Latvala to head Stobart trio this weekend?

Jari-Matti Latvala will have extra responsibility on the Rallye Deutschland this week, as he is the most experienced of the trio of Stobart Ford drivers' on asphalt.

Jari has competed at the Rallye Deutschland four times to date, Henning Solberg will be driving it for the very first time this weekend, while Matthew Wilson, who will drive the third car and not be nominated for manufacturers' points, will be taking in the event for only the second time in his career.

Last year, although Latvala went off on the first stage after making what he described as a 'stupid mistake', he re-started on day two under the SupeRally rule and set some impressive times, particularly on the final day when he was fifth and sixth fastest in the final two stages.

He also enjoyed a good test in Spain during the recent summer break and is confident he can get a solid result, even if the weather is a worry as it makes things something of a lottery at the Trier-based event.

"Germany is one of the most difficult rallies in the championship - not because of the roads but because of the weather. The area [in which the rally is held] is known for big showers and rain storms and when the roads are wet they can be so tricky," he stated in the countdown to the tenth round in the championship.

"This is because often the mud gets washed onto the roads, especially around the vineyards, which makes them extremely slippery.

"For me it is difficult because it makes it hard to judge how fast you can push when conditions are like this.

"I really like these stages however and when it is dry it is really fast and fun to drive. The set-up we used at the test was surprisingly good and it will certainly help the confidence knowing we have a decent set-up heading into the event," he summed-up.