The 23rd Rallye Deutschland takes place this coming weekend - the tenth round out of sixteen in the 2004
FIA World Rally Championship.
Germany will also play host to the fifth round in the 2004 FIA Production Car WRC.
A three-day event [starting 'proper' on Friday], the Rally comprises three legs, 411.06 competitive kilometres and 24 stages.
There will be a single service area at Bostalsee, which is 60km from Trier, and the winning car is expected to cross the finish ramp at 1530hrs on Sunday 22 August.
Special notes:
With the last seven WRC rounds contested on gravel, Rallye Deutschland is the first of three asphalt events scheduled for the remainder of the season. Based in the countryside around Trier, the oldest city in Germany, the event presents crews with some of the most specialist stages in the Championship.
Stage conditions vary between the narrow vineyard roads of the Mosel region with its long, fast straights featuring 90-degree corners, the smooth roads of Saarland and the bumpy, rough concrete tracks of the Baumholder military ranges. Designed for tank training exercises, the army roads are unlike anything else in the Championship. Flanked by huge, unforgiving concrete kerbstones, the wide asphalt sections are abrasive and dirty, while a fine dusting of sand makes them exceptionally slippery when wet.
With this year's rally scheduled in August, when weather conditions are likely to be changeable, the event's mix of road surfaces is expected to prove a tough challenge for drivers and tyres alike.
FIA World Rally Championship news:
Sebastien Loeb leads the World Rally drivers' championship, 22 points ahead of
Petter Solberg.
Citroen meanwhile head the constructors' - 26 points ahead of Ford, while Subaru are a further 19 adrift in third.
News from the Manufacturers' teams:
555 Subaru World Rally Team:
[Petter Solberg, car #1 and
Mikko Hirvonen, car #2.]
Like most WRC competitors, Petter Solberg has contested the event just twice before. At a crucial point in his 2004 title campaign, he's hoping to repeat the smooth surface form that helped him win in Corsica last year. Driving the second
Subaru, Finnish driver Mikko Hirvonen has contested the event only once before. The young Finn will be aiming to demonstrate a good pace and gain more points.
Citroen Total:
[
Sebastien Loeb, car #3 and Carlos Sainz, car #4]
Citroen has tested extensively in preparation for the Rallye Deutschland. Between the Argentina and Finland rallies Carlos Sainz and Sebastien Loeb put the Xsara WRC through its paces over the roads of the Mosel Valley vineyards as well as across the Baumholder ranges. Loeb was delighted with the progress they made.
"I was very pleased with the Xsara I drove during pre-event testing and I am happy with the work that has been done," he noted. "The car was easy to drive and nicely balanced. I felt confident, and that is important given how delicate the conditions can be. For once, being first on the road during the opening leg shouldn't be a handicap. We have some good cards in our hand and we don't have our backs to the wall, which means we can choose our own tactics. I feel confident!"
Marlboro Peugeot Total:
[Marcus Gronholm, car #5 and Cedric Robert, car #6].
Peugeot will field three cars in Germany, for Marcus Gronholm, Cedric Robert and Freddy Loix, the latter however will not be eligible to score manufacturer points.
Robert is looking forward to making his debut with the factory team. "I am delighted to be driving a 307 in Germany," he said. "The car has competed in only one asphalt round so far, the Monte Carlo Rally. I am convinced it has the potential to win and its performances on the loose are a good pointer."
