Freitag - September - 03.09.2010 - 07:14:18 Uhr
Die Nennliste des franz. Weltmeisterschaftslaufes wurde veröffentlich. Die Liste des franz. Meisterschaftslaufes folgt.
Link: Nennliste
Hits: 39
» Druckversion zeigen
» News einem Freund empfehlen
» 0 Kommentare
Link: Nennliste
Hits: 39
» Druckversion zeigen
» News einem Freund empfehlen
» 0 Kommentare
Montag - August - 23.08.2010 - 10:36:52 Uhr
121 – AARON BURKART (DEU, Suzuki Swift Super 1600)
Day One – On SS1, a rear right puncture caused Burkart to skid and damage the front left hand corner of his Swift. Luckily for him, an accident in the stage for another competitor meant that he was awarded a nominal time for SS1, however the damage to his car slowed him down on the subsequent morning stages. A slow puncture on SS4 and a sixth-gear spin on SS5 cost him more time, leaving him nearly two and half minutes off the pace, but holding a comfortable third at the end of the first day.
Day Two – Burkart wasn’t as fast as he hoped to be on Day Two. His only problem was when he spun on a hairpin on SS8 and had to dislodge his Swift himself when his home crowd refused to come to his aid, costing him 20 seconds. He finished the day over five minutes ahead of team mate Kruuda, but couldn’t touch Weijs’ ever increasing lead.
Day Three – The only problem Burkart suffered on Day Three was when he tried to take a hairpin on SS15 without using his handbrake and didn’t make it round the bend sharply enough, forcing him to reverse. He came home safely in second place, pleased to be on his home podium and regain the Championship lead from Dutch rival Kevin Abbring.
122 – KEVIN ABBRING (NLD, Renault Clio R3)
Day One –Abbring rolled his Clio on the opening stage and skidded on his roof for 50m. The stage was then cancelled, leaving the J-WRC drivers with nominal times and Abbring retired from the rally. This was especially unfortunate for the young Dutch driver because he started the rally leading the Junior Championship standings, but by the end had fallen to third behind both Burkart and Kruuda.
23 – HANS WEIJS (NLD, Citroën C2 Super 1600)
Day One – Weijs dominated the J-WRC throughout, winning four of the day’s five competitive stages and pulling ahead of the pack by nearly two minutes. He suffered problems with the grip on his C2’s tyres in the morning, but the cleaner roads and higher temperatures in the afternoon solved this. Otherwise, he ended Day One untroubled except for briefly going off the road and losing a few seconds on SS6.
Day Two – Streaking ahead of the rest of the field, Weijs didn’t push his C2 yet continued to increase his lead. He finished the day over five minutes ahead of the rest of the pack, winning all but one stage, and focused on trying to seal his first J-WRC victory of the season.
Day Three – Weijs had small problems on SS15 with his brakes but he bled them and was able to get rid of the excess air and went on to win three of the day’s five stages, claim his first Junior victory of the season, top the sprinter standings and take home 25 Championship points.
24 – EGOI VALDES LOPEZ (ESP, Renault Clio R3)
Day One – Valdes drove steadily on Day One because it was his first time on the tricky narrow German roads and his aim was to simply finish the rally.
Day Two – A steady Day Two left Valdes lying in fifth in the J-WRC and happy to be learning the challenging German roads.
Day Three – Valdes was delighted to finish fifth after a difficult rally and a steep learning curve over the weekend. He didn’t have any significant problems on the final day and was pleased to scoop 10 J-WRC points.
26 – TODOR SLAVOV (BLG, Renault Clio R3)
Day One – One kilometre into SS3, Slavov - the tallest J-WRC competitor at 1.98 metres - hit a wall when he misjudged a slippery left-hand corner, lost a wheel and was forced to superally.
Day Two – Slavov restarted Day Two confidently, but then went off the road on SS8, damaged his Clio and had to superally once again.
Day Three – A successful completion of the final day left Slavov happy to finish in seventh and earn six J-WRC points.
29 – THIERRY NEUVILLE (BEL, Citroën C2 Super 1600)
Day One – Neuville damaged the front of his C2 when he hit a barrier on shakedown, but set strong times throughout Day One. He overshot a junction on SS2 and turned into a corner too early the stage following and had to swerve, but remained only a few seconds off the pace of leader Weijs throughout, even winning SS4 to break his Dutch rival’s streak of stage wins. However, disaster struck for last year’s Benelux Trophy winner when one of the blades on his cooling fan broke on SS5 and went into his radiator. He and his co-driver tried to
fix the problem on the road section to SS6, but on the final stage of the day their engine temperature began to rise irreparably and they had to retire from the rally.
30 – KARL KRUUDA (EST, Suzuki Swift Super 1600)
Day One – Kruuda had a difficult Day One. He lost over half a minute on SS2 due to gearbox problems, while on SS2 and SS3 his brakes only worked intermittently. On SS4 he then suffered a puncture when he went off the road into a ditch and lost over a minute, unable to convince the spectators to help him push his Swift back onto the road. However, the customary perseverance of the youngest ever J-WRC driver left this seventeen year-old nearly six minutes off the pace of leader Weijs, but in a clear fifth place at the end of the day.
Day Two – Although he could have pushed harder on SS7, Kruuda was unsure of the gravel sections and decided it was better to lose a bit of time than to go off the road. After confident splits throughout the next two stages, he received a nominal time when SS10 was stopped due to another competitor’s car catching fire. A good afternoon left him happy to be sitting in a clear third and hoping to scoop his second podium of the season.
Day Three – Kruuda held onto third on Day Three. He finished nearly six minutes behind second placed teammate Burkart, but picked up his second podium position of the season and won the Abu Dhabi Spirit of the Rally award. The 15 J-WRC points Kruuda took home put him second in the Championship standings, but unfortunately his age prohibits him from competing in a full calendar of nominated Junior events, so Germany marks his last round of 2010.
31 – YERAY LEMES (ESP, Renault Clio Super 1600)
Day One – Lemes drove confidently on Day One, his 23rd birthday. Unfortunately on SS3 he lost time when he caught the car in front of him and then on SS5 he went off the road and broke his Clio’s suspension and the track control arm. Nonetheless, he finished the day lying in second and wanted a podium finish in the German J-WRC as a birthday present.
Day Two – On SS8, Lemes accidentally went straight on at a junction where he was meant to turn off the road and lost nine minutes trying to get back on track. With only one spare tyre, Lemes was then unable to replace the two flat tyres he got from punctures in the afternoon and had to retire from Day Two on SS11.
Day Three – Lemes took it easy on Day Three, focusing on finishing. Sitting just over 22 minutes ahead of seventh placed Slavov he had no incentive to take risks, but was happy to have gained experience on the difficult German tarmac and to get eight more J-WRC points.
32 – MATHIEU ARZENO (FRA, Citroën C2 Super 1600)
Day One – Arzeno had a problem with his brakes on SS2 and SS3. Engine troubles then plagued him from SS5 and he suffered with a puncture on SS6 which left his C2 rolling uncomfortably from side-to-side. Even so, he ended the day sitting in fourth on only his third ever world rally.
Day Two – A hole in the fuel tank of Arzeno’s Citroën meant that he ran out of fuel on SS9 and had to retire from Day Two. His team did not have the parts available to fix the problem and he did not restart for the final day.
149 – CHRISTIAN RIEDEMANN (DEU, Ford Fiesta R2)
Day One – Riedemann had difficulties on SS2 because his handbrake wasn’t working and he had to negotiate difficult hairpins. After an untroubled drive on the next few stages, he picked up a front right puncture on SS5 and lost about 40 seconds changing the tyre. On SS6 he then lost nearly 20 seconds because his Fiesta was unbalanced with one new tyre and one worn tyre on the front of the car. But he enjoyed the day and gained valuable experience ready for Day Two.
Day Two – A trouble-free second day left Reideman in a clear fourth in the J-WRC, a much better position that the ADAC Rallye Masters Champion had hoped for.
Day Three – Riedemann successfully defended his fourth place. The large time gaps which separated the top three continued throughout the field and he arrived nearly four and a half minutes behind Kruuda. On SS15 he had to stop, because he got caught behind a WRC car with a problem and on SS16 he was forced to stop twice more when he failed to make it around hairpins. Despite this, he arrived back over eight minutes ahead of fifth placed Valdes. The German ADAC Rallye Master Champion was thrilled with his result and to pick up 12 J-WRC points.
Hits: 150
» Druckversion zeigen
» News einem Freund empfehlen
» Kommentare deaktiviert
Day One – On SS1, a rear right puncture caused Burkart to skid and damage the front left hand corner of his Swift. Luckily for him, an accident in the stage for another competitor meant that he was awarded a nominal time for SS1, however the damage to his car slowed him down on the subsequent morning stages. A slow puncture on SS4 and a sixth-gear spin on SS5 cost him more time, leaving him nearly two and half minutes off the pace, but holding a comfortable third at the end of the first day.
Day Two – Burkart wasn’t as fast as he hoped to be on Day Two. His only problem was when he spun on a hairpin on SS8 and had to dislodge his Swift himself when his home crowd refused to come to his aid, costing him 20 seconds. He finished the day over five minutes ahead of team mate Kruuda, but couldn’t touch Weijs’ ever increasing lead.
Day Three – The only problem Burkart suffered on Day Three was when he tried to take a hairpin on SS15 without using his handbrake and didn’t make it round the bend sharply enough, forcing him to reverse. He came home safely in second place, pleased to be on his home podium and regain the Championship lead from Dutch rival Kevin Abbring.
122 – KEVIN ABBRING (NLD, Renault Clio R3)
Day One –Abbring rolled his Clio on the opening stage and skidded on his roof for 50m. The stage was then cancelled, leaving the J-WRC drivers with nominal times and Abbring retired from the rally. This was especially unfortunate for the young Dutch driver because he started the rally leading the Junior Championship standings, but by the end had fallen to third behind both Burkart and Kruuda.
23 – HANS WEIJS (NLD, Citroën C2 Super 1600)
Day One – Weijs dominated the J-WRC throughout, winning four of the day’s five competitive stages and pulling ahead of the pack by nearly two minutes. He suffered problems with the grip on his C2’s tyres in the morning, but the cleaner roads and higher temperatures in the afternoon solved this. Otherwise, he ended Day One untroubled except for briefly going off the road and losing a few seconds on SS6.
Day Two – Streaking ahead of the rest of the field, Weijs didn’t push his C2 yet continued to increase his lead. He finished the day over five minutes ahead of the rest of the pack, winning all but one stage, and focused on trying to seal his first J-WRC victory of the season.
Day Three – Weijs had small problems on SS15 with his brakes but he bled them and was able to get rid of the excess air and went on to win three of the day’s five stages, claim his first Junior victory of the season, top the sprinter standings and take home 25 Championship points.
24 – EGOI VALDES LOPEZ (ESP, Renault Clio R3)
Day One – Valdes drove steadily on Day One because it was his first time on the tricky narrow German roads and his aim was to simply finish the rally.
Day Two – A steady Day Two left Valdes lying in fifth in the J-WRC and happy to be learning the challenging German roads.
Day Three – Valdes was delighted to finish fifth after a difficult rally and a steep learning curve over the weekend. He didn’t have any significant problems on the final day and was pleased to scoop 10 J-WRC points.
26 – TODOR SLAVOV (BLG, Renault Clio R3)
Day One – One kilometre into SS3, Slavov - the tallest J-WRC competitor at 1.98 metres - hit a wall when he misjudged a slippery left-hand corner, lost a wheel and was forced to superally.
Day Two – Slavov restarted Day Two confidently, but then went off the road on SS8, damaged his Clio and had to superally once again.
Day Three – A successful completion of the final day left Slavov happy to finish in seventh and earn six J-WRC points.
29 – THIERRY NEUVILLE (BEL, Citroën C2 Super 1600)
Day One – Neuville damaged the front of his C2 when he hit a barrier on shakedown, but set strong times throughout Day One. He overshot a junction on SS2 and turned into a corner too early the stage following and had to swerve, but remained only a few seconds off the pace of leader Weijs throughout, even winning SS4 to break his Dutch rival’s streak of stage wins. However, disaster struck for last year’s Benelux Trophy winner when one of the blades on his cooling fan broke on SS5 and went into his radiator. He and his co-driver tried to
fix the problem on the road section to SS6, but on the final stage of the day their engine temperature began to rise irreparably and they had to retire from the rally.
30 – KARL KRUUDA (EST, Suzuki Swift Super 1600)
Day One – Kruuda had a difficult Day One. He lost over half a minute on SS2 due to gearbox problems, while on SS2 and SS3 his brakes only worked intermittently. On SS4 he then suffered a puncture when he went off the road into a ditch and lost over a minute, unable to convince the spectators to help him push his Swift back onto the road. However, the customary perseverance of the youngest ever J-WRC driver left this seventeen year-old nearly six minutes off the pace of leader Weijs, but in a clear fifth place at the end of the day.
Day Two – Although he could have pushed harder on SS7, Kruuda was unsure of the gravel sections and decided it was better to lose a bit of time than to go off the road. After confident splits throughout the next two stages, he received a nominal time when SS10 was stopped due to another competitor’s car catching fire. A good afternoon left him happy to be sitting in a clear third and hoping to scoop his second podium of the season.
Day Three – Kruuda held onto third on Day Three. He finished nearly six minutes behind second placed teammate Burkart, but picked up his second podium position of the season and won the Abu Dhabi Spirit of the Rally award. The 15 J-WRC points Kruuda took home put him second in the Championship standings, but unfortunately his age prohibits him from competing in a full calendar of nominated Junior events, so Germany marks his last round of 2010.
31 – YERAY LEMES (ESP, Renault Clio Super 1600)
Day One – Lemes drove confidently on Day One, his 23rd birthday. Unfortunately on SS3 he lost time when he caught the car in front of him and then on SS5 he went off the road and broke his Clio’s suspension and the track control arm. Nonetheless, he finished the day lying in second and wanted a podium finish in the German J-WRC as a birthday present.
Day Two – On SS8, Lemes accidentally went straight on at a junction where he was meant to turn off the road and lost nine minutes trying to get back on track. With only one spare tyre, Lemes was then unable to replace the two flat tyres he got from punctures in the afternoon and had to retire from Day Two on SS11.
Day Three – Lemes took it easy on Day Three, focusing on finishing. Sitting just over 22 minutes ahead of seventh placed Slavov he had no incentive to take risks, but was happy to have gained experience on the difficult German tarmac and to get eight more J-WRC points.
32 – MATHIEU ARZENO (FRA, Citroën C2 Super 1600)
Day One – Arzeno had a problem with his brakes on SS2 and SS3. Engine troubles then plagued him from SS5 and he suffered with a puncture on SS6 which left his C2 rolling uncomfortably from side-to-side. Even so, he ended the day sitting in fourth on only his third ever world rally.
Day Two – A hole in the fuel tank of Arzeno’s Citroën meant that he ran out of fuel on SS9 and had to retire from Day Two. His team did not have the parts available to fix the problem and he did not restart for the final day.
149 – CHRISTIAN RIEDEMANN (DEU, Ford Fiesta R2)
Day One – Riedemann had difficulties on SS2 because his handbrake wasn’t working and he had to negotiate difficult hairpins. After an untroubled drive on the next few stages, he picked up a front right puncture on SS5 and lost about 40 seconds changing the tyre. On SS6 he then lost nearly 20 seconds because his Fiesta was unbalanced with one new tyre and one worn tyre on the front of the car. But he enjoyed the day and gained valuable experience ready for Day Two.
Day Two – A trouble-free second day left Reideman in a clear fourth in the J-WRC, a much better position that the ADAC Rallye Masters Champion had hoped for.
Day Three – Riedemann successfully defended his fourth place. The large time gaps which separated the top three continued throughout the field and he arrived nearly four and a half minutes behind Kruuda. On SS15 he had to stop, because he got caught behind a WRC car with a problem and on SS16 he was forced to stop twice more when he failed to make it around hairpins. Despite this, he arrived back over eight minutes ahead of fifth placed Valdes. The German ADAC Rallye Master Champion was thrilled with his result and to pick up 12 J-WRC points.
Hits: 150
» Druckversion zeigen
» News einem Freund empfehlen
» Kommentare deaktiviert
Montag - August - 23.08.2010 - 10:05:49 Uhr
21 – MARTIN PROKOP (CZE, Ford Fiesta)
Day One – Prokop had a strong Day One, taking the lead from the opening stage. With three stage wins and consistently strong times in his Fiesta he held his place at the front, despite P-G Andersson’s Škoda snapping at his heels throughout. Prokop ended the day just under six seconds ahead of his Swedish rival, frustrated to have been slowed by an incident on SS5.
Day Two – At the end of Day Two only six seconds separated the top three S-WRC drivers. Unfortunately, Prokop’s Fiesta fell to third behind the Škodas of fellow J-WRC Champions Andersson and Sandell. Not to be defeated, Prokop finished the day confident he would find more speed on the final day and challenge the Swedes for a win.
Day Three – Prokop didn’t have any problems on the final day. The Czech driver climbed to second when Andersson left the road on SS15 and then continued to push Sandell. However, he was unable to beat the Swede, despite fighting until the very end and finishing almost five seconds behind him.
23 – MICHAL KOSCIUSZKO (POL, Škoda Fabia)
Day One – Kosciuszko suffered at the start of the rally as he had put his pace notes together in wet conditions anticipating mud and the need for cautious driving. Although he has competed in Germany three times before, the rally has become a nemesis of his after he had to retire on the first stage in 2007 and this is the first time he has returned since then. A problematic afternoon began when he went off on a left-hand corner halfway through SS5 and hit the front right hand side of his Fiesta. Spectators helped to push him out of the ditch, but last year’s J-WRC runner-up had broken his driveshaft and had to continue the afternoon stages without it, leaving him nearly 10 minutes off the pace at evening service.
Day Two – After an untroubled morning, Kosciuszko lost the use of his front brake pads on SS13. His team tried to change them at remote service, but when Kosciuszko began the road section to the final stage he found himself without brakes, decided it was not safe to continue and opted to superally.
Day Three - Kosciuszko had an untroubled drive on Day Three, but the 2009 Junior runner-up was unhappy to be so far off the pace of the frontrunners. He finished a clear sixth and picked up eight S-WRC points, but aims to go faster on his next tarmac event in France.
24 – PATRIK SANDELL (SWE, Škoda Fabia)
Day One – Sandell was happy to be sitting in third at the end of Day One, the last in a top three of J-WRC Champions. He won SS2, but made a few small mistakes – he missed two junctions on SS1 and had to use his Škoda’s handbrake to get back on the road, then on SS4 went off and lost five seconds. Even so, he finished the day less than 18 seconds behind leader Prokop and ready to push on Day Two.
Day Two – True to his word, Sandell pushed hard on the second day. He took five stage wins and followed fellow Swedish Škoda driver Andersson up the leaderboard past Prokop. He was unable to close the gap with his countryman, but narrowed it to under five seconds. He drove confidently throughout the stages, enjoyed the German roads and felt he had enough in reserve to push harder on the final day and head for victory.
Day Three – After Andersson went off road on SS15, Sandell took the lead and didn’t look back. He drove flat out throughout Day Three and scooped the victory, delighted to take his first win since the first two P-WRC rounds of 2009.
25 – EYVIND BRYNILDSEN (NOR, Škoda Fabia)
Day One – Brynildsen overused his left foot on the downhill sections of the morning stages and began to lose his brakes. He avoided making the same mistake again in the afternoon, but still lost a couple of seconds to the leaders on each stage. He sat in a comfortable fourth at the end of the day, nearly a minute ahead of Championship leader Pons in fifth.
Day Two – Five kilometres into SS10, the brakes on Brynildsen’s Škoda failed and he lost 40 seconds. This problem was resolved at midday service and he finished the day otherwise untroubled, sitting in a comfortable fourth but lacking the pace to compete with the frontrunners.
Day Three – A difficult rally for Brynildsen ended with a good result. He finished fourth and took home 12 SWRC points, climbing to sixth in the Championship standings, only four points behind fifth-placed Ketomaa.
26 – BERNARDO SOUSA (PRT, Ford Fiesta)
Day One – A bad morning led to a worse afternoon for Sousa on his first German rally. He spun on SS2 and overshot a junction, leaving him more than 45 seconds off the pace. Then on SS4 his Fiesta lost its power steering two kilometres from the end of the stage, and the problem recurred throughout the afternoon seeing him lose more time, until on SS6 he was caught by the car following him. He ended the day nearly five minutes
behind the series leaders.
Day Two – The loss of his power steering on Day One wreaked havoc with Sousa’s old shoulder injury from his gokarting days. Having decided to drive through the pain, the Portuguese youngster was left in serious discomfort by the end of SS10. Just as he began to feel better in the afternoon he unfortunately went off the road and broke a wheel on SS14, forcing him to retire from Day Two.
Day Three – The final day was difficult for Sousa. He didn’t have any problems with his Fiesta, but was in increasing amounts of pain, which meant he frequently lost his concentration. He finished the rally in seventh just one minute behind Kościuszko and earned six S-WRC points.
27 – JANNE TUOHINO (FIN, Ford Fiesta)
Tuohino failed to attend the rally in Germany. The stewards decided to exclude him from the 2010 S-WRC Championship classification. He was also given a suspended fine.
28 - XEVI PONS (ESP, Ford Fiesta)
Day One – Pons had a difficult first day. On the opening stage he hit his rear right wheel coming out of a sharp left-hand corner, which made it hard to drive his Fiesta. In the afternoon the Championship leader pushed harder but still could not find the pace he needed and ended the day over a minute and a half behind the frontrunners.
Day Two – The series leader had a better feeling on Day Two and pushed hard, but couldn’t set times quick enough to compete with the group leaders. Satisfied to try and hold onto fifth place, a minute behind Brynildsen in fourth but over fifteen minutes ahead of Sousa in sixth, Pons began to use the German tarmac to gain experience ready for the next asphalt event in France.
Day Three – The Spaniard had another difficult day because the handbrake on his Fiesta wasn’t working, which made it impossible to get around tight corners. He also picked up a puncture on SS16 which he was able to finish the stage with but slowed him down. Even so, he finished the event in fifth and retained a 13 point lead in the Championship standings.
30 – ALBERT LLOVERA (AND, Fiat Abarth Grande Punto)
Day One – Llovera struggled with the set up of the hand controls on his Punto in the morning. When they were soft they didn’t control the car well, but suited his hands, when they were firm they controlled the Punto, but hurt his hands. As he experimented with the best compromise, he focused on staying on the road. In the afternoon his set up was better and his times improved, but he still felt he could go faster on the German tarmac on Day Two.
Day Two – A puncture on SS10 was the only problem Llovera had in an otherwise trouble-free morning. The afternoon went well but the Olympian found the narrow roads tricky to negotiate with his hand-controlled Punto. Never one to be disheartened however, the Andorran set his sights on finishing the rally without having retired and scooping some S-WRC points in the process.
Day Three – Llovera was happy with the times he set on Day Three, but found it difficult to negotiate the tight German hairpins with his hand controls. He finished the rally in eighth and picked up four more S-WRC points.
53 – P-G ANDERSSON (SWE, Škoda Fabia)
Day One – Andersson made some small mistakes – he spun on the first two stages, losing about ten seconds on each and then on SS3 overshot a junction losing another seven seconds. Even so, his times were fast throughout and he blamed the errors on over confidence. In the afternoon he took his second stage win of the day on SS5 and continued to push leader Prokop, determined to make up the six seconds he needed to take the lead.
Day Two – Taking the lead from SS9, Andersson then led the fierce battle at the head of the S-WRC field throughout Day Two. However, after a strong morning and two stage wins, the pressure fellow Swede Sandell was putting upon him led him to commit himself full throttle to a right-hand corner three and half kilometers from the end of the final stage of the day. He caught a tree with the back of his car and left the road. Luckily his Fabia was undamaged, but he lost five or six vital seconds in the battle for the lead.
Day Three - On SS15, the opening stage of the final day, Andersson landed badly as he came over a right-hand crest, hit a rock and punctured a tyre, losing three minutes. This mistake dropped him to fourth behind Brynildsen and allowed fellow Swede Sandell to take the lead. Furious with himself, but unwilling to admit defeat, Andersson fought hard in the afternoon and retook third to claim the final place on the podium and 15 SWRC points. He held onto second place in the series standings, but with Prokop sitting only five points adrift of him in third, the pressure for the rest of the season is increasing.
Hits: 128
» Druckversion zeigen
» News einem Freund empfehlen
» Kommentare deaktiviert
Day One – Prokop had a strong Day One, taking the lead from the opening stage. With three stage wins and consistently strong times in his Fiesta he held his place at the front, despite P-G Andersson’s Škoda snapping at his heels throughout. Prokop ended the day just under six seconds ahead of his Swedish rival, frustrated to have been slowed by an incident on SS5.
Day Two – At the end of Day Two only six seconds separated the top three S-WRC drivers. Unfortunately, Prokop’s Fiesta fell to third behind the Škodas of fellow J-WRC Champions Andersson and Sandell. Not to be defeated, Prokop finished the day confident he would find more speed on the final day and challenge the Swedes for a win.
Day Three – Prokop didn’t have any problems on the final day. The Czech driver climbed to second when Andersson left the road on SS15 and then continued to push Sandell. However, he was unable to beat the Swede, despite fighting until the very end and finishing almost five seconds behind him.
23 – MICHAL KOSCIUSZKO (POL, Škoda Fabia)
Day One – Kosciuszko suffered at the start of the rally as he had put his pace notes together in wet conditions anticipating mud and the need for cautious driving. Although he has competed in Germany three times before, the rally has become a nemesis of his after he had to retire on the first stage in 2007 and this is the first time he has returned since then. A problematic afternoon began when he went off on a left-hand corner halfway through SS5 and hit the front right hand side of his Fiesta. Spectators helped to push him out of the ditch, but last year’s J-WRC runner-up had broken his driveshaft and had to continue the afternoon stages without it, leaving him nearly 10 minutes off the pace at evening service.
Day Two – After an untroubled morning, Kosciuszko lost the use of his front brake pads on SS13. His team tried to change them at remote service, but when Kosciuszko began the road section to the final stage he found himself without brakes, decided it was not safe to continue and opted to superally.
Day Three - Kosciuszko had an untroubled drive on Day Three, but the 2009 Junior runner-up was unhappy to be so far off the pace of the frontrunners. He finished a clear sixth and picked up eight S-WRC points, but aims to go faster on his next tarmac event in France.
24 – PATRIK SANDELL (SWE, Škoda Fabia)
Day One – Sandell was happy to be sitting in third at the end of Day One, the last in a top three of J-WRC Champions. He won SS2, but made a few small mistakes – he missed two junctions on SS1 and had to use his Škoda’s handbrake to get back on the road, then on SS4 went off and lost five seconds. Even so, he finished the day less than 18 seconds behind leader Prokop and ready to push on Day Two.
Day Two – True to his word, Sandell pushed hard on the second day. He took five stage wins and followed fellow Swedish Škoda driver Andersson up the leaderboard past Prokop. He was unable to close the gap with his countryman, but narrowed it to under five seconds. He drove confidently throughout the stages, enjoyed the German roads and felt he had enough in reserve to push harder on the final day and head for victory.
Day Three – After Andersson went off road on SS15, Sandell took the lead and didn’t look back. He drove flat out throughout Day Three and scooped the victory, delighted to take his first win since the first two P-WRC rounds of 2009.
25 – EYVIND BRYNILDSEN (NOR, Škoda Fabia)
Day One – Brynildsen overused his left foot on the downhill sections of the morning stages and began to lose his brakes. He avoided making the same mistake again in the afternoon, but still lost a couple of seconds to the leaders on each stage. He sat in a comfortable fourth at the end of the day, nearly a minute ahead of Championship leader Pons in fifth.
Day Two – Five kilometres into SS10, the brakes on Brynildsen’s Škoda failed and he lost 40 seconds. This problem was resolved at midday service and he finished the day otherwise untroubled, sitting in a comfortable fourth but lacking the pace to compete with the frontrunners.
Day Three – A difficult rally for Brynildsen ended with a good result. He finished fourth and took home 12 SWRC points, climbing to sixth in the Championship standings, only four points behind fifth-placed Ketomaa.
26 – BERNARDO SOUSA (PRT, Ford Fiesta)
Day One – A bad morning led to a worse afternoon for Sousa on his first German rally. He spun on SS2 and overshot a junction, leaving him more than 45 seconds off the pace. Then on SS4 his Fiesta lost its power steering two kilometres from the end of the stage, and the problem recurred throughout the afternoon seeing him lose more time, until on SS6 he was caught by the car following him. He ended the day nearly five minutes
behind the series leaders.
Day Two – The loss of his power steering on Day One wreaked havoc with Sousa’s old shoulder injury from his gokarting days. Having decided to drive through the pain, the Portuguese youngster was left in serious discomfort by the end of SS10. Just as he began to feel better in the afternoon he unfortunately went off the road and broke a wheel on SS14, forcing him to retire from Day Two.
Day Three – The final day was difficult for Sousa. He didn’t have any problems with his Fiesta, but was in increasing amounts of pain, which meant he frequently lost his concentration. He finished the rally in seventh just one minute behind Kościuszko and earned six S-WRC points.
27 – JANNE TUOHINO (FIN, Ford Fiesta)
Tuohino failed to attend the rally in Germany. The stewards decided to exclude him from the 2010 S-WRC Championship classification. He was also given a suspended fine.
28 - XEVI PONS (ESP, Ford Fiesta)
Day One – Pons had a difficult first day. On the opening stage he hit his rear right wheel coming out of a sharp left-hand corner, which made it hard to drive his Fiesta. In the afternoon the Championship leader pushed harder but still could not find the pace he needed and ended the day over a minute and a half behind the frontrunners.
Day Two – The series leader had a better feeling on Day Two and pushed hard, but couldn’t set times quick enough to compete with the group leaders. Satisfied to try and hold onto fifth place, a minute behind Brynildsen in fourth but over fifteen minutes ahead of Sousa in sixth, Pons began to use the German tarmac to gain experience ready for the next asphalt event in France.
Day Three – The Spaniard had another difficult day because the handbrake on his Fiesta wasn’t working, which made it impossible to get around tight corners. He also picked up a puncture on SS16 which he was able to finish the stage with but slowed him down. Even so, he finished the event in fifth and retained a 13 point lead in the Championship standings.
30 – ALBERT LLOVERA (AND, Fiat Abarth Grande Punto)
Day One – Llovera struggled with the set up of the hand controls on his Punto in the morning. When they were soft they didn’t control the car well, but suited his hands, when they were firm they controlled the Punto, but hurt his hands. As he experimented with the best compromise, he focused on staying on the road. In the afternoon his set up was better and his times improved, but he still felt he could go faster on the German tarmac on Day Two.
Day Two – A puncture on SS10 was the only problem Llovera had in an otherwise trouble-free morning. The afternoon went well but the Olympian found the narrow roads tricky to negotiate with his hand-controlled Punto. Never one to be disheartened however, the Andorran set his sights on finishing the rally without having retired and scooping some S-WRC points in the process.
Day Three – Llovera was happy with the times he set on Day Three, but found it difficult to negotiate the tight German hairpins with his hand controls. He finished the rally in eighth and picked up four more S-WRC points.
53 – P-G ANDERSSON (SWE, Škoda Fabia)
Day One – Andersson made some small mistakes – he spun on the first two stages, losing about ten seconds on each and then on SS3 overshot a junction losing another seven seconds. Even so, his times were fast throughout and he blamed the errors on over confidence. In the afternoon he took his second stage win of the day on SS5 and continued to push leader Prokop, determined to make up the six seconds he needed to take the lead.
Day Two – Taking the lead from SS9, Andersson then led the fierce battle at the head of the S-WRC field throughout Day Two. However, after a strong morning and two stage wins, the pressure fellow Swede Sandell was putting upon him led him to commit himself full throttle to a right-hand corner three and half kilometers from the end of the final stage of the day. He caught a tree with the back of his car and left the road. Luckily his Fabia was undamaged, but he lost five or six vital seconds in the battle for the lead.
Day Three - On SS15, the opening stage of the final day, Andersson landed badly as he came over a right-hand crest, hit a rock and punctured a tyre, losing three minutes. This mistake dropped him to fourth behind Brynildsen and allowed fellow Swede Sandell to take the lead. Furious with himself, but unwilling to admit defeat, Andersson fought hard in the afternoon and retook third to claim the final place on the podium and 15 SWRC points. He held onto second place in the series standings, but with Prokop sitting only five points adrift of him in third, the pressure for the rest of the season is increasing.
Hits: 128
» Druckversion zeigen
» News einem Freund empfehlen
» Kommentare deaktiviert
Montag - August - 23.08.2010 - 09:30:09 Uhr
Hermann Gassner jun. / Katharina Wüstenhagen (GER),
BRR-Mitsubishi Lancer EVO IX, schrammen bei der Heimrallye knapp am Podium vorbei – dennoch herrscht Zufriedenheit
Deutschlands Rallye-Staatsmeister Hermann Gassner jun. und seine Co-Pilotin Kathi Wüstenhagen beendeten heute mit ihrem, von BRR eingesetzten Mitsubishi EVO IX, die Deutschland-Rallye auf dem vierten Platz in der P-WRC-Wertung.
Nach 19 Prüfungen fehlten 1:50,1 Minuten auf Patrik Flodin und damit auch auf das Podium.
Dennoch gab es für den jungen Deutschen eigentlich nur lobende Worte. Denn nach dem Missgeschick auf SP1, wo ihn ein vor ihm fahrender Konkurrent nach einem Unfall viel Zeit kostete, erfüllte Gassner auf den folgenden 18 Wertungsprüfungen alle Vorgaben seines Teamchefs Raimund Baumschlager:
Gassner versuchte an den ersten beiden Tagen zu pushen, konnte sich auch bis auf Rang 4 verbessern, nahm aber Mitte des gestrigen Tages – als er sah, dass der Rückstand nur schwer aufzuholen sein würde - Risiko heraus, und fuhr seinen dritten WM-Lauf konzentriert und fast fehlerlos zu Ende.
BRR-Teamchef Baumschlager: „Alles in allem ein gute Vorstellung von Hermann. Er hat bei dieser Rallye sehr viel gelernt und vor allem Erfahrung in vielen Bereichen gesammelt. Genau das war vorher auch unsere Zielsetzung. Ohne dem Pech am Freitag wäre es im Kampf um einen Platz am Podium sicher noch eng geworden.“
Hermann Gassner: „Ich kann mit dem Erreichten hier wirklich zufrieden sein. Wenn ich zurückblicke, hatte ich eigentlich nur einen Verbremser, der mir gestern zehn Sekunden gekostet hat. Punkto Aufschrieb habe ich ähnlich große Fortschritte gemacht wie beim Bremsverhalten. Am wichtigsten war aber die gewonnene Erkenntnis, dass die Fitness auf so einem hohen Level Grundvoraussetzung für ein erfolgreiches Abschneiden in der WM ist. Daran werde ich in Zukunft sehr hart arbeiten. Denn ganz ehrlich – die beiden gestrigen langen Prüfungen haben mir schon sehr zugesetzt.“
Hits: 105
» Druckversion zeigen
» News einem Freund empfehlen
» Kommentare deaktiviert
BRR-Mitsubishi Lancer EVO IX, schrammen bei der Heimrallye knapp am Podium vorbei – dennoch herrscht Zufriedenheit
Deutschlands Rallye-Staatsmeister Hermann Gassner jun. und seine Co-Pilotin Kathi Wüstenhagen beendeten heute mit ihrem, von BRR eingesetzten Mitsubishi EVO IX, die Deutschland-Rallye auf dem vierten Platz in der P-WRC-Wertung.
Nach 19 Prüfungen fehlten 1:50,1 Minuten auf Patrik Flodin und damit auch auf das Podium.
Dennoch gab es für den jungen Deutschen eigentlich nur lobende Worte. Denn nach dem Missgeschick auf SP1, wo ihn ein vor ihm fahrender Konkurrent nach einem Unfall viel Zeit kostete, erfüllte Gassner auf den folgenden 18 Wertungsprüfungen alle Vorgaben seines Teamchefs Raimund Baumschlager:
Gassner versuchte an den ersten beiden Tagen zu pushen, konnte sich auch bis auf Rang 4 verbessern, nahm aber Mitte des gestrigen Tages – als er sah, dass der Rückstand nur schwer aufzuholen sein würde - Risiko heraus, und fuhr seinen dritten WM-Lauf konzentriert und fast fehlerlos zu Ende.
BRR-Teamchef Baumschlager: „Alles in allem ein gute Vorstellung von Hermann. Er hat bei dieser Rallye sehr viel gelernt und vor allem Erfahrung in vielen Bereichen gesammelt. Genau das war vorher auch unsere Zielsetzung. Ohne dem Pech am Freitag wäre es im Kampf um einen Platz am Podium sicher noch eng geworden.“
Hermann Gassner: „Ich kann mit dem Erreichten hier wirklich zufrieden sein. Wenn ich zurückblicke, hatte ich eigentlich nur einen Verbremser, der mir gestern zehn Sekunden gekostet hat. Punkto Aufschrieb habe ich ähnlich große Fortschritte gemacht wie beim Bremsverhalten. Am wichtigsten war aber die gewonnene Erkenntnis, dass die Fitness auf so einem hohen Level Grundvoraussetzung für ein erfolgreiches Abschneiden in der WM ist. Daran werde ich in Zukunft sehr hart arbeiten. Denn ganz ehrlich – die beiden gestrigen langen Prüfungen haben mir schon sehr zugesetzt.“
Hits: 105
» Druckversion zeigen
» News einem Freund empfehlen
» Kommentare deaktiviert
WRC-News: PWRC nach der Deutschland Rallye - Drivers Summary von Admin
Sieg für Araujo - Gassner Jr. vierter
Sieg für Araujo - Gassner Jr. vierter
Montag - August - 23.08.2010 - 09:04:02 Uhr
Drivers Summary PWRC
31 – ARMINDO ARAÚJO (PRT, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo)
Day One – On his first outing in Germany, Araújo dominated the P-WRC field throughout Day One, his Mitsubishi coming home over half a minute ahead of championship rival Flodin who lay in second. A clean sweep of stage wins was only prevented when the defending champion caught another driver on the final stage of the day and lost over 10 seconds before he was able to overtake.
Day Two – Overall, Araújo had a strong second day. However, a series of problems meant it was not an easy drive. He missed a junction on SS7 and was less confident in the handling of his Lancer on concrete causing him to spin on SS10. The reigning champion then had to drive the afternoon stages carefully after he got a puncture on SS11 and was left with only one spare. Even so, he won four stages - including SS14 when his engine was beginning to overheat - and remarkably finished the day with a lead of nearly 24 seconds.
Day Three – Araújo had a strong Day Three and drove home to his second P-WRC victory of the season. He picked up 25 P-WRC points, topped the sprinter standings and extended his Championship lead over Flodin.
32 – TOSHI ARAI (JPN, Subaru Impreza)
Day One – The hard compound tyres Arai chose for the morning were too hard and stopped him from finding the right rhythm leading to a spin on SS3, which cost the two-time P-WRC Champion nearly 10 seconds. Things only got worse when on the first stage of the afternoon Arai broke his Subaru’s driveshaft at the start of SS4, forcing him to superally.
Day Two – After a series of strong opening stages, Arai’s Subaru got a puncture on SS10. He tried to reach service without replacing the tyre, but this soon became impossible and he had to stop and change it mid-stage, costing him nearly three minutes. The afternoon went well for the Japanese driver. He spun on SS11 but only lost about 10 seconds and was able to continue trouble-free.
Day Three – Wins on both of the opening stages proved Arai was on form but it was too late to make up the time he had lost on the first two days. He finished in sixth, earning eight P-WRC points and hoping to score his first win of the season on his home rally in Japan.
34 – MARTIN SEMERÁD (CZE, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo)
Semerád was unable to participate in Germany after an accident in a local Czech rally. He and his co-driver were unharmed. The stewards decided this was a case of force majeure.
36 – NICHOLAI GEORGIOU (LBN, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo)
Day One – His Mitsubishi’s gearbox breaking as he changed down gears entering a hairpin on shakedown, marked the start of a difficult rally for Georgiou. He began cautiously on his first event in Germany and began to get a feel for the road on SS2, but unfortunately went wrong at a junction on SS3. Unable to turn around on the narrow German roads, he then had to take a detour, costing him over a minute. He felt more confident in the afternoon, but was unable to make up any lost ground, leaving him trailing the category leaders by over seven minutes.
Day Two – Day Two was disappointing for Georgiou. The British-Lebanese Pirelli Star Driver couldn’t find the pace he wanted in the morning and then retired due to a transmission problem on SS13.
Day Three – Georgiou didn’t have significant problems on Day Three and was pleased to finish seventh. He was over nine and a half minutes behind sixth placed Arai, but was pleased to have concluded up his first rallying experience on tarmac and to get six more P-WRC points.
37 – PETER HORSEY (KEN, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo)
Day One – Horsey chivalrously stopped on SS2 to help Niegel put out the flames engulfing his Mitsubishi. However, in his haste to return to his own car he forgot to put his helmet back on and left it in the stage, stopping him in his tracks for the day. His Mitsubishi undamaged however, he was able to superally and rejoin the pack on Day Two
Day Two – The measured times Horsey clocked in the morning did not reflect his enjoyment of the second day. Having learnt to rally on wide African gravel roads, the Kenyan Pirelli Star Driver was out of his comfort zone on the narrow, tarmac roads of Trier’s surrounding area, but used the opening stages to increase his confidence and gain experience. However, he suffered another blow of fate when he was adjusting his fire extinguisher on the road section from SS12 to SS13 and the pin fell out, leaving it impossible to use and unsafe to drive without. He was forced to superally for the second day in a row.
Day Three – Horsey struggled with the handbrake turns necessary on SS15 and SS17, but drove steadily to the last. He finished only two minutes behind on-going rival Georgiou after they both superallied twice and was happy to have had the chance to start to learn the tricky German roads.
38 – HAYDEN PADDON (NZL, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo)
Day One – Paddon drove confidently throughout Day One, despite it being his first German rally. His only problem was on SS3 when he lost five seconds because he didn’t turn his Mitsubishi tightly enough into a hairpin, was unable to reverse and had to do a three-point turn. He did however win the final stage of the day and, although over half a minute off leader Araújo, reached overnight parc ferme just over a second behind second-placed Flodin and ready for a battle on Day Two.
Day Two – This young Pirelli Star Driver went from strength-to-strength on the second day. He suffered a little understeering on SS7, which worsened when he changed to hard compound tyres for SS10. Nonetheless, he drove cleanly without any significant errors. Having decided he could not catch leader Araújo, the New Zealand Rally Champion focused on maintaining his advantage of more than a minute over third placed Flodin. He found a good rhythm and picked up three stage wins as his pace continually increased. His confidence only faltered when he was confronted by the changes in surface on the final long stage.
Day Three – Paddon finished second after a brilliant drive on his first ever tarmac rally. He kept the pressure on winner and fellow Mitsubishi driver Araújo throughout and didn’t make any significant errors. His result sealed a full house of podium finishes in his three P-WRC rounds so far this season and earned him 18 P-WRC points. Unfortunately for Flodin, this reinforced Paddon’s third place in the Championship standings, leaving the Kiwi only seven points adrift of his Swedish rival.
39 – ALEX RASCHI (SMR, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo)
Day One – After Raschi’s co-driver Rudy Pollet broke his ankle, the Pirelli Star Driver had a new co-driver in fellow San Marinese Silvio Stefanelli. Nonetheless, he completed Day One without any major problems. The only difficulty he suffered in his Mitsubishi was on SS6 when the car in front of him had brake problems and he lost 15 seconds stuck behind it. He ended the day a clear fifth.
Day Two – The German roads posed a real challenge for Raschi who found them too fast to negotiate confidently. SS10 was particularly difficult for him and then, when repeating the stage at the end of the day, he suffered a rear right puncture 18 kilometres from the end. He didn’t change the tyre and held fifth place, but it cost him almost a minute, putting him nearly three and a half minutes behind fourth-placed guest driver Gassner.
Day Three – Raschi started Day Three focused on finishing and adamant he wouldn’t take any risks, but was defeated on SS18 when his front differential broke. Devastated to have retired, he was nonetheless happy to have gained such invaluable experience on his first German rally.
40 – OTT TÄNAK (EST, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo)
Day One – Tänak had a good morning on his first ever tarmac rally, but felt he could do better as he learnt the roads. Unfortunately, on the opening stage of the afternoon he hit a step and broke his Mitsubishi’s steering arm, forcing him to superally.
Day Two – Having decided he had lost the chance to compete for a place on the P-WRC podium, Tanäk drove confidently but conservatively on Day Two. He won the opening stage, but then eased off, focusing on reaching the finish and picking up as many points as possible while learning the German roads and how to drive on tarmac.
Day Three - Finishing 11 minutes behind Gassner in fifth, Tänak concentrated on finishing the final day, using the remainder of his first ever tarmac event as practice for France later in the year.
47 – NUNO BARROSO (PRT, Subaru Impreza)
Day One – Barroso was awarded nominal times for both SS1 and SS2 due to accidents on the road ahead of him. He had only done a recce of SS3 once and so spent a lot of time checking his pace notes to try and get the most out of the afternoon stages. He set better times on SS4 and SS5 but then lost four nuts from one wheel on SS6 and when a mechanic helped him move two nuts from another wheel on a road section so that he could get back to service, the stewards gave him a ten minute penalty for non-permitted servicing.
Day Two – On only his second world rally outside Portugal, Barroso intended to use the event to gain experience on tarmac, however his second day was plagued by problems. A wrong turning on the road section from SS7 to SS8 earned him a fine, and a broken front right damper resulted in his losing a minute per stage throughout the morning. The cancellation of SS10 came as a relief due to his slow pace. Ready to attack the stages once again, his gearbox then broke on the first stage of the afternoon and the Portuguese driver had to superally.
Day Three – Plagued by bad pace notes, Barroso found it hard to speed up on Day Three and had to settle for ninth in the P-WRC and only two Championship points. Nonetheless, he gained fantastic experience ready to do a full P-WRC season next year.
48 – PATRIK FLODIN (SWE, Subaru Impreza)
Day One – Flodin set consistently strong times on the opening day. However his Subaru’s brakes were leaking fluid on SS2 and failed by the end of the stage. After midday service, his times then increasingly quickened, until his engine started to overheat on SS5, causing him to lose horsepower. This gave Paddon the opportunity to close in leaving Flodin just over a second ahead of his Kiwi rival.
Day Two – On SS10 Flodin made a mistake and went straight on at a junction, had to reverse and stalled his Impreza, costing him over half a minute. Unable to catch the Mitsubishis ahead of him after that, he decided to focus on finishing the rally and holding on to third place.
Day Three – Flodin was intent on finishing without any major problems on Day Three and drove cleanly to finish third. He held onto second place in the Championship standings, but with Araújo extending his lead and Paddon closing in, he needs a good result in Japan to be in with a chance of winning this season.
49 – HERMANN GASSNER JUNIOR (DEU, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo)
Day One – Guest driver Gassner drove steadily on Day One of his home rally, aiming to reach the finish and, as his competitors fell victim of the narrow, dusty German roads, he climbed the leaderboard to fourth. By SS6 the handling of his Mitsubishi was a bit heavy, but he finished Day One ready to try and close the 23-second gap Flodin and Paddon had drawn out as they battled for second.
Day Two – The only problems Gassner had on Day Two came on SS8 when he overshot a junction and then spun on SS10. Otherwise he was happy with his performance and delighted to hold onto fourth throughout the day. His focus for the final day was to drive steadily and finish the rally.
Day Three - At the end of SS15, Gassner’s handbrake wasn’t working properly, due to overuse on the hairpins. After that he didn’t have any major problems and was pleased to finish in fourth on his home event. He had hoped for a place on the podium, but took home 12 P-WRC points nonetheless, a good sign for his bid to compete in a full P-WRC season next year.
50 – FLORIAN NIEGEL (DEU, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo)
Day One - Like all the P-WRC competitors, German guest driver Niegel received a nominal time on SS1. On SS2 his Mitsubishi was engulfed by fire for as yet unknown reasons, forcing him to retire from the rally.
54 – MICHEL JOURDAIN (MEX, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo)
Day One – Consecutive accidents on the road ahead of him meant Jourdain was awarded nominal times for the first two stages. He did not start driving until SS3 and by then it was difficult to find a good rhythm. His only experience on tarmac was a few days testing in Barcelona, where the roads are not as narrow and dusty as those around Trier, so he suffered in the afternoon of Day One for not having done the opening stages. He ended the day over five and a half minutes behind leader Araújo, but enjoyed gaining experience on a new surface.
Day Two – Jourdain was enjoying the German roads and pleased to be getting times which were closer to the pace of his competitors when disaster struck on SS10. His exhaust pipe was bent as he negotiated the uneven stages and the Mexican Indie car runner-up continued unperturbed until his Mitsubishi burst into flames further into the long stage. He and his co-driver escaped unharmed but had to retire from the rally.
55 – REIJO MUHONEN (FIN, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo)
Day One – The only experience Muhonen had on tarmac before this rally was the 20 kilometres he drove in a test on the Monday before the event started. He found the German roads and their hairpins alien compared to the fast Finnish roads he is used to at home and ended the day over five minutes behind the leader. However, he gained confidence quickly and was happy with his Mitsubishi. The only problem he suffered on Day One was damage to his front and back right wheels after leaving the road on SS6.
Day Two – Muhonen started the day with a 20 second penalty, because he was late for first service. He then caught the cars in front of him on both SS8 and SS9, before leaving the road on SS10 and losing about 30 seconds. His difficult morning was followed by a better afternoon. He didn’t enjoy the gravel and mud on SS14 and had a series of minor technical problems all day so he took final the stage very carefully.
Day Three – In the morning Muhonen was troubled by brake problems on his Mitsubishi and then caught the car in front more than once. However, real problems came when his transmission broke on the penultimate stage of the rally and he had to retire. Despite this, he left happy with the news that his old co-driver, Miettinen, who was injured in Jordan earlier in the season is now in good health and will rejoin him at the start of next season.
Hits: 134
» Druckversion zeigen
» News einem Freund empfehlen
» Kommentare deaktiviert
31 – ARMINDO ARAÚJO (PRT, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo)
Day One – On his first outing in Germany, Araújo dominated the P-WRC field throughout Day One, his Mitsubishi coming home over half a minute ahead of championship rival Flodin who lay in second. A clean sweep of stage wins was only prevented when the defending champion caught another driver on the final stage of the day and lost over 10 seconds before he was able to overtake.
Day Two – Overall, Araújo had a strong second day. However, a series of problems meant it was not an easy drive. He missed a junction on SS7 and was less confident in the handling of his Lancer on concrete causing him to spin on SS10. The reigning champion then had to drive the afternoon stages carefully after he got a puncture on SS11 and was left with only one spare. Even so, he won four stages - including SS14 when his engine was beginning to overheat - and remarkably finished the day with a lead of nearly 24 seconds.
Day Three – Araújo had a strong Day Three and drove home to his second P-WRC victory of the season. He picked up 25 P-WRC points, topped the sprinter standings and extended his Championship lead over Flodin.
32 – TOSHI ARAI (JPN, Subaru Impreza)
Day One – The hard compound tyres Arai chose for the morning were too hard and stopped him from finding the right rhythm leading to a spin on SS3, which cost the two-time P-WRC Champion nearly 10 seconds. Things only got worse when on the first stage of the afternoon Arai broke his Subaru’s driveshaft at the start of SS4, forcing him to superally.
Day Two – After a series of strong opening stages, Arai’s Subaru got a puncture on SS10. He tried to reach service without replacing the tyre, but this soon became impossible and he had to stop and change it mid-stage, costing him nearly three minutes. The afternoon went well for the Japanese driver. He spun on SS11 but only lost about 10 seconds and was able to continue trouble-free.
Day Three – Wins on both of the opening stages proved Arai was on form but it was too late to make up the time he had lost on the first two days. He finished in sixth, earning eight P-WRC points and hoping to score his first win of the season on his home rally in Japan.
34 – MARTIN SEMERÁD (CZE, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo)
Semerád was unable to participate in Germany after an accident in a local Czech rally. He and his co-driver were unharmed. The stewards decided this was a case of force majeure.
36 – NICHOLAI GEORGIOU (LBN, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo)
Day One – His Mitsubishi’s gearbox breaking as he changed down gears entering a hairpin on shakedown, marked the start of a difficult rally for Georgiou. He began cautiously on his first event in Germany and began to get a feel for the road on SS2, but unfortunately went wrong at a junction on SS3. Unable to turn around on the narrow German roads, he then had to take a detour, costing him over a minute. He felt more confident in the afternoon, but was unable to make up any lost ground, leaving him trailing the category leaders by over seven minutes.
Day Two – Day Two was disappointing for Georgiou. The British-Lebanese Pirelli Star Driver couldn’t find the pace he wanted in the morning and then retired due to a transmission problem on SS13.
Day Three – Georgiou didn’t have significant problems on Day Three and was pleased to finish seventh. He was over nine and a half minutes behind sixth placed Arai, but was pleased to have concluded up his first rallying experience on tarmac and to get six more P-WRC points.
37 – PETER HORSEY (KEN, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo)
Day One – Horsey chivalrously stopped on SS2 to help Niegel put out the flames engulfing his Mitsubishi. However, in his haste to return to his own car he forgot to put his helmet back on and left it in the stage, stopping him in his tracks for the day. His Mitsubishi undamaged however, he was able to superally and rejoin the pack on Day Two
Day Two – The measured times Horsey clocked in the morning did not reflect his enjoyment of the second day. Having learnt to rally on wide African gravel roads, the Kenyan Pirelli Star Driver was out of his comfort zone on the narrow, tarmac roads of Trier’s surrounding area, but used the opening stages to increase his confidence and gain experience. However, he suffered another blow of fate when he was adjusting his fire extinguisher on the road section from SS12 to SS13 and the pin fell out, leaving it impossible to use and unsafe to drive without. He was forced to superally for the second day in a row.
Day Three – Horsey struggled with the handbrake turns necessary on SS15 and SS17, but drove steadily to the last. He finished only two minutes behind on-going rival Georgiou after they both superallied twice and was happy to have had the chance to start to learn the tricky German roads.
38 – HAYDEN PADDON (NZL, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo)
Day One – Paddon drove confidently throughout Day One, despite it being his first German rally. His only problem was on SS3 when he lost five seconds because he didn’t turn his Mitsubishi tightly enough into a hairpin, was unable to reverse and had to do a three-point turn. He did however win the final stage of the day and, although over half a minute off leader Araújo, reached overnight parc ferme just over a second behind second-placed Flodin and ready for a battle on Day Two.
Day Two – This young Pirelli Star Driver went from strength-to-strength on the second day. He suffered a little understeering on SS7, which worsened when he changed to hard compound tyres for SS10. Nonetheless, he drove cleanly without any significant errors. Having decided he could not catch leader Araújo, the New Zealand Rally Champion focused on maintaining his advantage of more than a minute over third placed Flodin. He found a good rhythm and picked up three stage wins as his pace continually increased. His confidence only faltered when he was confronted by the changes in surface on the final long stage.
Day Three – Paddon finished second after a brilliant drive on his first ever tarmac rally. He kept the pressure on winner and fellow Mitsubishi driver Araújo throughout and didn’t make any significant errors. His result sealed a full house of podium finishes in his three P-WRC rounds so far this season and earned him 18 P-WRC points. Unfortunately for Flodin, this reinforced Paddon’s third place in the Championship standings, leaving the Kiwi only seven points adrift of his Swedish rival.
39 – ALEX RASCHI (SMR, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo)
Day One – After Raschi’s co-driver Rudy Pollet broke his ankle, the Pirelli Star Driver had a new co-driver in fellow San Marinese Silvio Stefanelli. Nonetheless, he completed Day One without any major problems. The only difficulty he suffered in his Mitsubishi was on SS6 when the car in front of him had brake problems and he lost 15 seconds stuck behind it. He ended the day a clear fifth.
Day Two – The German roads posed a real challenge for Raschi who found them too fast to negotiate confidently. SS10 was particularly difficult for him and then, when repeating the stage at the end of the day, he suffered a rear right puncture 18 kilometres from the end. He didn’t change the tyre and held fifth place, but it cost him almost a minute, putting him nearly three and a half minutes behind fourth-placed guest driver Gassner.
Day Three – Raschi started Day Three focused on finishing and adamant he wouldn’t take any risks, but was defeated on SS18 when his front differential broke. Devastated to have retired, he was nonetheless happy to have gained such invaluable experience on his first German rally.
40 – OTT TÄNAK (EST, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo)
Day One – Tänak had a good morning on his first ever tarmac rally, but felt he could do better as he learnt the roads. Unfortunately, on the opening stage of the afternoon he hit a step and broke his Mitsubishi’s steering arm, forcing him to superally.
Day Two – Having decided he had lost the chance to compete for a place on the P-WRC podium, Tanäk drove confidently but conservatively on Day Two. He won the opening stage, but then eased off, focusing on reaching the finish and picking up as many points as possible while learning the German roads and how to drive on tarmac.
Day Three - Finishing 11 minutes behind Gassner in fifth, Tänak concentrated on finishing the final day, using the remainder of his first ever tarmac event as practice for France later in the year.
47 – NUNO BARROSO (PRT, Subaru Impreza)
Day One – Barroso was awarded nominal times for both SS1 and SS2 due to accidents on the road ahead of him. He had only done a recce of SS3 once and so spent a lot of time checking his pace notes to try and get the most out of the afternoon stages. He set better times on SS4 and SS5 but then lost four nuts from one wheel on SS6 and when a mechanic helped him move two nuts from another wheel on a road section so that he could get back to service, the stewards gave him a ten minute penalty for non-permitted servicing.
Day Two – On only his second world rally outside Portugal, Barroso intended to use the event to gain experience on tarmac, however his second day was plagued by problems. A wrong turning on the road section from SS7 to SS8 earned him a fine, and a broken front right damper resulted in his losing a minute per stage throughout the morning. The cancellation of SS10 came as a relief due to his slow pace. Ready to attack the stages once again, his gearbox then broke on the first stage of the afternoon and the Portuguese driver had to superally.
Day Three – Plagued by bad pace notes, Barroso found it hard to speed up on Day Three and had to settle for ninth in the P-WRC and only two Championship points. Nonetheless, he gained fantastic experience ready to do a full P-WRC season next year.
48 – PATRIK FLODIN (SWE, Subaru Impreza)
Day One – Flodin set consistently strong times on the opening day. However his Subaru’s brakes were leaking fluid on SS2 and failed by the end of the stage. After midday service, his times then increasingly quickened, until his engine started to overheat on SS5, causing him to lose horsepower. This gave Paddon the opportunity to close in leaving Flodin just over a second ahead of his Kiwi rival.
Day Two – On SS10 Flodin made a mistake and went straight on at a junction, had to reverse and stalled his Impreza, costing him over half a minute. Unable to catch the Mitsubishis ahead of him after that, he decided to focus on finishing the rally and holding on to third place.
Day Three – Flodin was intent on finishing without any major problems on Day Three and drove cleanly to finish third. He held onto second place in the Championship standings, but with Araújo extending his lead and Paddon closing in, he needs a good result in Japan to be in with a chance of winning this season.
49 – HERMANN GASSNER JUNIOR (DEU, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo)
Day One – Guest driver Gassner drove steadily on Day One of his home rally, aiming to reach the finish and, as his competitors fell victim of the narrow, dusty German roads, he climbed the leaderboard to fourth. By SS6 the handling of his Mitsubishi was a bit heavy, but he finished Day One ready to try and close the 23-second gap Flodin and Paddon had drawn out as they battled for second.
Day Two – The only problems Gassner had on Day Two came on SS8 when he overshot a junction and then spun on SS10. Otherwise he was happy with his performance and delighted to hold onto fourth throughout the day. His focus for the final day was to drive steadily and finish the rally.
Day Three - At the end of SS15, Gassner’s handbrake wasn’t working properly, due to overuse on the hairpins. After that he didn’t have any major problems and was pleased to finish in fourth on his home event. He had hoped for a place on the podium, but took home 12 P-WRC points nonetheless, a good sign for his bid to compete in a full P-WRC season next year.
50 – FLORIAN NIEGEL (DEU, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo)
Day One - Like all the P-WRC competitors, German guest driver Niegel received a nominal time on SS1. On SS2 his Mitsubishi was engulfed by fire for as yet unknown reasons, forcing him to retire from the rally.
54 – MICHEL JOURDAIN (MEX, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo)
Day One – Consecutive accidents on the road ahead of him meant Jourdain was awarded nominal times for the first two stages. He did not start driving until SS3 and by then it was difficult to find a good rhythm. His only experience on tarmac was a few days testing in Barcelona, where the roads are not as narrow and dusty as those around Trier, so he suffered in the afternoon of Day One for not having done the opening stages. He ended the day over five and a half minutes behind leader Araújo, but enjoyed gaining experience on a new surface.
Day Two – Jourdain was enjoying the German roads and pleased to be getting times which were closer to the pace of his competitors when disaster struck on SS10. His exhaust pipe was bent as he negotiated the uneven stages and the Mexican Indie car runner-up continued unperturbed until his Mitsubishi burst into flames further into the long stage. He and his co-driver escaped unharmed but had to retire from the rally.
55 – REIJO MUHONEN (FIN, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo)
Day One – The only experience Muhonen had on tarmac before this rally was the 20 kilometres he drove in a test on the Monday before the event started. He found the German roads and their hairpins alien compared to the fast Finnish roads he is used to at home and ended the day over five minutes behind the leader. However, he gained confidence quickly and was happy with his Mitsubishi. The only problem he suffered on Day One was damage to his front and back right wheels after leaving the road on SS6.
Day Two – Muhonen started the day with a 20 second penalty, because he was late for first service. He then caught the cars in front of him on both SS8 and SS9, before leaving the road on SS10 and losing about 30 seconds. His difficult morning was followed by a better afternoon. He didn’t enjoy the gravel and mud on SS14 and had a series of minor technical problems all day so he took final the stage very carefully.
Day Three – In the morning Muhonen was troubled by brake problems on his Mitsubishi and then caught the car in front more than once. However, real problems came when his transmission broke on the penultimate stage of the rally and he had to retire. Despite this, he left happy with the news that his old co-driver, Miettinen, who was injured in Jordan earlier in the season is now in good health and will rejoin him at the start of next season.
Hits: 134
» Druckversion zeigen
» News einem Freund empfehlen
» Kommentare deaktiviert
WRC-News: Citroen Sport nach der Deutschland Rallye von Admin
Loeb and Elena score their eighth consecutive victory! - Podium for Sébastien, fastest time for Kimi!
Loeb and Elena score their eighth consecutive victory! - Podium for Sébastien, fastest time for Kimi!
Montag - August - 23.08.2010 - 08:48:14 Uhr
After monopolizing the first two places in the opening stage, the Citroën Total World Rally Team C4 WRCs gave the French team another double when the flag fell to signal the end of Rally Germany. Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena racked up their eighth consecutive victory in the event setting a new record. Dani Sordo and Diego Vallejo had a fault-free race on their first outing together and rounded off the team’s triumph. This event also saw the 32nd win by the C4 WRC, equalling the Xsara WRC’s score putting it among the most successful cars in the history of rallying.
After a couple of very testing days, the last leg of Rally Germany was much shorter with 85 timed kilometres. The crews were back among the Moselle vine yards and covered the Dhrontal and Moselwein stages twice. The rally finished with the Circus Maximus Super Stage in the streets of Trèves.
Sébastien Loeb and Dani Sordo, comfortably installed in the first two places in their C4 WRCs, left the Trèves service park on Pirelli P-Zero soft tyres. The Citroën Total World Rally Team drivers opted for steadiness rather than sheer speed as their only aim was to see the finish. “It’s not always obvious, but we wanted to consolidate our positions insofar as it was possible,” said Loeb in the mid-leg service halt.
“On soft rubber we had more grip on the few damp sections and we were ready to cope with possible showers.”
“The outcome was decided yesterday in the Panzerplatte stage,” confirmed Sordo. “Today, we had nothing to gain and everything to lose. The double that looked on the cards would be a great coup for Citroën in the context of the World Championship for Manufacturers.”
Like the first run though the stages, the second one enabled the Citroën drivers to make the double an ever greater reality. In front of a crowd that was rooting for him, Loeb put on a show in the Circus Maximus stage and crossed the finishing line victorious for the eight consecutive time. “It’s always a great pleasure to win here. I love driving the C4 WRC on asphalt and it’s all the more motivating when you’re
in front of such a large, enthusiastic crowd!” laughed the six-time world champion. “Once again I was able to count on a perfect, quick and reliable car that really got the best out of the tyres, This is my fifth win in 2010 and brings me one step closer to my ultimate aim – my seventh world title on the trot.”
“I’m very happy with this rally, my first with Diego Vallejo in the right-hand seat,” added Sordo, second in Rally Germany for the third time. “Sébastien was just a tad quicker than me on a regular basis. There was nothing between us on the first day until he made the break in the longest stage. This being said, I met the team’s expectations and helped it open up a bigger gap in the Manufacturers’ Championship.”
“Citroën monopolised the podium as in Mexico, Portugal and Bulgaria,” added Olivier Quesnel, the Citroën Racing Team Principal. “Of course, our only aim in this rally was victory, but it’s always a very powerful feeling. For Citroën Racing, the fact that the C4 WRC has equalled the Xsara’s score is also a big thrill. Thirty-two successes in fifty-two rallies – and counting!
At the end of a perfectly-controlled Rallye Deutschland, the Citroën Junior Team scores a podium for the first time on an asphalt FIA World Rally Championship event. Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia are third behind the two factory Citroën C4 WRCs. Kimi Räikkönen and Kaj Lindström finish seventh, having claimed their first fastest stage time in the WRC! On the third and final day of the rally, there were 85.69 competitive kilometres on the menu. As the cars were getting underway, at 0615, some light rain fell on Trier. Nonetheless, the roa ds remained dry
throughout the morning.
“We had to go quickly in order to keep Jari-Matti Latvala behind us,” reported Sébastien Ogier after the first two stages of the day. “With just a 16-second cushion, third place is far from won. We managed to slightly increase that gap though by following the split times.”
Co-driver Julien Ingrassia added: “We still have plenty to do today. These are very tricky roads and there was a huge amount of pace notes to get through. We couldn’t relax for a single second on the stages!”
On the second loop, Sébastien Ogier reinforced his position to claim his very first asphalt podium at the finish and his fifth podium of the season. “This was an excellent result,” he concluded. “Our objective was to finish behind the two factory Citroën C4 WRCs and now we have achieved our goal. So this was a very positive way to finish. I’d like to thank the entire team for a brilliant job well done.”
Kimi Räikkönen and Kaj Lindström started the final day with a set-up that was a little too soft. “I overhot two junctions and we lost a lot of time,” recounted the Finn. The crew continued to push hard right up to the end, setting their first fastest stage time on the final Circus Maximus Trier stage (SS19). “I’m disappointed at having made the mistake in the morning that cost us a place, ” said Räikkönen. “But I enjoyed the stages on Saturday and Sunday. We’re continuing to rack up experience and that’s very important.”
Team manager Benoit Nogier concluded: “We’ve got to the finish of a long and complicated rally with a very solid performance. Competing on their first Rallye Deutschland in a WRC machine, Sébastien and Julien are on the podium. At the start of the season we were just aiming for some podiums on gravel. Our goals have already largely been achieved, with a podium on asphalt to add to our tally as well now. Sébastien and Julien did a great job, coping well with the pressure when they had to go and get past Latvala. Their performance came pretty close to perfection, I would say. Measuring it on his terms, Kimi did virtually just as well. His mistake this morning cost him a place, but we are all delighted with his fastest stage time, which is a real morale booster. Now we’re keen to get over to France, for the next
asphalt rally that is going to be an unknown quantity for all the competitors.”
Hits: 68
» Druckversion zeigen
» News einem Freund empfehlen
» Kommentare deaktiviert
After a couple of very testing days, the last leg of Rally Germany was much shorter with 85 timed kilometres. The crews were back among the Moselle vine yards and covered the Dhrontal and Moselwein stages twice. The rally finished with the Circus Maximus Super Stage in the streets of Trèves.
Sébastien Loeb and Dani Sordo, comfortably installed in the first two places in their C4 WRCs, left the Trèves service park on Pirelli P-Zero soft tyres. The Citroën Total World Rally Team drivers opted for steadiness rather than sheer speed as their only aim was to see the finish. “It’s not always obvious, but we wanted to consolidate our positions insofar as it was possible,” said Loeb in the mid-leg service halt.
“On soft rubber we had more grip on the few damp sections and we were ready to cope with possible showers.”
“The outcome was decided yesterday in the Panzerplatte stage,” confirmed Sordo. “Today, we had nothing to gain and everything to lose. The double that looked on the cards would be a great coup for Citroën in the context of the World Championship for Manufacturers.”
Like the first run though the stages, the second one enabled the Citroën drivers to make the double an ever greater reality. In front of a crowd that was rooting for him, Loeb put on a show in the Circus Maximus stage and crossed the finishing line victorious for the eight consecutive time. “It’s always a great pleasure to win here. I love driving the C4 WRC on asphalt and it’s all the more motivating when you’re
in front of such a large, enthusiastic crowd!” laughed the six-time world champion. “Once again I was able to count on a perfect, quick and reliable car that really got the best out of the tyres, This is my fifth win in 2010 and brings me one step closer to my ultimate aim – my seventh world title on the trot.”
“I’m very happy with this rally, my first with Diego Vallejo in the right-hand seat,” added Sordo, second in Rally Germany for the third time. “Sébastien was just a tad quicker than me on a regular basis. There was nothing between us on the first day until he made the break in the longest stage. This being said, I met the team’s expectations and helped it open up a bigger gap in the Manufacturers’ Championship.”
“Citroën monopolised the podium as in Mexico, Portugal and Bulgaria,” added Olivier Quesnel, the Citroën Racing Team Principal. “Of course, our only aim in this rally was victory, but it’s always a very powerful feeling. For Citroën Racing, the fact that the C4 WRC has equalled the Xsara’s score is also a big thrill. Thirty-two successes in fifty-two rallies – and counting!
At the end of a perfectly-controlled Rallye Deutschland, the Citroën Junior Team scores a podium for the first time on an asphalt FIA World Rally Championship event. Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia are third behind the two factory Citroën C4 WRCs. Kimi Räikkönen and Kaj Lindström finish seventh, having claimed their first fastest stage time in the WRC! On the third and final day of the rally, there were 85.69 competitive kilometres on the menu. As the cars were getting underway, at 0615, some light rain fell on Trier. Nonetheless, the roa ds remained dry
throughout the morning.
“We had to go quickly in order to keep Jari-Matti Latvala behind us,” reported Sébastien Ogier after the first two stages of the day. “With just a 16-second cushion, third place is far from won. We managed to slightly increase that gap though by following the split times.”
Co-driver Julien Ingrassia added: “We still have plenty to do today. These are very tricky roads and there was a huge amount of pace notes to get through. We couldn’t relax for a single second on the stages!”
On the second loop, Sébastien Ogier reinforced his position to claim his very first asphalt podium at the finish and his fifth podium of the season. “This was an excellent result,” he concluded. “Our objective was to finish behind the two factory Citroën C4 WRCs and now we have achieved our goal. So this was a very positive way to finish. I’d like to thank the entire team for a brilliant job well done.”
Kimi Räikkönen and Kaj Lindström started the final day with a set-up that was a little too soft. “I overhot two junctions and we lost a lot of time,” recounted the Finn. The crew continued to push hard right up to the end, setting their first fastest stage time on the final Circus Maximus Trier stage (SS19). “I’m disappointed at having made the mistake in the morning that cost us a place, ” said Räikkönen. “But I enjoyed the stages on Saturday and Sunday. We’re continuing to rack up experience and that’s very important.”
Team manager Benoit Nogier concluded: “We’ve got to the finish of a long and complicated rally with a very solid performance. Competing on their first Rallye Deutschland in a WRC machine, Sébastien and Julien are on the podium. At the start of the season we were just aiming for some podiums on gravel. Our goals have already largely been achieved, with a podium on asphalt to add to our tally as well now. Sébastien and Julien did a great job, coping well with the pressure when they had to go and get past Latvala. Their performance came pretty close to perfection, I would say. Measuring it on his terms, Kimi did virtually just as well. His mistake this morning cost him a place, but we are all delighted with his fastest stage time, which is a real morale booster. Now we’re keen to get over to France, for the next
asphalt rally that is going to be an unknown quantity for all the competitors.”
Hits: 68
» Druckversion zeigen
» News einem Freund empfehlen
» Kommentare deaktiviert
Montag - August - 23.08.2010 - 08:19:04 Uhr
It’s mission accomplished for the Citroën DS3 R3, which made its competitive debut this weekend. Bryan Bouffier and his co-driver Xavier Panseri claimed two-wheel drive and Group R victory on the specialised Irish roads of the Ulster Rally, ending the event in a superb fifth place overall.
The latest challenger from Citroën was straight in at the deep end, facing much more powerful cars over the slippery and bumpy asphalt roads of Northern Ireland. Bouffier and Panseri steadily built up their pace over the course of the weekend, but the DS3 R3 dominated its class right from the beginning. The opening day on Friday allowed the Frenchman to get used to the car and the conditions, and he got quicker and quicker with every stage. After the 53 miles that made up the first leg, Bouffier returned to parc fermé in seventh overall. During the morning loop of Saturday’s stages, the Citroën DS3 R3 continued its progress by making up another place. The crew ended on a high by setting four blistering stage times and claiming fifth overall at the finish.
Frédéric Bertrand, in charge of the customer competition department at Citroën Racing, said: “This great debut result has underlined our belief in the ample capabilities of the DS3 R3. The car has been reliable and we’ve not encountered any problems at all throughout the rally. Of course it proved to be extremely competitive as well, so now we just need to refine the set-up to suit all the different types of conditions that we might encounter. Sealing a result like this on the Ulster Rally is an important moment, because this is a very specialised rally that is well-known for pushing cars to the limit. The whole team has done a very good job and the crew drove a perfect rally. We have also been able to rely on the performance of BFGoodrich tyres. Putting all these elements together has resulted in an excellent fifth place at the finish. Given that this was only our first time out, it’s extremely encouraging for the future.”
Hits: 36
» Druckversion zeigen
» News einem Freund empfehlen
» Kommentare deaktiviert
The latest challenger from Citroën was straight in at the deep end, facing much more powerful cars over the slippery and bumpy asphalt roads of Northern Ireland. Bouffier and Panseri steadily built up their pace over the course of the weekend, but the DS3 R3 dominated its class right from the beginning. The opening day on Friday allowed the Frenchman to get used to the car and the conditions, and he got quicker and quicker with every stage. After the 53 miles that made up the first leg, Bouffier returned to parc fermé in seventh overall. During the morning loop of Saturday’s stages, the Citroën DS3 R3 continued its progress by making up another place. The crew ended on a high by setting four blistering stage times and claiming fifth overall at the finish.
Frédéric Bertrand, in charge of the customer competition department at Citroën Racing, said: “This great debut result has underlined our belief in the ample capabilities of the DS3 R3. The car has been reliable and we’ve not encountered any problems at all throughout the rally. Of course it proved to be extremely competitive as well, so now we just need to refine the set-up to suit all the different types of conditions that we might encounter. Sealing a result like this on the Ulster Rally is an important moment, because this is a very specialised rally that is well-known for pushing cars to the limit. The whole team has done a very good job and the crew drove a perfect rally. We have also been able to rely on the performance of BFGoodrich tyres. Putting all these elements together has resulted in an excellent fifth place at the finish. Given that this was only our first time out, it’s extremely encouraging for the future.”
Hits: 36
» Druckversion zeigen
» News einem Freund empfehlen
» Kommentare deaktiviert
WRC-News: Citroen Sport vor der Ulster-Rallye von Admin
The Citroën DS3 R3 takes up the challenge - Premiere des Citroen DS3 R3
The Citroën DS3 R3 takes up the challenge - Premiere des Citroen DS3 R3
Dienstag - August - 17.08.2010 - 18:02:51 Uhr
The Ulster Rally gets underway in one week, based in Antrim to the north east of
Ireland. The start of this event will have a special significance for the DS3 R3, which
makes its competition debut. The crew of Bryan Bouffier/Xavier Panseri are
determined to showcase the capabilities of the latest challenger from Citroën to the
best of their abilities.
Behind the scenes, the entire Citroën Racing team is eager to see their car in action, which was created in the French company’s workshops and then developed over a bespoke test programme. But this will be the first time that the DS3 goes head to head with its rivals, before being offered for sale to customers. In a baptism of fire, Citroën’s latest two-wheel drive machine, equipped with a 210-horsepower engine, will rack up its first competitive miles on extremely specialised terrain. Irish asphalt is notorious for its lack of grip and bumpy surfaces, which the new car will face over the 205 stage kilometres of the rally. The famously changeable weather in Ulster could also play a key role over the course of the event. Whatever happens, French driver Bryan Bouffier – who was an important part of the new car’s development programme – will be doing his best to take the DS3 R3 towards the top of the leaderboard, although he will face considerably more powerful local opposition.
Jean-François Liénéré, in charge of customer competition at Citroën Racing, commented:
“While we have been very pleased with our progress in testing, nothing replicates real competition. The Ulster Rally is a very tricky event where competitors have to deal with narrow roads that offer little grip. The variable weather conditions in Ireland are capable of springing both nice and nasty surprises so these are sure to be a determining factor in the outcome of the rally. The ideal result for us in Antrim would be to win Group R and finish in the top five overall. From a sporting point of view, Ireland and Great Britain are very important customer competition markets for our company. Citroën has a strong presence thanks to the Citroën Racing Trophy, which boasts a high profile and several top quality drivers. These people are very interested in the new DS3 R3 and I believe that our latest challenger will live up to all their expectations.”
Not only the drivers, but also thousands of fans are looking forward to seeing the new
Citroën out in anger for the first time next week. The cars will be flagged off the ramp for the start of the Ulster Rally in the early afternoon of Friday 20 August.
Three questions to… Bryan Bouffier
You’ve been chosen for the competition debut of the Citroën DS3. How are you going
to approach this event?
I was the first driver to test the Citroën DS3 R3 and now it is a great honour for me to be at the wheel when it has its first taste of competition. I’m going to start this rally hugely motivated, with my objective being to show the world just how fantastic this new car is.
This will be the first time that you have competed on a rally in Ireland. Have you
already driven on similar surfaces?
It’s true that this is going to be a completely new experience for me: I’ve never had the chance before to contest any British or Irish Championship events. The roads in Ireland are well known for being bumpy with several jumps throughout the rally. But I’m not worried at all: I know that the DS3 R3 will be very forgiving and consistent on these types of roads, whatever the conditions.
You helped to develop the DS3 R3. What do you think of the car?
From the very first time I drove it, my feeling was immediately good. The Citroën DS3 R3 is easy to drive and it’s a huge pleasure to be behind the wheel. There are some interesting technical innovations as well. I’m thinking in particular of the hard work we accomplished on the suspension, but also on the torque from the engine and the sequential gearshift. All this makes the DS3 R3 a really formidable machine.
Useful information
Ulster Rally (20-21 August)
Surface: asphalt
Where: Antrim
Practical information: The service park is located at the “International Outlet Shopping Centre” (GPS N 54 43.781 and W 06 13.840). Rally HQ and the media centre are located at the Holiday Inn Express (Junction One International Shopping Centre, Ballymena Road, Antrim, BT41 4LL: GPS N 54 43.683 and W 06 13.567). There is a one-hour time difference between Ireland and central Europe, so when it is 1100 in Antrim, it will be 1200 in France. On the first day of the rally the sun will rise at 0608 and set at 2044. The local currency is the pound sterling (1 EUR = 0.82 GBP).
Reconnaissance: This will take place on Thursday 19 August from 0900 to 2200.
Start: Friday 20 August, leaving the service park at 1315.
Route: The route has a total length of 686.2 kilometres, of which 204.6 kilometres are
competitive. There are 14 special stages (seven different stages).
Timing: Day 1 – 325 kilometres of which 85 kilometres are competitive (6 special stages – 3 different stages)
Day 2 – 361.3 kilometres of which 119.5 kilometres are competitive (8 stages – 4
different stages).
Final podium: Saturday 21 August from 1715.
Hits: 36
» Druckversion zeigen
» News einem Freund empfehlen
» Kommentare deaktiviert
Ireland. The start of this event will have a special significance for the DS3 R3, which
makes its competition debut. The crew of Bryan Bouffier/Xavier Panseri are
determined to showcase the capabilities of the latest challenger from Citroën to the
best of their abilities.
Behind the scenes, the entire Citroën Racing team is eager to see their car in action, which was created in the French company’s workshops and then developed over a bespoke test programme. But this will be the first time that the DS3 goes head to head with its rivals, before being offered for sale to customers. In a baptism of fire, Citroën’s latest two-wheel drive machine, equipped with a 210-horsepower engine, will rack up its first competitive miles on extremely specialised terrain. Irish asphalt is notorious for its lack of grip and bumpy surfaces, which the new car will face over the 205 stage kilometres of the rally. The famously changeable weather in Ulster could also play a key role over the course of the event. Whatever happens, French driver Bryan Bouffier – who was an important part of the new car’s development programme – will be doing his best to take the DS3 R3 towards the top of the leaderboard, although he will face considerably more powerful local opposition.
Jean-François Liénéré, in charge of customer competition at Citroën Racing, commented:
“While we have been very pleased with our progress in testing, nothing replicates real competition. The Ulster Rally is a very tricky event where competitors have to deal with narrow roads that offer little grip. The variable weather conditions in Ireland are capable of springing both nice and nasty surprises so these are sure to be a determining factor in the outcome of the rally. The ideal result for us in Antrim would be to win Group R and finish in the top five overall. From a sporting point of view, Ireland and Great Britain are very important customer competition markets for our company. Citroën has a strong presence thanks to the Citroën Racing Trophy, which boasts a high profile and several top quality drivers. These people are very interested in the new DS3 R3 and I believe that our latest challenger will live up to all their expectations.”
Not only the drivers, but also thousands of fans are looking forward to seeing the new
Citroën out in anger for the first time next week. The cars will be flagged off the ramp for the start of the Ulster Rally in the early afternoon of Friday 20 August.
Three questions to… Bryan Bouffier
You’ve been chosen for the competition debut of the Citroën DS3. How are you going
to approach this event?
I was the first driver to test the Citroën DS3 R3 and now it is a great honour for me to be at the wheel when it has its first taste of competition. I’m going to start this rally hugely motivated, with my objective being to show the world just how fantastic this new car is.
This will be the first time that you have competed on a rally in Ireland. Have you
already driven on similar surfaces?
It’s true that this is going to be a completely new experience for me: I’ve never had the chance before to contest any British or Irish Championship events. The roads in Ireland are well known for being bumpy with several jumps throughout the rally. But I’m not worried at all: I know that the DS3 R3 will be very forgiving and consistent on these types of roads, whatever the conditions.
You helped to develop the DS3 R3. What do you think of the car?
From the very first time I drove it, my feeling was immediately good. The Citroën DS3 R3 is easy to drive and it’s a huge pleasure to be behind the wheel. There are some interesting technical innovations as well. I’m thinking in particular of the hard work we accomplished on the suspension, but also on the torque from the engine and the sequential gearshift. All this makes the DS3 R3 a really formidable machine.
Useful information
Ulster Rally (20-21 August)
Surface: asphalt
Where: Antrim
Practical information: The service park is located at the “International Outlet Shopping Centre” (GPS N 54 43.781 and W 06 13.840). Rally HQ and the media centre are located at the Holiday Inn Express (Junction One International Shopping Centre, Ballymena Road, Antrim, BT41 4LL: GPS N 54 43.683 and W 06 13.567). There is a one-hour time difference between Ireland and central Europe, so when it is 1100 in Antrim, it will be 1200 in France. On the first day of the rally the sun will rise at 0608 and set at 2044. The local currency is the pound sterling (1 EUR = 0.82 GBP).
Reconnaissance: This will take place on Thursday 19 August from 0900 to 2200.
Start: Friday 20 August, leaving the service park at 1315.
Route: The route has a total length of 686.2 kilometres, of which 204.6 kilometres are
competitive. There are 14 special stages (seven different stages).
Timing: Day 1 – 325 kilometres of which 85 kilometres are competitive (6 special stages – 3 different stages)
Day 2 – 361.3 kilometres of which 119.5 kilometres are competitive (8 stages – 4
different stages).
Final podium: Saturday 21 August from 1715.
Hits: 36
» Druckversion zeigen
» News einem Freund empfehlen
» Kommentare deaktiviert
WRC-News: Citroen Sport vor der Deutschland-Rallye von Admin
Loeb and Elena on the way to new records? - Citroen Junior team is heading Germany
Loeb and Elena on the way to new records? - Citroen Junior team is heading Germany
Dienstag - August - 17.08.2010 - 12:09:57 Uhr
For Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena, Rally Germany is an exceptional event. Since its reintegration into the World Championship calendar in 2002, the Franco-Monegasque pair have won it on every occasion and they are determined to pursue their unbeaten record! In the Citroën Total World Rally Team’s second C4 WRC, Dani Sordo will have a new co-driver for the first time, Diego Vallejo.
After Bulgaria, Rally Germany is the second of the four asphalt rallies in the 2010 FIA World Championship. This event has nothing but good memories for the Citroën Total World Rally Team beginning with Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena’s first real victory (2002). Six more successes have followed, and Seb and Daniel hold the record for the number of consecutive wins in the same event.
An eighth success would enable the six-time world champion duo to improve their statistics, but that would be purely incidental. Should the French national anthem rings out on Sunday at the Porta Nigra in Trier, it will signify that the Citroën crew is well on its way to another world title. In the eight rallies already run this season, Loeb and Elena have always finished on the podium and four times on the topmost step. With 48 and 61 points in hand over Sébastien Ogier and Jari-Matti Latvala, the leaders find themselves in an ideal situation - one which they can still improve!
“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,” says Loeb who will be racing only a few dozen kilometres away from his native Alsace. “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.”
After competing in Rally Finland in the Citroën Junior Team, Dani Sordo is back in the cockpit of the no. 2 C4 WRC. The Spaniard will be backed up by Diego Vallejo, who has replaced Marc Marti. “It isn’t a sudden decision, but I reached the conclusion that there were some things I had to change to progress,” explains Dani. “Marc has given me a lot over the past six seasons and we parted on friendly terms. Diego
and I have known each other for a long time; we’re on the same wave length and I think we’re going to work together in real harmony. It will be his first outing in Rally Germany but I don’t think it’s one of the most difficult events for a co-driver.” Dani 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.”
Three questions to Olivier Quesnel
Let’s look back on Rally Finland. With Sébastien Ogier in second place and Sébastien Loeb just behind, several people expected you to inverse the positions..
“Like in Portugal we opted for the sporting aspect by not interfering in the classification in an artificial manner. You had to have an overview of the situation. Mikko Hirvonen had retired and Petter Solberg was behind our two drivers. Third place for Sébastien Loeb was a very good result in the context of the drivers’ championship. By leaving Sébastien Ogier in second place we were able to keep up the pressure on Jari-Matti Latvala. At the same time, this result meant that Ogier didn’t lose too many points in relation to Latvala, his direct rival in the championship. I’d like to add that we talked the situation through with our two drivers and Sébastien Loeb told us that he didn’t want to finish second in such conditions.”
Does that mean you’ll allow your drivers to fight it out between themselves till the end of the season?
“Citroën Racing’s aim is to keep the World Rally Championship Drivers’ and Manufacturers’ titles. At present, we’re on target to achieve this as Sébastien Loeb and Citroën lead both championships. As in Finland, we’ll have to analyse each situation as it arises.”
Dani Sordo will have Diego Vallejo as co-driver in this rally. Is it the start of a new season for him?
“I certainly hope so! With the exception of Rally Bulgaria, Dani has experienced a fairly difficult season so far. It became obvious that a change was necessary as the rallies unfolded. It was up to him to take the decision. He’s made his choice calmly after examining several possibilities. We’d like to welcome Diego Vallejo, and we hope he’ll help Dani to finish the season on a high note. I’m still convinced that his first victory in the world championship isn’t too far off.”
The Rallye Deutschland, the second asphalt round of this season, has been eagerly awaited by the Citroën Junior Team. Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia make a return to the cockpit of the number 7 C4 WRC and their aim is to consolidate the potential that they showed in Bulgaria. Kimi Räikkönen and Kaj Lindström, who naturally feel comfortable on asphalt, have exactly the same objective.
After a very encouraging performance in Bulgaria, the Citroën Junior Team is hoping to do even better on a rally that contains quite different types of asphalt. “Everyone in the team has very good memories of our trip to Bulgaria,” commented team manager Benoit Nogier. “Kimi, who had so much to learn this year, showed just what he is capable of on his first asphalt World Championship Rally and Sébastien was very competitive too. However, the Rally Bulgaria was new for everyone. In Germany, we will be up against drivers with plenty of experience of the terrain. So the objective we have fixed for our drivers is not to make any mistakes. I’m sure that our C4 WRCs are capable of some excellent results.”
Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia are currently second in the World Rally Championship for drivers after eight of 13 rounds and they are contesting the Rallye Deutschland for the second time. Their first time in Germany dates from the 2008 season, when they claimed victory in the Junior World Rally Championship classification, driving a Citroën C2 Super 1600.
“Things will be completely different at the wheel of the C4 WRC” said Sébastien. “ The route in Germany is very specialised, with one stage in particular that stands out. On Saturday we will drive a stage that is nearly 50 kilometres long twice, on a military range, and that is really going to separate the men from the boys. Generally speaking, one characteristic of the rally is several grip changes. It’s important to make a good set of pace notes and work well with your safety rew. The goal is to try and get to the end without making mistakes, hopefully coming close to the pace of Sebastien Loeb – who is definitely the man to beat in Germany!”
Kimi Räikkönen has been comfortable with the Citroën C4 WRC on asphalt since he first drove it, and now he will have a new playing field on the challenging stages that run along the shores of the Mosel River.
“This will be another new rally for me,” commented Kimi. “On my first asphalt rally with the Citroën C4 WRC, I had a good feeling immediately. The most important thing is for me to get used to driving a WRC car on this surface. From my past experience I can say that I find driving on asphalt a bit more natural, but driving a rally car is still a completely different thing to any form of circuit racing.”
Kaj Lindström, who has been alongside the former Grand Prix champion since he made his rally debut, is also feeling optimistic. “We’re making progress on each rally, which is essential for us this year,” he concluded. “Our performance in Bulgaria, on our first asphalt rally, was the most impressive we have put in since the start of the season and I know that there is still plenty more to come from Kimi.”
Three questions to… Sébastien Ogier
Has second place at the end of this year’s World Rally Championship become an objective for you?
“We’re going to try and hang onto this second place. It would be a great result if we finished runner-up in the World Rally Championship. So far we’re off to a good start. There are several asphalt rallies ahead of us where we should hopefully be able to stay in front of Jari-Matti Latvala, who is currently behind us in the championship classification.”
This will be your first Rallye Deutschland in a WRC car, while there are other drivers who already have seven starts under their belts…
“We know that it’s going to be quite a lot more difficult than the rallies we have done recently. Our objective remains to acquire experience while staying humble. This is an event that we do not know very well, as we have only done it once in a C2 Super 1600. On that occasion it went well, as we won the Junior classification. But in a WRC car, things will be completely different. Our goal is to beat the Fords at
least and to come as close as we can to the best…”
At the end of this season, you’re splitting your time between the Citroën Total World Rally Team on gravel and the Citroën Junior Team on asphalt. Is it tricky switching from one team to another?
“Citroën is like a big family, so the Citroën Junior Team and the Citroën Total World Rally Team are quite close. In Finland, which was my debut in the factory team, everything went extremely well. But it will be very easy to work with my Citroën Junior Team colleagues again. I’m not worried about it at all!”
Information
ADAC Rally Germany (round 9/13) (19 – 22 August)
Surface: Asphalt - Where: Trier
Practical info: The service park is in Trier Messepark. The HQ and Media Centre are in the Park Plaza Hotel in Trier. There is no time difference between Germany and France. On the first day of the rally Friday 20th August, the sun will rise at 6h30 and set at 20h41. In August, the average temperature is between 12°C in the morning and 29°C in the afternoon. The euro is the local currency.
Technical: The two Citroën C4 WRCs will have the engines used in Finland which will also be used in Japan. The transmissions and spare parts are shared with Rally Bulgaria (already run).
Tyres: Each crew can use 54 Pirelli P-Zero tyres maximum in this rally (shakedown included). Two types are available: soft (32 tyres max) and hard (46 tyres max).
Reconnaissance: It is scheduled for Tuesday 17th August from 9h00 to 19h30 and on Wednesday 18th August from 8h00 to16h30 with two passages maximum in each stage.
Shakedown: Thursday 19th August between 8h00 and 12h00 to the west of Trier near the villages of Mesenich and Grewenich as in 2008 on a 5,80-km stage whose start is 16,72 km from the service park.
Press conference: Thursday 19th August at 13h30 in the Media Centre.
Start: Thursday19th August from Porta Nigra at 20h00.
Route: 1194,63 km long including 407,31 timed km. 19 stages (10 different).
Timing: Day 1 Friday 20th August – 385,82 km including 134,04 timed km (6 SS, 3 different).–SS1: ‘Ruwertal / Fell’ (24,01 km) – SS2: ‘Grafschaft Veldenz’ (23,09 km) – SS3: ‘Moselland’ (19,92 km) – Service A (13h09 / 30 min) – SS4: ‘Ruwertal / Fell’ (24,01 km) – SS5: ‘Grafschaft Veldenz’ (23,09 km) – SS6: ‘Moselland’ (19,92 km) – Service B (17h38 / 45 min) – Last car in parc fermé at 21h45.
Day 2 – Saturday 21st August: 576,92 km including 187,58 timed km (8 SS, 4 different). Start: 6h30 – Service C (6h40 / 15 min) – SS7: ‘Hermeskeil / Gusenburg’ (11,34 km) – SS8: ‘St. Wendeler Land’ (16,95 km) – SS9: ‘Freisen / Westrich’ (17,50 km) – Remote Service ‘Birkenfeld’ (9h52 / 15 in) – SS10: ‘Arena Panzerplatte’ (48,00 km) – Service D (13h20 / 30 min) – SS11: ‘Hermeskeil / Gusenburg’ (11,34 km) – SS12 : ‘St. Wendeler Land’ (16,95 km) – SS13 : ‘Freisen / Westrich’ (17,50
km) – Remote Service ‘Birkenfeld’ (16h47 / 15 min) – SS14: ‘Arena Panzerplatte’ (48,00 km) – Service D (19h45 / 45 min) – Last car in parc fermé at 23h45.
Day 3 – Sunday 22nd August: 231,89 km including 85,69 times km (5 SS, 3 different). Start: 6h15 – Service F (6h25 / 15 min) – SS15: ‘Dhrontal’ (22,58 km) – SS8: ‘Moselwein’ (18,08 km) – Service G (9h18 / 30 min) – SS17: ‘Dhrontal’ (22,58 km) – SS18: ‘Moselwein’ (18,08 km) – SS19: ‘SSS Circus Maximus Trier’ (4,37 km) – Service H (13h26 / 10 min) – Finish at 13h36.
Podium: 22nd August from 15:45
Final press conference: Sunday 22nd August in the Media Centre at 14:30.
Link: News
Hits: 92
» Druckversion zeigen
» News einem Freund empfehlen
» Kommentare deaktiviert
After Bulgaria, Rally Germany is the second of the four asphalt rallies in the 2010 FIA World Championship. This event has nothing but good memories for the Citroën Total World Rally Team beginning with Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena’s first real victory (2002). Six more successes have followed, and Seb and Daniel hold the record for the number of consecutive wins in the same event.
An eighth success would enable the six-time world champion duo to improve their statistics, but that would be purely incidental. Should the French national anthem rings out on Sunday at the Porta Nigra in Trier, it will signify that the Citroën crew is well on its way to another world title. In the eight rallies already run this season, Loeb and Elena have always finished on the podium and four times on the topmost step. With 48 and 61 points in hand over Sébastien Ogier and Jari-Matti Latvala, the leaders find themselves in an ideal situation - one which they can still improve!
“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,” says Loeb who will be racing only a few dozen kilometres away from his native Alsace. “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.”
After competing in Rally Finland in the Citroën Junior Team, Dani Sordo is back in the cockpit of the no. 2 C4 WRC. The Spaniard will be backed up by Diego Vallejo, who has replaced Marc Marti. “It isn’t a sudden decision, but I reached the conclusion that there were some things I had to change to progress,” explains Dani. “Marc has given me a lot over the past six seasons and we parted on friendly terms. Diego
and I have known each other for a long time; we’re on the same wave length and I think we’re going to work together in real harmony. It will be his first outing in Rally Germany but I don’t think it’s one of the most difficult events for a co-driver.” Dani 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.”
Three questions to Olivier Quesnel
Let’s look back on Rally Finland. With Sébastien Ogier in second place and Sébastien Loeb just behind, several people expected you to inverse the positions..
“Like in Portugal we opted for the sporting aspect by not interfering in the classification in an artificial manner. You had to have an overview of the situation. Mikko Hirvonen had retired and Petter Solberg was behind our two drivers. Third place for Sébastien Loeb was a very good result in the context of the drivers’ championship. By leaving Sébastien Ogier in second place we were able to keep up the pressure on Jari-Matti Latvala. At the same time, this result meant that Ogier didn’t lose too many points in relation to Latvala, his direct rival in the championship. I’d like to add that we talked the situation through with our two drivers and Sébastien Loeb told us that he didn’t want to finish second in such conditions.”
Does that mean you’ll allow your drivers to fight it out between themselves till the end of the season?
“Citroën Racing’s aim is to keep the World Rally Championship Drivers’ and Manufacturers’ titles. At present, we’re on target to achieve this as Sébastien Loeb and Citroën lead both championships. As in Finland, we’ll have to analyse each situation as it arises.”
Dani Sordo will have Diego Vallejo as co-driver in this rally. Is it the start of a new season for him?
“I certainly hope so! With the exception of Rally Bulgaria, Dani has experienced a fairly difficult season so far. It became obvious that a change was necessary as the rallies unfolded. It was up to him to take the decision. He’s made his choice calmly after examining several possibilities. We’d like to welcome Diego Vallejo, and we hope he’ll help Dani to finish the season on a high note. I’m still convinced that his first victory in the world championship isn’t too far off.”
The Rallye Deutschland, the second asphalt round of this season, has been eagerly awaited by the Citroën Junior Team. Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia make a return to the cockpit of the number 7 C4 WRC and their aim is to consolidate the potential that they showed in Bulgaria. Kimi Räikkönen and Kaj Lindström, who naturally feel comfortable on asphalt, have exactly the same objective.
After a very encouraging performance in Bulgaria, the Citroën Junior Team is hoping to do even better on a rally that contains quite different types of asphalt. “Everyone in the team has very good memories of our trip to Bulgaria,” commented team manager Benoit Nogier. “Kimi, who had so much to learn this year, showed just what he is capable of on his first asphalt World Championship Rally and Sébastien was very competitive too. However, the Rally Bulgaria was new for everyone. In Germany, we will be up against drivers with plenty of experience of the terrain. So the objective we have fixed for our drivers is not to make any mistakes. I’m sure that our C4 WRCs are capable of some excellent results.”
Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia are currently second in the World Rally Championship for drivers after eight of 13 rounds and they are contesting the Rallye Deutschland for the second time. Their first time in Germany dates from the 2008 season, when they claimed victory in the Junior World Rally Championship classification, driving a Citroën C2 Super 1600.
“Things will be completely different at the wheel of the C4 WRC” said Sébastien. “ The route in Germany is very specialised, with one stage in particular that stands out. On Saturday we will drive a stage that is nearly 50 kilometres long twice, on a military range, and that is really going to separate the men from the boys. Generally speaking, one characteristic of the rally is several grip changes. It’s important to make a good set of pace notes and work well with your safety rew. The goal is to try and get to the end without making mistakes, hopefully coming close to the pace of Sebastien Loeb – who is definitely the man to beat in Germany!”
Kimi Räikkönen has been comfortable with the Citroën C4 WRC on asphalt since he first drove it, and now he will have a new playing field on the challenging stages that run along the shores of the Mosel River.
“This will be another new rally for me,” commented Kimi. “On my first asphalt rally with the Citroën C4 WRC, I had a good feeling immediately. The most important thing is for me to get used to driving a WRC car on this surface. From my past experience I can say that I find driving on asphalt a bit more natural, but driving a rally car is still a completely different thing to any form of circuit racing.”
Kaj Lindström, who has been alongside the former Grand Prix champion since he made his rally debut, is also feeling optimistic. “We’re making progress on each rally, which is essential for us this year,” he concluded. “Our performance in Bulgaria, on our first asphalt rally, was the most impressive we have put in since the start of the season and I know that there is still plenty more to come from Kimi.”
Three questions to… Sébastien Ogier
Has second place at the end of this year’s World Rally Championship become an objective for you?
“We’re going to try and hang onto this second place. It would be a great result if we finished runner-up in the World Rally Championship. So far we’re off to a good start. There are several asphalt rallies ahead of us where we should hopefully be able to stay in front of Jari-Matti Latvala, who is currently behind us in the championship classification.”
This will be your first Rallye Deutschland in a WRC car, while there are other drivers who already have seven starts under their belts…
“We know that it’s going to be quite a lot more difficult than the rallies we have done recently. Our objective remains to acquire experience while staying humble. This is an event that we do not know very well, as we have only done it once in a C2 Super 1600. On that occasion it went well, as we won the Junior classification. But in a WRC car, things will be completely different. Our goal is to beat the Fords at
least and to come as close as we can to the best…”
At the end of this season, you’re splitting your time between the Citroën Total World Rally Team on gravel and the Citroën Junior Team on asphalt. Is it tricky switching from one team to another?
“Citroën is like a big family, so the Citroën Junior Team and the Citroën Total World Rally Team are quite close. In Finland, which was my debut in the factory team, everything went extremely well. But it will be very easy to work with my Citroën Junior Team colleagues again. I’m not worried about it at all!”
Information
ADAC Rally Germany (round 9/13) (19 – 22 August)
Surface: Asphalt - Where: Trier
Practical info: The service park is in Trier Messepark. The HQ and Media Centre are in the Park Plaza Hotel in Trier. There is no time difference between Germany and France. On the first day of the rally Friday 20th August, the sun will rise at 6h30 and set at 20h41. In August, the average temperature is between 12°C in the morning and 29°C in the afternoon. The euro is the local currency.
Technical: The two Citroën C4 WRCs will have the engines used in Finland which will also be used in Japan. The transmissions and spare parts are shared with Rally Bulgaria (already run).
Tyres: Each crew can use 54 Pirelli P-Zero tyres maximum in this rally (shakedown included). Two types are available: soft (32 tyres max) and hard (46 tyres max).
Reconnaissance: It is scheduled for Tuesday 17th August from 9h00 to 19h30 and on Wednesday 18th August from 8h00 to16h30 with two passages maximum in each stage.
Shakedown: Thursday 19th August between 8h00 and 12h00 to the west of Trier near the villages of Mesenich and Grewenich as in 2008 on a 5,80-km stage whose start is 16,72 km from the service park.
Press conference: Thursday 19th August at 13h30 in the Media Centre.
Start: Thursday19th August from Porta Nigra at 20h00.
Route: 1194,63 km long including 407,31 timed km. 19 stages (10 different).
Timing: Day 1 Friday 20th August – 385,82 km including 134,04 timed km (6 SS, 3 different).–SS1: ‘Ruwertal / Fell’ (24,01 km) – SS2: ‘Grafschaft Veldenz’ (23,09 km) – SS3: ‘Moselland’ (19,92 km) – Service A (13h09 / 30 min) – SS4: ‘Ruwertal / Fell’ (24,01 km) – SS5: ‘Grafschaft Veldenz’ (23,09 km) – SS6: ‘Moselland’ (19,92 km) – Service B (17h38 / 45 min) – Last car in parc fermé at 21h45.
Day 2 – Saturday 21st August: 576,92 km including 187,58 timed km (8 SS, 4 different). Start: 6h30 – Service C (6h40 / 15 min) – SS7: ‘Hermeskeil / Gusenburg’ (11,34 km) – SS8: ‘St. Wendeler Land’ (16,95 km) – SS9: ‘Freisen / Westrich’ (17,50 km) – Remote Service ‘Birkenfeld’ (9h52 / 15 in) – SS10: ‘Arena Panzerplatte’ (48,00 km) – Service D (13h20 / 30 min) – SS11: ‘Hermeskeil / Gusenburg’ (11,34 km) – SS12 : ‘St. Wendeler Land’ (16,95 km) – SS13 : ‘Freisen / Westrich’ (17,50
km) – Remote Service ‘Birkenfeld’ (16h47 / 15 min) – SS14: ‘Arena Panzerplatte’ (48,00 km) – Service D (19h45 / 45 min) – Last car in parc fermé at 23h45.
Day 3 – Sunday 22nd August: 231,89 km including 85,69 times km (5 SS, 3 different). Start: 6h15 – Service F (6h25 / 15 min) – SS15: ‘Dhrontal’ (22,58 km) – SS8: ‘Moselwein’ (18,08 km) – Service G (9h18 / 30 min) – SS17: ‘Dhrontal’ (22,58 km) – SS18: ‘Moselwein’ (18,08 km) – SS19: ‘SSS Circus Maximus Trier’ (4,37 km) – Service H (13h26 / 10 min) – Finish at 13h36.
Podium: 22nd August from 15:45
Final press conference: Sunday 22nd August in the Media Centre at 14:30.
Link: News
Hits: 92
» Druckversion zeigen
» News einem Freund empfehlen
» Kommentare deaktiviert
Mittwoch - August - 11.08.2010 - 09:10:27 Uhr
Die Deutschen bei der WM - siehe Link
Link: Die Deutschen bei der WM
Hits: 189
» Druckversion zeigen
» News einem Freund empfehlen
» Kommentare deaktiviert
Link: Die Deutschen bei der WM
Hits: 189
» Druckversion zeigen
» News einem Freund empfehlen
» Kommentare deaktiviert