Toyota’s Tanak prevailed last season Sordo was Germany winner in 2013
RALLY NEWS
By Jack Benyon
Citroen is hopeful that an engine
upgrade and understanding its
asphalt performance better will
give Sebastien Ogier the chance to
fight for victory on Rally Germany.
After strong start to the 2019 season
where Ogier’s Citroen return yielded
victories in two of the first three rounds,
the partnership has not reached the top
step of the podium since Rally Mexico
back in March.
In that time, Toyota driver Ott Tanak
has taken three wins giving him the
series lead by 22 points over Ogier,
while Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville
has taken two wins despite trailing
Tanak and Ogier in the championship.
Ogier took second behind Neuville
on Rally Corsica in April, and Citroen’s
team boss Pierre Budar says work done
since then – including an extensive
four-day test – should allow Ogier to
take the challenge to his rivals.
“After our second place in Finland
[with Esapekka Lappi], the aim will
be to keep up the momentum here at
this rather unusual Tarmac event,”
said Budar of Germany.
“We’ll be looking to secure at least
another podium and also for Sebastien
to score as heavily as possible for
the championship.“Since the last Tarmac rally in
Corsica, we’ve understood a few
things on this surface and have worked
incredibly hard to correct the issues.
“I’m therefore hoping that we’ll be
back towards the top of the leaderboard
at this round, especially as it is a rally
that we know very well.
“We’ll also be introducing an engine
upgrade on the C3 WRC at this event.”
Ogier added: “My aim coming into this
round in Germany, a rally where I have
always performed very well, is to secure
a good result and shift the momentum
a little bit in the championship.”Tanak’s victory hunt
Tanak enters Rally Germany as the clear
favourite after a dominant Rally Finland
win. He won Rally Finland, Germany
and Turkey in a WRC hat-trick last year,
and his form has only improved in 2019.
But the Toyota driver says it will be
a “big challenge” to follow last year’s
Rally Germany win, which was “one
of the most difficult wins in my career”.
Toyota driver – who is expected to
renew his contract in the next month,
rejecting competition from Hyundai and
M-Sport – is chasing a third successive
win in Germany, a feat last achieved
by Sebastien Loeb in 2007-2009.
“Germany is obviously a rally that
I like a lot,” said Tanak. “MartinRALLYCROSSER SCOTT SPEED BREAKS BACK IN AMERICAN EVENT PAGE 29
Photos: mcklein-imagedatabase.comUpgrades should
push Citroen forwardOgier needs to get
back in the title huntFrench team boss Pierre Budar wants three-time winner and champion Sebastien Ogier to score big points
CITROEN TARGETS GERMANY
VICTORY WITH ENGINE UPGRADE
[Jarveoja, co-driver] and I have won
there two years in a row and our target
this year is definitely to make it three.
“It’s certainly not an easy rally. I think
last year was one of the most difficult
wins in my career, as the competition
was very strong and I had to push
really hard from the beginning.
“It’s a big challenge for a driver to
have so many different types of road
in one rally, and to try to be fast on all
of them and not make any mistakes.
“We know that the weather is often
a big factor as well, and it can be very
hard to predict.”
A Tanak win would be a big help to
Toyota’s manufacturer championship
bid. Both Tanak’s team-mates Jari-MattiLatvala and Kris Meeke made mistakes
while following Tanak in the top three
in Finland, and while Tanak won
comfortably and Latvala recovered
to third, Meeke’s retirement means the
squad is 24 points adrift of Hyundai
in the standings.Sordo back after win
Hyundai’s Dani Sordo makes a WRC
return in Germany where he won in
2013, in a bid to bolster the series
leaders’ points tally. There was talk
that Sebastien Loeb would contest
the event for the team, but Sordo got
the nod. The Spaniard won Rally
Sardinia in June but hasn’t rallied
in the WRC since.He said: “I have won here [Germany]
in the past and been on the podium many
times. Normally I am on the pace every
year, so I hope this year will be the same.”
Sordo lines up alongside Neuville and
Andreas Mikkelsen – who makes his
first asphalt outing since Monte Carlo
after being dropped for Corsica – in a
line-up that remains the same for Rally
Turkey next month.
Rally Germany has 19 stages totaling
just over 213 miles. Saturday provides
the biggest chunk of the mileage in
the Baumholder military zone, which
includes the infamous tank-stopping
hinkelstein concrete blocks that
have caught some of the WRC’s
best drivers out.12 AUGUST 21 2019 motorsport-news.co.uk Advertising enquiries: 0203 405 8110RALLY
GERMANY
PREVIEW
STANDINGS
World Rally Championship
After 9/14 rounds
P DRIVER CAR PTS
1 Ott Tanak Toyota Yaris WRC 180
2 Sebastien Ogier Citroen C3 WRC 158
3 Thierry Neuville Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 155
4 Elfyn Evans Ford Fiesta WRC 78
5 Andreas Mikkelsen Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 71
6 Teemu Suninen Ford Fiesta WRC 66Toyota’sTanakprevailedlastseason SordowasGermanywinnerin 2013
RALLY NEWS
ByJackBenyon
Citroenis hopefulthatanengine
upgradeandunderstandingits
asphaltperformancebetterwill
giveSebastienOgierthechanceto
fightforvictoryonRallyGermany.
Afterstrongstarttothe 2019 season
whereOgier’sCitroenreturnyielded
victoriesintwoofthefirstthreerounds,
thepartnershiphasnotreachedthetop
stepofthepodiumsinceRallyMexico
backinMarch.
Inthattime,ToyotadriverOttTanak
hastakenthreewinsgivinghimthe
seriesleadby 22 pointsoverOgier,
whileHyundai’sThierryNeuville
hastakentwowinsdespitetrailing
TanakandOgierinthechampionship.
OgiertooksecondbehindNeuville
onRallyCorsicainApril,andCitroen’s
teambossPierreBudarsaysworkdone
sincethen– includinganextensive
four-daytest– shouldallowOgierto
takethechallengetohisrivals.
“AfteroursecondplaceinFinland
[withEsapekkaLappi],theaimwill
betokeepupthemomentumhereat
thisratherunusualTarmacevent,”
saidBudarofGermany.
“We’llbelookingtosecureatleast
anotherpodiumandalsoforSebastien
toscoreasheavilyaspossiblefor
thechampionship.
“SincethelastTarmacrallyin
Corsica,we’veunderstooda few
thingsonthissurfaceandhaveworked
incrediblyhardtocorrecttheissues.
“I’mthereforehopingthatwe’llbe
backtowardsthetopoftheleaderboard
atthisround,especiallyasit is a rally
thatweknowverywell.
“We’llalsobeintroducinganengine
upgradeontheC3WRCatthisevent.”
Ogieradded:“Myaimcomingintothis
roundinGermany,a rallywhereI have
alwaysperformedverywell,is tosecure
a goodresultandshiftthemomentum
a littlebitinthechampionship.”Tanak’svictoryhunt
TanakentersRallyGermanyastheclear
favouriteaftera dominantRallyFinland
win.HewonRallyFinland,Germany
andTurkeyina WRChat-tricklastyear,
andhisformhasonlyimprovedin2019.
ButtheToyotadriversaysit willbe
a “bigchallenge”tofollowlastyear’s
RallyGermanywin,whichwas“one
ofthemostdifficultwinsinmycareer”.
Toyotadriver– whois expectedto
renewhiscontractinthenextmonth,
rejectingcompetitionfromHyundaiand
M-Sport– is chasinga thirdsuccessive
wininGermany,a featlastachieved
bySebastienLoebin2007-2009.
“Germanyis obviouslya rallythat
I likea lot,”saidTanak.“MartinRALLYCROSSER SCOTT SPEED BREAKS BACK IN AMERICAN EVENT PAGE 29
Photos:mcklein-imagedatabase.comUpgradesshould
pushCitroenforwardOgier needs to get
back in the title huntFrench team boss Pierre Budar wants three-time winner and champion Sebastien Ogier to score big points
CITROEN TARGETS GERMANY
VICTORY WITH ENGINE UPGRADE
[Jarveoja, co-driver] and I have won
there two years in a row and our target
this year is definitely to make it three.
“It’s certainly not an easy rally. I think
last year was one of the most difficult
wins in my career, as the competition
was very strong and I had to push
really hard from the beginning.
“It’s a big challenge for a driver to
have so many different types of road
in one rally, and to try to be fast on all
of them and not make any mistakes.
“We know that the weather is often
a big factor as well, and it can be very
hard to predict.”
A Tanak win would be a big help to
Toyota’s manufacturer championship
bid. Both Tanak’s team-mates Jari-MattiLatvala and Kris Meeke made mistakes
while following Tanak in the top three
in Finland, and while Tanak won
comfortably and Latvala recovered
to third, Meeke’s retirement means the
squad is 24 points adrift of Hyundai
in the standings.Sordo back after win
Hyundai’s Dani Sordo makes a WRC
return in Germany where he won in
2013, in a bid to bolster the series
leaders’ points tally. There was talk
that Sebastien Loeb would contest
the event for the team, but Sordo got
the nod. The Spaniard won Rally
Sardinia in June but hasn’t rallied
in the WRC since.He said: “I have won here [Germany]
in the past and been on the podium many
times. Normally I am on the pace every
year, so I hope this year will be the same.”
Sordo lines up alongside Neuville and
Andreas Mikkelsen – who makes his
first asphalt outing since Monte Carlo
after being dropped for Corsica – in a
line-up that remains the same for Rally
Turkey next month.
Rally Germany has 19 stages totaling
just over 213 miles. Saturday provides
the biggest chunk of the mileage in
the Baumholder military zone, which
includes the infamous tank-stopping
hinkelstein concrete blocks that
have caught some of the WRC’s
best drivers out.12 AUGUST 21 2019 motorsport-news.co.uk Advertising enquiries: 0203 405 8110
RALLY
GERMANY
PREVIEW
STANDINGS
World Rally Championship
After 9/14 rounds
PDRIVER CAR PTS
1 Ott Tanak Toyota Yaris WRC 180
2 Sebastien Ogier Citroen C3 WRC 158
3 Thierry Neuville Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 155
4 Elfyn Evans Ford Fiesta WRC 78
5 Andreas MikkelsenHyundai i20 Coupe WRC 71
6 Teemu Suninen Ford Fiesta WRC 66