ADAC Rallye Deutschland 2013

[Carlo]

90% of the marshals are there with their own cars. And there was a lot of cars.

After ~5 cars passed the place without getting really slower, the CO of Aksa got the triangle out of the crashed car and gave it to one marshal.

The Co-driver or Driver should have placed their triangle out to give warning to the following competitors as soon as they got out of their car as it a regulatory requirement of rallying

[dimviii]

its not clear yet how faster is a rrc vs a s2000 car,dont to mention a r5 car.We have seen very different results among them(Basso,Kopecky,Loix etc)
Paddon had a very good result considering his car-testing-experience at asphalt,and Kubica had a perfect rally at a rally with difficult conditions that asphalt wasnt like in Spain smooth.Imho at Spain he will be much faster from his competitiors.

[bt52b]

These spectators were very lucky!

Slight understatement

[thuGG]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23C4RxniQz4

[eestlane]

Is it really so? I think it is possible to compete against RRC with S2000 car. Have you taken a look at the results in this year's European Championship? Have a look:
Standings - ERC European Rally Championship - Eurosport

Kopecky, Bouffier and Breen are constantly faster than Kubica and his RRC.

Kubica and Evans both did a fantastic job. But you need to get some perspective.
Paddon's times were fine and at times showed that he could have had the winning pace despite his car's huge disadvantage.The turbo charged cars of Kubica & Evans are at a significant performance advantage which should not be forgotten.
Also you need to consider the strategy when he found himself 2 minutes down on those in front and 2 minutes up on those behind. Do you push hard in a hopeless attempt to make up the time, risking both car and position, on a surface you're not familiar with and don't like, or do you settle into a comfortable pace and bag the points? Paddon is mature and professional enough to make the sensible decision. There's another rally next month.

The sad thing about WRC2 is the variety of car and the variance of performance that is now included making it very confusing for spectators and no doubt frustrating for competitors.
But once again, good performances here by the RRC & R5 cars suggest what a dynamic championship we'd have if R5 was the WRC formula.

I agree. Paddon is not a mega-super-fast driver. He is fast, yes but Kubica is just faster on tarmac. If we go to Portugal with the same crews that were competing here in Germany then Kubica would not finish first. Paddon needs some experience before he goes into a WRC car. A year or two in Skoda factory team in ERC. And i dont think Paddon had a HUGE disadvantage with his car. Yes, the S2000 is slower but its not dramatic.

[Mirek]

Is it really so? I think it is possible to compete against RRC with S2000 car. Have you taken a look at the results in this year's European Championship? Have a look:
Standings - ERC European Rally Championship - Eurosport

Kopecky, Bouffier and Breen are constantly faster than Kubica and his RRC.

Again the results don't tell the whole story. Robert was faster than Jan and Craig most of the time but it was technical problems or his mistakes what put him behind them. When I spoke with Pavel Dresler he told me he is sure the DS3 RRC is faster car, especially in slippery conditions where traction is needed.

[sollitt]

I agree. Paddon is not a mega-super-fast driver. He is fast, yes but Kubica is just faster on tarmac. If we go to Portugal with the same crews that were competing here in Germany then Kubica would not finish first. Paddon needs some experience before he goes into a WRC car. A year or two in Skoda factory team in ERC. And i dont think Paddon had a HUGE disadvantage with his car. Yes, the S2000 is slower but its not dramatic.

Funnily enough when the competition proper started on day 2 Paddon aced the first 3 stages. So I'm not sure where you draw your conclusions from. Sadly at lunch on Friday the writing was already on the wall and it became a different ball game.
Yes, an S2000 car can compete with the turbo versions in the right hands. Paddon showed that. But that does not alter the fact that the turbo cars enjoy a significant advantage.

[Leon]

Good morning to all. could not follow the rally but just finish reading this thread. thanks for all the info. reading it is better than any report...
Some general thoughts about the drivers:
Happy for the once called wonderboy Sordo after gaining his first WRC win.
However I cannot explain why I remember the pictures of Puras sole WRC win in Corsica when I see him.
Hope this win is not his last as well as his last year as a WRC driver.

On the other hand congratulations to Neuville. I watch him live a couple of times, I enjoyed his style (in IRC Cyprus 2011 it was McRae style, crazy, spectacular drive) and I had big expectations of him but what he did at Citroen last year and at the beginning of this year with Ford, made me think that he will end up as Thiry – Duval – Loix……So I’m glad about his resurgence and I hope he becomes an Ogier thread. The WRC needs that. I quess his biggest “problem” is where to go next year.

About unguided missile Novikov only one comment…bring Giraudet back…

So Ogier can go off without pressure from Loeb… good for the WRC if this becomes a habit
Latvala. Fed up with him…. If only Paasonen/Mokkonen had the opportunities he is getting… (ok this is too personal )
Hirvonen. Again a good 2nd , point scorer driver waiting for others mistakes….
Ostberg: bring on 2014 asap
Kubica: really wondering what he can do on asphalt with a WRC
Evans: better than his father?
And some final thoughts/questions. Is Ford an easier car to drive than the DS3 or is it just the environment in the two teams that affects the psychology and thus the performance of the drivers?
What is the thing/things that Latvala - Novikov still missing to be more consistent and have more results – less crashes? Is it just psychology, concentration ability?
At the beginning of their WRC careers Ogier as well as Neuville were fast but erratic. What was the change that made them “turn the corner” with their performance? Different notes? Psychology?

[zajic]

So can somebody who saw Kubica's right hand say what are the possibilities for him to be back in F1 car...

I met Robert some years ago in Czech Republic, so on this years Tour de Corse I just wanted to say him hello. We spent several minutes talking and he had his right hand in his pocket all the time. At the end I asked him to sign me some photos I had and he also shook my hand. I don´t think this hand will drive F1 again. He almost doesn´t move with his wrist, it was in some fixed position all the time. But I don´t know if it could be better with time or if it is a final state of his rehabilitation.

[Jafry]

More photos HERE