SS3 with rear-wheel drive only.

Click: wrc.com/News/SS3 (http://www.wrc.com/news/ss3-loeb-makes-it-three-from-three/?fid=13492)


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[Weasel 555]

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Midday Wrap
Sebastien Loeb's bid for an eighth win on Rallye Deutschland got off to the perfect start this morning when he completed the opening loop of three stages with a lead of 8.2 seconds over his Citroen team-mate Dani Sordo.

Loeb, the six-time world rally champion, has been fastest on all stages run so far in his C4 WRC as the sun shone over the vineyard tests.

However, it hasn’t all been plain sailing for the French ace who reported glancing a barrier 500 metres from the finish of stage two, which inflicted slight damage to his car’s right rear wheel rim. After checks at the subsequent refuel area, Loeb was duly concerned.

“We broke the side of the wheel a little bit but we didn’t want to change it because doing that would have cost us a complete set of soft tyres,” explained Loeb. “So we kept it on and that turned out to be the right choice. With three fastest times it’s been a good start for us. The feeling in the car is okay, but Dani is pushing hard.”

Sordo has enjoyed a strong run alongside new co-driver Diego Vallejo and is 28.8s clear of third-placed Jari-Matti Latvala. “With every stage it’s getting better and better,” said Sordo of his new partnership. “The first stage was a little complicated for us both but we picked up our pace in the second and now I’m really happy the way it’s working. Now I’m feeling confident.”

Works Ford team driver Latvala moved into third when team-mate Mikko Hirvonen ran wide on a corner and stalled the engine of his Focus. Hirvonen said: “It’s been okay, I just haven’t got a good rhythm yet. Sometimes it’s fine, sometimes I’m too cautions. I stalled in the last stage but apart from that it’s been alright. We are closer [to the Citroens] than in Bulgaria, for sure, but there’s still more to come. It’s going in the right direction. We’ll make no major changes in service, I’m happy with the car. But I need to work on the confidence - and that’s in my head.”

Fifth-placed Sebastien Ogier was hampered by a problem with his C4’s anti-stall system and lost time as a result. Briton Matthew Wilson completes the top six in his Focus despite a mistake near the start of the stage.

Francois Duval, who is making his return to the WRC after two seasons, suffered a loss of front-wheel drive five kilometres from the finish of stage two. As a result he had to complete the test and the subsequent 19.92-kilometre stage on rear-wheel drive only.

Petter Solberg’s hopes of a podium finish suffered a blow when he stopped to change his deflated right-rear tyre 11.3 kilometres into stage one, where Khalid Al Qassimi and Ken Block also hit trouble. Al Qassimi slid into a ditch 1.5 kilometres from the start while Block, starting only his third asphalt rally, stalled at a junction.

Martin Prokop led the Super 2000 World Rally Championship after the first three stages, with the Czech driver hovering on the fringes of the top 10 overall in his Ford Fiesta S2000. Prokop has made the perfect start to the event, albeit with a couple of moments on the second test. Patrik Sandell is second S-WRC, the Swede demoting his countryman P-G Andersson to third on SS2. Andersson remains third at lunchtime service.

One man not so happy with his start is S-WRC series leader Xevi Pons. The Spaniard has struggled to match the pace of the cars ahead after damaging his right-rear suspension on the opening stage.

Reigning P-WRC champion Armindo Aruajo (Mitubishi) leads the conventional Group N cars, with New Zealander Haydon Paddon pushing his Pirelli Star Driver Lancer into an impressive second place early in the event. Top Swede Patrik Flodin was also in close attendance in his Subaru.

The opening morning’s competition was temporarily halted when J-WRC ace Kevin Abbring crashed his Renault off the road. The Dutch Clio was reported to have to have rolled out of the first stage this morning, with both Abbring and his co-driver emerging unscathed.

Thierry Neuville, winner of the previous J-WRC round in Bulgaria, predicted a strong challenge from Abbring’s team-mate Hans Weijs Jr in Germany, and so it transpired as Weijs’ Citroen posted fastest time on SS2, taking six seconds out of Neuville.

Click: wrc.com/Friday Midday Wrap (http://www.wrc.com/news/midday-wrap-loeb-holds-early-advantage-in-germany/?fid=13493)


.
SS4
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SS5

Rallye Deutschland leader Sebastien Loeb was the stage winner on stage five to extend his advantage over team-mate Dani Sordo to double figures.

Loeb was quicker than Sordo through the repeated Grafschaft Veldenz test by 1.5sec, giving him an overall lead of 10.2sec. Behind Sordo however, the gap to third placed Jari-Matti Latvala widened to almost one minute.

A fourth fastest time from Citroen junior team driver Sebastien Ogier was enough to move him to fourth in the overall standings, at the expense of Jari-Matti Latvala who slipped to fifth.

Click:wrc.com/News/SS5 (http://www.wrc.com/news/ss5-loeb-edges-further-ahead/?fid=13495)

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End of Day 1
SS6

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Dani Sordo rounded off a successful first day of competition alongside co-driver Diego Vallejo by setting the fastest time through Friday’s final stage.

The Spanish pair completed the repeated Moselland test in 12min 1sec - eight seconds better than their earlier time on stage three. The stage win means Sordo ends the opening day of Rally Deutschland in second place, 9.5sec adrift of overnight leader Sebastien Loeb.

But the stage brought further disappointment for another of the Citroen C4 WRC drivers. Two stages after Petter Solberg’s all-or-nothing approach netted him a stage win, the Norwegian dropped another two minutes when he went wide on a left-hand corner, clouted a kerb and broke a wheel. Solberg owned up to a driving error and said he had been two seconds quicker than Loeb at the previous split.

Click: wrc.com/News/SS6 (http://www.wrc.com/news/ss6-sordo-quickest-but-loeb-leads/?fid=13496)

http://i965.photobucket.com/albums/ae140/Weasel_555/WRCRallyResults/Germany-SS6.jpg


. :cool:

[Weasel 555]

Friday Wrap

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Sebastien Loeb will take a 9.5-second lead into day two of Rallye Deutschland although the reigning world champion admits the gap might not be enough to keep Citroen team-mate Dani Sordo at bay.

The Spaniard has been a consistent threat to Loeb through Friday’s six stages and went faster than the Frenchman on the final stage of the day, the repeat of the 19.92-kilometre Moselland test.

“It’s been a good day for sure but it’s not been easy and I have been really pushing because first Petter was fast and then it was Dani,” said Loeb. “I have to continue this way tomorrow if I am to win.”

Sordo, back in the main Citroen team after contesting Rally Finland with the company’s Junior squad, said he had been full of confidence throughout the day. “My times have been consistent and it’s nice to be close to Sebastien,” said Sordo. “But the most important thing is to take as many points as possible for the manufacturers’ championship.”

Jari-Matti Latvala is the leading works Ford driver in third overall and was satisfied with the progress made since the last asphalt round in Bulgaria back in early July.

“I’ve made progress since Bulgaria and that is important,” said the Rally Finland winner. “I’ve not made any major errors but the small ones have cost some time.”

With the anti-stall problem that slowed him this morning resolved, Sebastien Ogier was able to climb ahead of Mikko Hirvonen for fourth after going faster than the Finn on stage five. Ogier said he was satisfied with his performance but Hirvonen admitted that he needs to find more speed on day two in the second factory Ford.

Francois Duval completes the top six on his return to the WRC for the first time since 2008. The Belgian could have been higher up the leaderboard but for a broken front-right driveshaft five kilometres from the finish of stage two, which left his Focus on rear-wheel drive only.

“It’s good that this is a long rally as it can hopefully allow me to catch up on the others after a bad start,” said Duval, who lost almost a minute on Friday morning.

Matthew Wilson is seventh, 4.7s behind Duval, after overcoming understeer and brake problems earlier in the day.

Ex-Formula One world champion Kimi Raikkonen is eighth in his Citroen Junior Team C4 with Petter Solberg ninth after a fraught day. The Norwegian suffered a deflated tyre on the opening stage and in his efforts to make up the lost time he carried too much speed into a left-hander on stage six and broke his right-rear wheel rim against a kerb, which prompted a second wheel change.

“It’s been an up and down day,” said Solberg. “The car has been very good and we showed our speed by going fastest on stage five. Unfortunately we overshot a junction on stage four and then had the problem with the wheel on stage six.”

Ken Block completes the top 10 in his Monster World Rally Team Focus on only his third asphalt rally and his first at world championship level.

Click: wrc.com/Friday Wrap (http://www.wrc.com/news/friday-wrap-overnight-leader-loeb-vows-to-keep-pushing/?fid=13497)

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SWRC Wrap

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The battle for honours in the Super 2000 World Rally Championship is tightly poised following the opening day of action on ADAC Rallye Deutschland.

Martin Prokop, at the wheel of a Ford Fiesta S2000, leads the category but his advantage over P-G Andersson is a slender 5.7 seconds heading into day two of the all-asphalt contest.

Prokop has held the class lead throughout the day but after surviving three spins in the morning, Andersson was the man to watch in the afternoon by completing the final two stages as the fastest S-WRC runner as Prokop suffered a scare of his own.

Click: wrc.com/SWRC Wrap (http://www.wrc.com/news/s-wrc-wrap-prokop-edges-close-s2000-fight/?fid=13499)

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JWRC Wrap

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Hans Weijs Jr reported a "perfect day" after completing the opening six stages of Rallye Deutschland with a 2m15s lead in the Junior World Rally Championship.

But many of his class rivals could only recount stories of woe after an incident-packed day on the challenging asphalt event.

After snatching the lead from Thierry Neuville on stage two, Weijs hadn’t put a wheel wrong in his Citroen C2 Super 1600 until the final test when he was distracted by his car’s instrument display and momentarily left the road on a right-hander...

Click: wrc.com/JWRC Wrap
(http://www.wrc.com/news/j-wrc-wrap-perfect-day-for-weijs-jr/?fid=13501)


.:)

[Weasel 555]

Day 2

Rally Deutschland overnight leader Sebastien Loeb maintained his dominant pace on Saturday's opener, setting the fastest time through SS7 with team-mate Dani Sordo his closest challenger.

Heading to stage eight, Loeb’s overall lead over Sordo was exactly 10 seconds.

In continued dry and sunny conditions, all WRC drivers selected soft compound Pirelli PZero tyres with one spare for the opening three stages. Petter Solberg elected to run the same soft compound tyres he ran during shakedown.

Many drivers admitted to an overly cautious approach through the three gravel sections on the 11km stage - especially the final two kilometres.

Click: wrc.com/News/SS7 (http://www.wrc.com/news/ss7-loeb-quickest-on-saturdays-opener/?fid=13507)

http://i965.photobucket.com/albums/ae140/Weasel_555/WRCRallyResults/Germany-SS7.jpg

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http://www.wrc.com/news/660/100821_sordo.jpg

Dani Sordo kept the pressure on his team-mate Sebastien Loeb by setting the fastest time through the 16km St. Wender Land test.

Sordo, competing for the first time with new co-driver Diego Vallejo, narrowed the gap to rally leader Loeb from 10sec to 7.3sec.

At the end of Friday’s competition, Citroen team boss Olivier Quesnel said he wouldn’t prevent his drivers battling one another today. At the stage end Loeb acknowledged that he was pushing flat-out in an effort to keep Sordo behind.

Ford driver Jari-Matti Latvala was third quickest through the stage to remain third overall, 1min 17sec behind the dueling Citroens.

Click: wrc.com/News/SS8 (http://www.wrc.com/news/ss8-sordo-keeps-the-pressure-on/?fid=13508)

http://i965.photobucket.com/albums/ae140/Weasel_555/WRCRallyResults/Germany-SS8.jpg

-----------------------------

The nip and tuck battle for the lead between Citroen drivers Sebastien Loeb and Dani Sordo swung back in Loeb's favour on SS9, when the Frenchman clawed back all the time lost to his team-mate on the previous test.

At the stage end, Loeb admitted he had made a few mistakes, and had slid off the racing line on some of the gravel sections as he pushed hard to keep Sordo at bay.

Sordo was Loeb's closest challenger, completing the 17.50km stage 3.5sec slower. Petter Solberg was third quickest, 6.6sec off Sordo’s time.

Jari-Matti Latvala, third in the overall standings, slipped another 10 seconds behind Loeb. “We just can’t match their speed in the dirty corners. I think that’s where I’m losing the time” said Latvala.

Click: wrc.com/News/SS9 (http://www.wrc.com/news/ss9-advantage-loeb/?fid=13509)

http://i965.photobucket.com/albums/ae140/Weasel_555/WRCRallyResults/Germany-SS9.jpg


.:cool:

[Weasel 555]

.
http://www.wrc.com/news/660/100821_wind.jpg

Jari-Matti Latvala lost third place on Rallye Deutschland after he spun off the road during the 48km Panzerplatte - the longest stage in the World Championship.

Latvala blamed his pace notes for the high-speed spin, which occurred 10km before the finish on a long left-hand corner.

The Finn was lucky to avoid hitting anything as his Ford Focus pirouetted across a grassy area, but he had to reverse several times before he could get back on the road. He dropped to fourth in the overall standings, 8.9sec behind Sebastien Ogier who moved up to third.

Topping the timesheet, Sebastien Loeb took a dominating stage win and more than doubled his rally lead over Dani Sordo to 23 seconds. Petter Solberg was Loeb’s closest rival through SS9, while Sordo set the third fastest time.

Citroen Junior team driver Kimi Raikkonen completed the stage with his car’s rear suspension at less than 100 per cent. A left-hand anti-roll-bar link broke near the end of SS9 and couldn’t be fixed at the pre-stage 15-minute remote service.

Click: wrc.com/News/SS10 (http://www.wrc.com/news/ss10-panzerplatte-spin-costs-latvala-third-place/?fid=13510)

http://i965.photobucket.com/albums/ae140/Weasel_555/WRCRallyResults/Germany-SS10.jpg

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http://www.wrc.com/news/660/100821_sor.jpg

Sebastien Loeb's lead of Rally Deutschland got a good deal more secure on SS11 after his closest rival, team-mate Dani Sordo, abandoned his fight for victory.

Sordo completed the 11km Hermeskeil / Gusenburg stage in only the sixth fastest time - 3.5sec slower than Loeb.

At the stage end, Sordo conceded that the latest instructions from his Citroen team were to secure a one-two finish. “We’ve got to finish second,” he said. “It’s important we get both cars to the end.”

The stage was won by Citroen privateer Petter Solberg, who was 1.1sec quicker than Loeb.

Click: wrc.com/News/SS11 (http://www.wrc.com/news/ss11-sordo-backs-off-in-the-chase-for-victory/?fid=13512)

http://i965.photobucket.com/albums/ae140/Weasel_555/WRCRallyResults/Germany-SS11.jpg

.:cool:

[Weasel 555]

.
http://i965.photobucket.com/albums/ae140/Weasel_555/WRCRallyResults/Germany-SS12.jpg


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http://www.wrc.com/news/660/100821_hirvonen.jpg

Ford team-leader Mikko Hirvonen's difficult time on Rally Deutschland continued on SS13, when the Finn retired 14km from the start line with a transmission problem.

Hirvonen began the stage fifth overall, 2min 27sec off the leaders and 16sec behind his team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala. But at a hairpin corner 3.5km before the finish line, the Finn’s Ford Focus RS WRC rolled to a stop after losing all drive.

Hirvonen and co-driver Jarmo Lehtinen tried to fix the problem but were soon forced to admit defeat and retire from today’s competition. :(

At the head of the field, Citroen works team drivers Sebastien Loeb and Dani Sordo continued their dominant form, taking the two fastest times on SS12 and SS13.

Sordo was quicker than Loeb on both occasions, but the Spaniard denied he had resumed the fight with his team-mate. “I’m still out for second place, but keeping the speed up helps me stay concentrated,” he explained. Heading to the remote service before Panzerplatte, Loeb’s overall lead stood at 23.1sec.

Stobart Ford team driver Francois Duval reported a high water temperature and lack of turbo boost during the stage. As a result of Hirvonen’s exit, however, the Belgian moved up to fifth.

Click: wrc.com/News/SS13 (http://www.wrc.com/news/update-after-ss13-hirvonen-out/?fid=13513)
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http://i965.photobucket.com/albums/ae140/Weasel_555/WRCRallyResults/Germany-SS13A.jpg


----------------------

End of Day2

http://www.wrc.com/news/660/100821_duval.jpg

Francois Duval's second day on Rally Deutschland came to a premature end on SS14 when a crash left his Stobart team Ford Focus RS WRC on its roof.

The Belgian, making a return to the WRC after two years away, slid wide and rolled at a right-hand corner 6.5km from the end of the 48km Panzerplatte - the longest stage of the season. Duval and co-driver Denis Giraudet were shaken but escaped serious injury.

Duval’s exit promoted Petter Solberg into fifth. The Norwegian, who was 53rd on stage one after stopping to change a wheel, also celebrate a fastest stage time 8.4seconds quicker than rally leader Sebastien Loeb.

Loeb and Dani Sordo completed the stage cleanly to hold their first and second places respectively. Loeb will take a 35.7sec advantage into Sunday’s competition. Sebastien Ogier clipped a pole close to the end of Panzerplatte but holds third, 1min 31.4sec behind Sordo.

Click: wrc.com/News/SS14 (http://www.wrc.com/news/ss14-duval-rolls-on-panzerplatte-repeat/?fid=13514)

http://i965.photobucket.com/albums/ae140/Weasel_555/WRCRallyResults/Germany-SS14.jpg

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.

[Weasel 555]

Saturday Wrap

http://www.wrc.com/news/660/100821_crowd.jpg

Sebastien Loeb is five stages away from winning Rallye Deutschland for an eighth time after completing day two of the World Rally Championship qualifier with a lead of 35.7 seconds over factory Citroen team-mate Dani Sordo.

The 36-year-old from France has never been beaten on Germany’s all-asphalt event since it joined the WRC schedule in 2002. That run looks set to continue when the rally draws to a close in Trier tomorrow afternoon.

Loeb was fastest on three of Saturday’s eight stages in his Citroen C4 WRC. Although Sordo drew close when he edged Loeb on the day’s second test, Loeb was able to pull clear with a measured drive through the daunting 48-kilometre Panzerplatte stage, the 10th of the rally.

He maintained his advantage throughout the afternoon’s four tests, which included a repeat of the Panzerplatte run and were held in baking sunshine. Such has been Loeb’s dominance, he even found the time to experiment with his tyre choice by running the soft compound Pirelli PZero tyre on the first three stages of Saturday afternoon, even though the rubber is more commonly used in cool and damp conditions.

“We just wanted to see how the tyre was and really it was just the same, very good in fact,” said Loeb. “My lead is more than it was in the morning and for that reason I am happy tonight but I know there is still a long way to go and anything can happen.”

Sordo, who posted the fastest time on three stages today, was satisfied with his performance but was slightly frustrated that he hadn’t been allowed to fight his team leader for victory.

“I drove to the same splits as Sebastien and it’s frustrating I cannot do more but I have to finish the rally in a good position,” said Sordo.

Jari-Matti Latvala started the day in third overall in his factory Focus but dropped to fourth behind Sebastien Ogier when he spun on the first Panzerplatte stage. He admitted catching Ogier on the final day of the rally would be a tall order, adding: “When there is distance there is hope and I have not given up but it’s going to be very difficult to catch Ogier. He is very fast and I don’t think I can go any faster.”

While Latvala remains on course for a strong haul of points, his team-mate Mikko Hirvonen faces the prospect of restarting on Sunday under SupeRally regulations after his Focus suffered transmission failure a handful of kilometres from the end of stage 13.

Hirvonen’s misfortune promoted Francois Duval to fifth, even though the Belgian had problems of his own to contend with. His Focus lost turbo pressure five kilometres from the end of stage 13 and he also reported his car’s water temperature was high.

But things got a lot worse for Duval when he rolled seven kilometres from the end of stage 14 after he took a right-hander too quickly. Reports suggest Duval and co-driver Denis Giraudet suffered bruising and had been taken to hospital for checks.

Petter Solberg’s C4 also required extra maintenance at the remote service on Saturday afternoon. The Norwegian privateer had cut a right-hander too tightly on stage 12, bending his car’s steering in the process and leading to a sluggish time through the day’s penultimate stage. But his mechanics were able to rectify the damage and he repaid their hard work by going fastest of all on the second run through Arena Panzerplatte.

Kimi Raikkonen is sixth overnight despite losing time with an overshoot on stage nine and a broken right-rear anti-roll bar link, which he had to nurse throughout stage 10. Matthew Wilson is seventh overnight, one place ahead of Hirvonen, who is classified in eighth. Ken Block and Dutch privateer Mark van Eldik complete the top 10.

Click: wrc.com/Saturday Wrap (http://www.wrc.com/news/saturday-wrap-loeb-in-charge-on-adac-rallye-deutschland/?fid=13515)


---------------------------

fingers crossed Ken finishes in the top 10 :)

MWRT Blog: MWRT/blog (http://www.monsterworldrallyteam.com/blogs)

----------------------------

http://www.wrc.com/news/660/100821_concede.jpg

Ford remains adamant that it is not going to switch tactics this year, despite Mikko Hirvonen's transmission problem on the penultimate stage today ruling him out of this year's title race.

In order to stand even a mathematical chance of claiming the title that he missed out on by just one point last year, Hirvonen needs to finish the Rallye Deutschland in at least seventh place tomorrow.

He is virtually certain to re-start on Sunday under the SuperRally rules, but the 10 minute penalty that he will incur for failing to complete two stages today is set to be too much time for him to make up over tomorrow’s five tests.

Jari-Matti Latvala, currently third in the championship standings - 61 points behind the leader Sebastien Loeb - is the only Ford driver who can now take the title. But team principal Malcolm Wilson says that Latvala is not going to graduate to number one status for the rest of this season, with Hirvonen assuming a supporting role.

“What we’ve done this year has worked very well, so we’re not going to change anything at all,” he said. “I think Jari-Matti has felt the benefit, and our focus is the manufacturers’ title. You’re not going to see any of our drivers letting the other past or anything like that.”

Ford currently has a 55-point deficit to Citroen in the constructors’ rankings, with four rallies left to go after Germany.

Gerard Quinn, Ford’s senior motorsport manager, added: “Mikko’s obviously going to be disappointed but there are a lot of positives that he can take away from this season. He’s stepped up to the number one role brilliantly, and to come back here from the huge accident he had in Finland also shows the strength of his character.”

Hirvonen was running fifth overall, 16 seconds behind his team mate, when he went out on SS13.

Click: wrc.com/News Ford Hirvonen (http://www.wrc.com/news/no-changes-planned-for-ford-as-hirvonen-concedes-title/?fid=13516)


.

[Weasel 555]

PWRC Wrap

http://www.wrc.com/news/660/100821_armindo.jpg

Armindo Araujo's bid to defend his Production Car World Rally Championship title remains on track following the completion of day two of Rallye Deutschland.

The Portuguese was fastest on four of today’s eight stages and starts Sunday’s final leg with a 23.8s lead over New Zealander Hayden Paddon.

However, it wasn’t an entirely trouble-free day for Araujo. He lost 10 seconds overshooting a junction on Saturday’s opener before spinning on a long left corner on stage 10.

Click: wrc.com/PWRC Saturday (http://www.wrc.com/pwrc/news/saturday-wrap-araujo-maintains-his-edge-in-p-wrc/?fid=13520)


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SWRC Wrap

http://www.wrc.com/news/660/100821_andersson.jpg

Just 5.8 seconds separate the top three drivers in the Super 2000 World Rally Championship ahead of the third and final day of Rallye Deutschland - with P-G Andersson leading the charge.

Andersson moved to the front of the S-WRC field in the day’s third stage, elbowing his way past Martin Prokop’s Ford Fiesta.

As the event moved into the Baumholder military training area - and the infamous Panzerplatte stage - a Fabia was clearly the car to have, and preferably a Swedish Skoda; the Czech machines were fastest on all-but one stage through the second day.

Click: wrc.com/SWRC Saturday (http://www.wrc.com/swrc/news/saturday-wrap-s-wrc-set-for-final-day-thriller/?fid=13517)



---------------------------

JWRC Wrap

http://www.wrc.com/news/660/100821_hwj.jpg

Hans Weijs Jr insists he can't afford to reduce his pace on the final day of Rallye Deutschland, even though he heads the J-WRC category by more than five minutes following another impressive display at the wheel of his Citroen C2 Super 1600.

Weijs Jr began day two 2m15s in front of Yeray Lemes only for the Canary Islander to hit trouble on stage eight when he slid off into a ditch 20 metres from the finish of stage eight. It took nine minutes for Lemes and co-driver Rogelio Penate to regain the road and handed Weijs a seemingly unassailable advantage.

Click: wrc.com/JWRC Saturday (http://www.wrc.com/jwrc/news/saturday-wrap-weijs-coasting-to-j-wrc-glory/?fid=13522)



.:D

[Weasel 555]

Day 3

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Ford driver Jari-Matti Latvala started Sunday's opening stage in Germany with an attempt on the third place of Sebastien Ogier.

The Finn started the test 16.6sec adrift of the Citroen driver, but by the fourth split point he’d reduced the gap by 4.4sec. By the end of the stage, however, he had lost all but two-tenths of that advantage.

Latvala said he was had been too cautious near the end and had struggled with low engine revs in hairpins. Ogier was also having problems in hairpins. The Frenchman reported his C4 WRC was stalling in them - as it had on Friday.

Rally leaders Sebastien Loeb and Dani Sordo had trouble-free runs through the stage, setting the second and sixth fastest times respectively. Petter Solberg was the stage winner.

Malcolm Wilson moved ahead of Kimi Raikkonen into sixth place after the Finn missed two junctions in the stage.

Swede P-G Andersson lost the lead of the S-WRC competition after breaking a wheel on a kerb. He dropped three minutes changing the wheel, allowing Patrik Sandell, also in a Skoda Fabia S2000, into first place. Martin Prokop is 3.4sec behind in second.

Monster World Rally Team driver Ken Block retired on the road section from the Service Park to the start of Dhrontal. The American was 10km into the 37km journey when his Ford’s alternator belt broke. :(

After bright sunshine on Friday and Saturday, Sunday dawned partly cloudy and rain had fallen on the stages overnight. The roads had dried by the time drivers started SS14, but further showers are possible later today.

Click: wrc.com/News SS15 (http://www.wrc.com/news/ss15-latvala-makes-a-move-on-third/?fid=13525)

http://i965.photobucket.com/albums/ae140/Weasel_555/WRCRallyResults/Germany-SS15.jpg

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Rallye Deutschland leader Sebastien Loeb rounded off Sunday morning's first loop of stages in confident form with a fastest time through Moselwein.

The defending world rally champion’s lead over his Citroen team-mate Dani Sordo stood at exactly 48 seconds as the pair headed back to Trier for a 30 minute service.

With no repeat of the stalling problem that slowed him on SS15, Sebastien Ogier remains third, 1min 22sec behind Sordo but 19sec ahead of Jari-Matti Latvala.

Ford team-leader Mikko Hirvonen dropped more than four minutes on the stage after his Ford Focus RS WRC remained stuck in one gear. The Finn retired on Saturday when the input shaft to his transmission broke. He restarted today as a SuperRally entrant.

Click: wrc.com/News SS16 (http://www.wrc.com/news/ss16-loeb-and-sordo-clear-the-early-morning-loop/?fid=13526)

http://i965.photobucket.com/albums/ae140/Weasel_555/WRCRallyResults/Germany-SS16.jpg


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[Weasel 555]

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http://www.wrc.com/news/660/100822_kimi.jpg

While Sebastien Loeb and Dani Sordo maintained their one-two positions at the head of the leaderboard, the battle for sixth raged on between Matthew Wilson and the chasing Kimi Raikkonen.

Raikkonen began the day sixth, 19sec ahead of Wilson, but two mistakes on the opening stage (15) allowed the Stobart Ford driver to steal the position.

Wilson was quicker again on SS16 but on Dhrontal Raikkonen bit back, completing 1.6sec quicker to narrow the gap to 5.3sec with just one vineyard stage remaining.

Click: wrc.com/News SS17 (http://www.wrc.com/news/ss17-raikkonen-and-wilson-scrap-for-sixth/?fid=13528)

http://i965.photobucket.com/albums/ae140/Weasel_555/WRCRallyResults/Germany-SS17.jpg

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Sebastien Loeb will take a 50 second lead into the final stage of Rallye Deutschland after clearing the penultimate test in another stage winning time.

With only the Circus Maximus Super Special still to run, just 4.3 kilometres stand between the French driver and his eighth victory on this rally.

The rest of the positions in the top five look settled, while a good defensive drive from Brit Mathew Wilson looks to have ended Raikkonen chances of claiming back sixth. Wilson will take a 5.6sec advantage into the final test.

Click: wrc.com/News SS18 (http://www.wrc.com/news/ss18-loeb-leads-by-50sec-with-just-the-super-special-to-go/?fid=13529)

http://i965.photobucket.com/albums/ae140/Weasel_555/WRCRallyResults/Germany-SS18.jpg


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[Weasel 555]

Citroen C4 WRC driver Sebastien Loeb has sealed victory on ADAC Rally Deutschland, round nine of the 2010 World Rally Championship, to extend his lead in the FIA Drivers' standings and rack up a record breaking eighth consecutive victory on the rally.

Loeb, the defending and six-time World Champion, led the rally from beginning to end and finished 51.3sec ahead of his team-mate Dani Sordo who was second in another C4 WRC.

Citroen Junior team driver Sebastien Ogier finished third, 1min 22sec behind Sordo, to complete a clean sweep of the podium for the French manufacturer.

Ford works team driver Jari-Matti Latvala finished fourth while Citroen privateer Petter Solberg completed the top five places.

Today's win was the 59th at World Championship level for Loeb and co-driver Daniel Elena and gives him a total of 191 points in the drivers' championship, 58 points clear of his closest rival, Sebastien Ogier.

Click: wrc.com/News SS19 (http://www.wrc.com/news/breaking-news-sebastien-loeb-wins-rally-deutschland!/?fid=13530)


http://i965.photobucket.com/albums/ae140/Weasel_555/WRCRallyResults/Germany-SS19.jpg


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Championship Standings: wrc.com Standings (http://www.wrc.com/results/2010/championship-standings/)

------------------------------

Next Round - Rally Japan Sept 9-12

http://i965.photobucket.com/albums/ae140/Weasel_555/WRCRallyResults/Rally-Japan.jpg

Official Website: rallyjapan.jp/e/ (http://www.rallyjapan.jp/e/)

.:cool:

[Francisco]

2010 FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP - RALLYE DEUTSCHLAND

Post Event Press Conference
Sunday 22 August

Present:
1st - Sébastien Loeb, Citroën Total World Rally Team
1st - Daniel Elena, Citroën Total World Rally Team
2nd - Dani Sordo, Citroën Total World Rally Team
2nd - Diego Vallejo, Citroën Total World Rally Team
3rd - Sébastien Ogier, Citroën Total World Rally Team
3rd - Julien Ingrassia, Citroën Total World Rally Team
Oliver Quesnel, Team Principal, Citroën Total World Rally Team

Q:
Sébastien, congratulations on sealing your eighth consecutive win here in Germany, and your 59th WRC victory; has it been a perfect weekend?
SL:
Yes! It really was a perfect weekend. I had a big battle with Dani at the start. He was pushing hard. I was not able to make a big difference, until the Panzerplatte. After that stage I felt more comfortable.

Q:
After this long stage you did not feel truly ‘safe’ though?
SL:
No, when you know that you have 48 kilometres to go again you cannot be sure of anything. There are lots of fast narrow parts, which require precise driving. It is easy to hit something. I was concentrated until the end.

Q:
Were there any mistakes this weekend?
SL:
Yes, I missed a junction on Friday, but that was all.

Q:
Congratulations Daniel, you have a lead of 58 points in the Drivers’ and Co-drivers’ Championships. You could be able to win the title in Japan.
DE:
It is a good advantage in the Championship. Mathematically it is possible. But if you look at last year you can see that you cannot be sure of anything until you have won the title. I would prefer to win in Japan. Because after that you are completely free for the fight in Alsace Rally in France.

Q:
Séb, would you prefer to win the Championship at home in France?
SL:
The most important is to win it. It does not matter where. We will definitely try to go for the win in Japan.

Q:
Dani, congratulations on second position! Germany is a tough event and you also had to get used to a new co-driver – it looks like that partnership worked very well though.
DS:
Yes, I am very happy with Diego. I think this result is really good for his first rally in the WRC.

Q:
You were putting pressure on Sébastien (Loeb) during Friday and Saturday morning, when did you realise you could not catch him?
DS:
On the first day the battle with Seb was really really fun. After the second day we started with his split times. But he started to push harder. On the long stage he was really, really good. His split times were faster and faster. But with him 23 seconds ahead of us I realised that it is not possible to catch up anymore.

Q:
You took four stage wins this weekend, were you happy with your pace? Were there any mistakes during the weekend?
DS:
I am really happy. It is my first time in second place here. Being fifth in the Championship is really good for me; it gives me quite a lot of confidence.

Q:
Diego, congratulations on completing your first WRC event and claiming second position overall. How much pressure did you feel before and during the event to perform at your best?
DV:
It was incredible for me, and because everybody was supporting me a lot. A dream has come true.

Q:
It is the first time sitting next to Dani in a WRC event. Was it a lot of pressure on your shoulders?
DV:
I tried to stay concentrated on the pace notes and on the stages. Dani drove incredibly well. It is really nice to drive with him.

Q:
Sébastien, congratulations on third place. We saw you compete and win in the JWRC here in 2008 but this year was a very different prospect in a WRC car. Did you expect to be able to get onto the podium here?
SO:
I don’t know. It was the target. I knew before the rally that the podium would be difficult for me, but I did it - although I am still far away from Seb and Dani. I made it through the rally and I scored good points in the Championship. It is definitely a good result.

Q:
You had a huge battle with Jari-Matti Latvala yesterday, how much were you risking to set those times?
SO:
On the first loop I was too careful in some places, on the second I was pushing a little harder. On the first of the Panzerplatte stages Latvala spun, I overtook him and stayed ahead of him.

Q:
Sébastien, there are two more tarmac events. Do you think you will be able to come closer to Seb and Dani?
SO:
I want to congratulate the others, who were driving incredibly fast here. In France I would like to be closer to them.

Q:
There were some concerns with the car. Did this disturb you at all?
JI:
The engine stalled several times at hairpin turns. This made us lose some time.

Q:
How did you find Rallye Deutschland?
JI:
You might be fast on tarmac, but here it is very different!

Q:
A Citroën 1-2-3, it is a perfect result for the team and you are closer to sealing both Championships...
OQ:
Yes it great for Citroën. Especially considering that we scored this good result here in Germany. The German market is very important for us. Our success here is very good for the image of the brand. It is amazing that we have won here for the eighth time.

Q:
What about the Manufacturers’ Championship? There is still a battle going on there.
OQ:
We try to win each rally. This will also be our goal for the next one. We will see what happens.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

Björn Pazen
Trierischer Volksfreund, Germany

Q:
Seb, what's your general impression of the event? What do you like the most about Rally Germany, except winning!
SL:
There are a lot of supporters here. This is the closest rally to my home. It is only 200 kilometres from my hometown. A lot of my friends come to watch the event and witness the great atmosphere. I also have a good feeling for the roads. I enjoy driving here.

-
END
.

[Francisco]

2010 FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP - RALLYE DEUTSCHLAND

Post-Event SWRC, PWRC, & JWRC Press Conference
Sunday 22 August

FIA SUPER 2000 WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP

1st – Patrik Sandell
1st – Emil Axelsson

Q:
Patrik – congratulations! That has been an incredibly hard fought battle! How are you feeling?
PS:
From the first stage we had an incredible fight - especially me, Prokop and P-G Andersson. I have done some very good tests during the last weeks, even though I have not driven many kilometres on asphalt in this car. I also got some good tips from my team.

Q:
You took just 3.3 seconds of a lead into the final super special stage; did you think it was enough?
PS:
I was trying not to think too much and just concentrate on driving. I also found a good rhythm quickly. I knew if I would be able just to do a clean line without problems, it should be enough.

Q:
You told journalists at the stage ends that you driving pretty ‘crazy’ in sections, were you risking a lot out there?
PS:
Our car had a very good set-up and we never had understeering. I took some risk but never too much. After I had fallen back after the stage on Friday I was fighting back step by step, and succeeded.

Q:
Emil congratulations, it’s been a constant battle throughout the weekend – at times 23 seconds were separating the top three drivers. You must be exhausted! Great result though!
EA:
It was really nice. We tried to win stage by stage and take back the time we had lost on Friday. I think we did a good job.

Q:
How big was the pressure to make your first win in the SWRC?
EA:
We were quite relaxed and stayed focussed on setting good times. What is most important is that we had a lot of fun.

Q:
Was it a tough challenge here in Germany?
EA:
Yes. It was slippery in some places, but we had perfect pace notes. It was definitely a nice event.


FIA PRODUCTION CAR WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP

1st – Armindo Araújo
1st – Miguel Ramalho

Q:
Armindo, your second win of the season, great points for the Championship.
AA:
The battle was good for the Championship. My last Tarmac event was in Ireland in 2007. A few days ago we did some tests and found a good set-up for the car. It was a hard weekend, but I like the stages here.

Q:
A battle with Hayden Paddon, and his first-ever tarmac event; did you expect him to be so strong?
AA:
He has a car like mine from Mitsubishi Ralliart Italy. We fought a nice battle during the whole weekend. Of course I am glad that we won it.

Q:
You did have a few issues this weekend. Yesterday your lead was slashed down to 23 seconds. What were the problems?
AA:
I had one big slide and a spin on the long stage. I kept losing and winning time. In the end everything went well.

Q:
Miguel, congratulations on the win. Do the points you picked up make you relaxed for the Championship?
MR:
No, not really. The Championship is still in the middle. We still have two rallies to go, so everything is open.

Q:
What have you thought of this event? Is this one of the toughest tarmac events that we have?
MR:
For us co-drivers it is not an easy event. We have lots of pages of pace notes, but that's our job.


FIA JUNIOR WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP

1st – Hans Weijs Jnr.
1st – Bjorn Degandt

Q:
Hans, your first win of the season in JWRC, how are you feeling?
HW:
We pushed very hard and this rally was quite long for us. Except for one stage we always set the fastest time.

Q:
It must be difficult when you are not in a battle. Were you in danger of losing your focus?
HW:
I concentrated quite well. It was a long rally, but I managed to stay focussed.

Q:
Did you have any problems this weekend?
HW:
I have had some problems, especially with the brakes, but they were no real problems.

Q:
What does this mean for your Championship now?
HW:
We are coming back now. At the start of the season we missed one rally, because our engine had blown up. Now I am hoping for the Junior World Rally Championship title.

Q:
Björn, congratulations. What has your weekend been like?
BD:
We had a good weekend. On Friday we pushed like hell and it went really well. We were able to maintain the pace. It was great fun.

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END
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[Weasel 555]

Ken Block says he was able to take plenty of positives away from Rallye Deutschland, despite his late retirement due to an alternator belt failure.

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http://www.monsterworldrallyteam.com/sites/default/files/blog/images/GRMY_D2_JUMP.jpg?1282432997

Block started the final five stages of the asphalt event in ninth overall but stopped on the road section heading to Sunday’s first test when his car’s alternator warning light came on and his Monster World Rally Team Ford Focus began to overheat.

“It’s just devastating,” said Block, who was co-driven by fellow American Alex Gelsomino. “We weren’t even out of town, no more than eight kilometres from service. It wouldn’t have been so bad had it happened going into parc ferme because I could have slept in that way. It just sucks and is the continuation of the bad luck we’ve had this season.”

Rallye Deutschland marked Block’s first WRC outing on asphalt and only his third sealed-surface start of his career.

He continued: “The drive had gone really good and we put in some good, consistent times. We were here to get a lot of experience but unfortunately our rally ended on the side of the road in Trier so for that we’re really disappointed. But before then it had gone really good. We had a pretty good pace - okay it was a long way off the top guys - but we were very happy. We made a few little mistakes on Friday but none on Saturday and had driven a really good, clean race even though we didn’t have a gravel crew to help us, which made it a big challenge. We worked hard on the notes - it’s just really misfortunate we missed out.”

Block had been on course for his first WRC career points after Saturday’s second leg. His next appearance in the world championship is scheduled for Rally de France at the end of September.

Click: wrc.com/News Ken Block (http://www.wrc.com/news/block-takes-positives-from-germany-disappointment/?fid=13542)

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