WRC Rally Deutschland

[flying finn]

WRC Rally Deutschland

Leg 1 : Friday 17.08 > 6 stages (128.60 Km)
Leg 2 : Saturday 18.08 > 8 stages (164.86 Km)
Leg 3 : Sunday 19.08 > 5 stages (62.81 Km)

SS: 356.27 Km

entry list > http://www.rallye-deutschland.de/v2/index_e.php
home page > http://www.rallye-deutschland.de/v2/index_e.php
preview: http://www.rally-live.com/wrc/en/hea...10173654.shtml

Championship Standings

1. M. Gronholm (FIN) 6 10 8 8 5 8 10 10 10 > 75
2. S. Loeb (F) 10 8 0 10 10 10 0 8 6 > 62
3. M. Hirvonen (FIN) 4 6 10 6 4 6 8 5 8 > 57
4. H. Solberg (N) 0 5 6 0 0 4 5 4 4 > 28
5. D. Sordo (SP) 8 0 0 5 6 3 6 0 0 > 28
6. P. Solberg (N) 3 0 5 0 8 0 4 6 0 > 26
7. C. Atkinson (AUS) 5 1 0 4 0 2 0 3 5 > 20
8. J. Latvala (FIN) 0 0 4 2 1 5 0 0 0 > 12
9. D. Carlsson (S) -- 4 2 -- 3 -- 0 -- -- > 9
10. M. Stohl (AUT) 0 2 0 3 0 1 2 1 0 > 9
11. T. Gardemeister (FIN) 2 3 0 -- 0 -- 3 0 -- > 8
12. G. Galli (I) -- 0 3 -- 2 0 -- -- -- > 5
13. J. Kopecky (CZ) 1 0 1 -- 0 -- -- 2 0 > 4
14. X. Pons (SP) 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- -- -- 3 > 3
15. U. Aava (EST) -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 0 2 > 2
16. M.Wilson (GB) 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 > 1
17. J. Hanninen (FIN) -- -- -- -- -- -- 1 0 0 > 1
18. M. Ostberg (NOR) -- 0 -- -- 0 -- 0 -- 1 > 1

[GolddustMini]

Its fairly obvious that loeb starts as favourite for this event, although it will be interesting to see what gains ford have made on tarmac with the new car as mikko has said on a rally-live article that greater gains have been made with the new car on tarmac over those made on gravel.


will also be interesting to see if sordo can pull a good result now we are back on tarmac because IMHO hes been fairly lack luster on the loose this year

[BertMk2]

Sordo has to get a good result here. As you say Loeb is the obvious favourite for this one but Sordo needs to take points away from the Fords here - he really has to finish in front of them. If Hirvonen is ahead of Gronholm near the end will Ford switch them?

[GolddustMini]

well, loeb is winning, so no suprise there, but hes not had it all his own way, there have been a large number of stage winners so far, notably atkinson (who if not for an off and 8min in a ditch would be challenging for the back end of the podium!) and duval. sordo is out due to engine probs. so dispite the fact loeb is winning its still interesting. gronholm is putting in solid times to retain second, so damage limitation appears to the aim of the game

[Notso Swift]

Indeed it has not been a typical WRC Tarmac event, the results are every where.

I said last round that it looks as though Subaru has found some pace and that we could have three genuine front running manufactures again, looks like it is not just a pipe dream. Petter just needs to get his MoJo back

[Knowlesy]

Loeb wins then.

Gronholm was second, but struggling to fend off Duval. He then made a mistake in the final stage and dropped to fourth.

Dammit!

[chunder]

Typical Marcus, the amount of times he falls at the first sign of pressure is amzing!!

Probly why we all like him so much!! Human unlike the Loebot!!

[Cryos]

Well its not too long ago that marcus was in a 206 doing the Gronbot....

[Knowlesy]

Yeah, but he still had his moments. Remember that monumental shunt on Rally GB one year?

[GolddustMini]

he still carries an 8 point lead though, so hes not worth writing off! lets hope theres a good showdown for the rest of the year.


it mentions something about a retirement announcement on wrc.com, but the article about ss19 (the stage on which gronholm went off) appears to have disappeared!

[Knowlesy]

No, there are still four loose surface rallies left where Gronholm should hopefully nab some points, enough to compensate for the inevitable tarmac defeats.

[GolddustMini]

only 3 gravel events left this year, NZ, japan and GB.

if gronholm wins all of them and loeb finishes second and the reverse happens on corsica, catalunya and ireland, then all will be square at 8 points lead, however you'd have to realise the threat of sordo on the tarmac and that he could take points away, obviously we cant discount the fact that loeb is also more than capable of winning all the loose surface events as well!


its one hell of a tall order for marcus but lets hope he can do it!

[flying finn]

WRC Rally Germany - Results

1. Loeb Elena > Citroen C4 > 3h27'27"5 (103.0 kmh)
2. Duval Pivato > Citroen Xsara > 3h27'47"8 (+ 00'20"3)
3. Hirvonen Lehtinen > Ford Focus > 3h28'46"6 (+ 01'19"1)
4. Gronholm Rautiainen > Ford Focus > 3h29'04"0 (+ 01'36"5)
5. Kopecky Schovanek > Skoda Fabia > 3h30'34"6 (+ 03'07"1)
6 . P.Solberg Mills > Subaru Impreza > 3h30'42"2 (+ 03'14"7)
7. Gardemeister Honkanen > Citroen Xsara > 3h31'05"0 (+ 03'37"5)
8. Latvala Anttila > Ford Focus > 3h32'56"8 (+ 05'29"3)
9. Wilson Orr > Ford Focus > 3h38'31"7 (+ 11'04"2)
10. Wilks Pugh > Ford Focus > 3h47'15"3 (+ 19'47"8)
13. H.Solberg Menkerud > Ford Focus > 3h54'29"5 (+ 27'02"0)
15. Atkinson Prevot > Subaru Impreza > 3h55'50"4 (+ 28'22"9)
DNF. Sordo-Marti > Citroen C4 > Mechanical SS6
DNF. Stohl-Minor > Citroen Xsara > Mechanical SS8

Championship Standings

1. M. Gronholm (FIN) 6 10 8 8 5 8 10 10 10 5 > 80
2. S. Loeb (F) 10 8 0 10 10 10 0 8 6 10 > 72
3. M. Hirvonen (FIN) 4 6 10 6 4 6 8 5 8 6 > 63
4. P. Solberg (N) 3 0 5 0 8 0 4 6 0 3 > 29
5. H. Solberg (N) 0 5 6 0 0 4 5 4 4 0 > 28
6. D. Sordo (SP) 8 0 0 5 6 3 6 0 0 0 > 28
7. C. Atkinson (AUS) 5 1 0 4 0 2 0 3 5 0 > 20
8. J. Latvala (FIN) 0 0 4 2 1 5 0 0 0 1 > 13
9. T. Gardemeister (FIN) 2 3 0 -- 0 -- 3 0 -- 2 > 10
10. D. Carlsson (S) -- 4 2 -- 3 -- 0 -- -- -- > 9
11. M. Stohl (AUT) 0 2 0 3 0 1 2 1 0 0 > 9
12. J. Kopecky (CZ) 1 0 1 -- 0 -- -- 2 0 4 > 8
13. G. Galli (I) -- 0 3 -- 2 0 -- -- -- -- > 5
14. X. Pons (SP) 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- -- -- 3 0 > 3
15. U. Aava (EST) -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 0 2 > 2
16. M.Wilson (GB) 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 > 1
17. J. Hanninen (FIN) -- -- -- -- -- -- 1 0 0 > 1
18. M. Ostberg (NOR) -- 0 -- -- 0 -- 0 -- 1 -- > 1

[Knowlesy]

Argh, of course, Ireland is tarmac. Bugger. But at least Marcus has run on that I suppose.

Sordo should be no threat, tarmac or not. He's shot his bolt for 2007.

[cg7aa]

Good to see Duval back , yes, his prowess on tarmac has never been in doubt and he was/is familiar with the car he drove but I think it is still commendable that after 8 or so months out of a WRC car, he still proved competitive and managed to keep it on the road. It seems he has finally realised that he needs to stay on the road too even if it means backing off. I'm glad for him.

Interesting to see that Chris set some fastest times, how is that possible in that understeering blue thing? They must have made some serious improvements for tarmac.

Which rallies are Suzuki planning on turning up for then? I've heard Toni and Francois may be in the running for the seats available. I would have thought Suzuki would want to reward at least one of their JWRC runners. I would love to see Galli in one of the cars though. Oh well, us Galli fans live in hope.

On a somewhat trivial note, I noticed in Finland that the Stobart cars had various girls names on the front bumper. I see the same thing was done in Germany. Can anyone shed any light on this?

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by cg7aa

On a somewhat trivial note, I noticed in Finland that the Stobart cars had various girls names on the front bumper. I see the same thing was done in Germany. Can anyone shed any light on this?

That's normal for Stobart trucks/vans etc so I guess it's just part of that convention extended to the rally cars.

[Knowlesy]

Sounds right to me.

[GolddustMini]

some of the stobart cars have the names on the front combined of the driver and codrivers wives names, IIRC henning solberg has "maud charlotte" on the front, matt wilson obviously has his mothers name on the front.......

[GolddustMini]

Originally Posted by cg7aa

Which rallies are Suzuki planning on turning up for then?

tour de corse i believe, and possibly GB has been mooted, although thats as long as they dont can the whole thing, which according to autosport is possible what with all these rule changes lined up within the next few years, suzuki quite rightly dont want to waste money developing a car that they will get one years running out of!

[cg7aa]

Gentlemen, thanks for explaining the names on the Stobart cars.

With regards to GolddustMini's post, wouldn't it be a real shame if the program was canned considering how far down the road it is. Who is running the program then? Anyway, the championship could do with more works cars, I've often wondered what it would be like if M-Sport/Stobart didn't field as many enteries as they do now! The WRC field would look pretty sparse indeed. I think there were 11 WRC Fords in Finland.

I don't understand why the sport's governing body feels the need to make rule changes every so often. Surely, it just creates uncertainty which doesn't help anyone but then again I've never really understood the FIA.

[GolddustMini]

i believe suzuki sport are running the suzuki WRC team, the same bunch that ran the JWRC team. IIRC they're based in france but there was talk of some other european country so im nto sure where they ended up! i think the bulk of the design and manufacturing takes place in japan though, which by my reconning must cause problems when design changes need to be implemented very quickly as they often do in motorsport