2008 Rallye Deutschland - official thread

Rally web site: http://www.rallye-deutschland.de/v2/index_e.php

Based: Trier

Surface: Asphalt

Stages: 19

2007 winner: Sebastien Loeb / Citroen C4 WRC



Itinerary

Thursday, 14. August

08.00 hrs Shakedown
20.00 hrs Ceremonial Start in Trier

Friday, 15. August

08.30 hrs Start in Trier
09.13 hrs SS 1 Ruwertal / Fell 1 (21.22 km)
10.26 hrs SS 2 Grafschaft Veldenz 1 (23.04 km)
11.19 hrs SS 3 Moselland 1 (9.82 km)
12.34 hrs Regrouping / Service in Trier
14.52 hrs SS 4 Ruwertal / Fell 2 (21.22 km)
16.05 hrs SS 5 Grafschaft Veldenz 2 (23.04 km)
16.58 hrs SS 6 Moselland 2 (9.82 km)
18.13 hrs Service in Trier
19.08 hrs Parc fermé in Trier

Saturday, 16. August

06.15 hrs Restart / Service in Trier
08.18 hrs SS 7 Bosenberg 1 (19.12 km)
08.51 hrs SS 8 Freisen/Westrich 1 (16.16 km)
09.26 hrs SS 9 Birkenfelder Land 1 (14.22 km)
09.58 hrs Remote Service Birkenfeld
10.44 hrs SS 10 Arena Panzerplatte 1 (30.38 km)
12.19 hrs Regrouping/Service in Trier
14.57 hrs SS 11 Bosenberg 2 (19.12 km)
15.30 hrs SS 12 Freisen/Westrich 2 (16.16 km)
16.05 hrs SS 13 Birkenfelder Land 2 (14.22 km)
16.37 hrs Remote Service Birkenfeld
17.23 hrs SS 14 Arena Panzerplatte 2 (30.38 km)
18.58 hrs Service in Trier
19.43 hrs Einfahrt Parc fermé in Trier

Sunday, 17. August

06.15 hrs Restart/Service in Trier
07.28 hrs SS 15 Dhrontal 1 (22.22 km)
08.03 hrs SS 16 Moselwein 1 (18.08 km)
09.08 hrs Regrouping/Service in Trier
10.41 hrs SS 17 Dhrontal 2 (22.22 km)
11.16 hrs SS 18 Moselwein 2 (18.08 km)
13.08 hrs SS 19 Circus Maximus Trier (4.37 km)
13.31 hrs Service Messepark Trier
16:15 hrs Ceremonial Finish Porta Nigra Trier

Here is Duval's livery:

http://www.ewrc.cz/images/2008/nemecko/duval1.jpg
http://www.ewrc.cz/images/2008/nemecko/duval2.jpg
http://www.ewrc.cz/images/2008/nemecko/duval3.jpg

Great looking car! :up:

Indeed!

7th Heaven for Loeb this weekend I feel. But hopefully Duval's car will run as good as it looks. Anyone got any idea what the weather forecast will be? Rain would shake things up a bit but that would probably just play into Loebs hands even more.

Germany is always one of my favourite rallies of the year and hopefully this year will be no exception.

weather is going to be lottery.. as far as I can see from my weather model.. (I am hobby meteorologist). There is a chance of rain showers every day and it is unusually cold at least on Friday (16-17 degrees). The best weather looks to be on Thursday and maybe on Saturday as well.

What a strange and boring rally! It's wednesday already, but still no photos of the new Focus are available. Seems like all service-park and journalists are dead. Even in this thread is there just 6 posts. Argh...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by White Sauron

What a strange and boring rally! It's wednesday already, but still no photos of the new Focus are available. Seems like all service-park and journalists are dead. Even in this thread is there just 6 posts. Argh...

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Well maybe the journalists dont bother do go there, they all think Loeb will win so they use last years headlines :D

LOL Koppo...

I'm also looking forward to the new nose of the Focus, but I heard they would just use decals to make the lights bigger because they had to do to much aero development!?! Don't know if it's true, but we'll see. :)

I will leave for Germany in a few hours, so I hope the rally won't be boring White Sauron. ;)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by HaCo

I will leave for Germany in a few hours, so I hope the rally won't be boring White Sauron. ;)

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Hopefully it reall won't. Have a good time there!!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Koppomsbo

Well maybe the journalists dont bother do go there, they all think Loeb will win so they use last years headlines :D

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That's probably closer to the truth than we realise.

Anyway, Germany doesn't really change much does it? First day in the Mosel vineyards, second day in Baumholder - where is the variety?

Itinerary in BST for people lazy like me to work out the times! :)

Itinerary

Thursday, 14. August

08.00 (07.00 BST) hrs Shakedown
20.00 (19.00 BST) hrs Ceremonial Start in Trier

Friday, 15. August

08.30 hrs (07.30 BST)Start in Trier
09.13 hrs (08.13 BST)SS 1 Ruwertal / Fell 1 (21.22 km)
10.26 hrs (09.26 BST)SS 2 Grafschaft Veldenz 1 (23.04 km)
11.19 hrs (10.19 BST)SS 3 Moselland 1 (9.82 km)
12.34 hrs (11.34 BST)Regrouping / Service in Trier
14.52 hrs (13.52 BST)SS 4 Ruwertal / Fell 2 (21.22 km)
16.05 hrs (15.05 BST)SS 5 Grafschaft Veldenz 2 (23.04 km)
16.58 hrs (15.58 BST)SS 6 Moselland 2 (9.82 km)
18.13 hrs (17.13 BST)Service in Trier
19.08 hrs (18.08 BST)Parc fermé in Trier

Saturday, 16. August

06.15 hrs (05.15 BST)Restart / Service in Trier
08.18 hrs (07.18 BST)SS 7 Bosenberg 1 (19.12 km)
08.51 hrs (07.51 BST)SS 8 Freisen/Westrich 1 (16.16 km)
09.26 hrs (08.26 BST)SS 9 Birkenfelder Land 1 (14.22 km)
09.58 hrs (08.58 BST)Remote Service Birkenfeld
10.44 hrs (09.44 BST)SS 10 Arena Panzerplatte 1 (30.38 km)
12.19 hrs (11.19 BST)Regrouping/Service in Trier
14.57 hrs (13.57 BST)SS 11 Bosenberg 2 (19.12 km)
15.30 hrs (14.30 BST)SS 12 Freisen/Westrich 2 (16.16 km)
16.05 hrs (15.05 BST)SS 13 Birkenfelder Land 2 (14.22 km)
16.37 hrs (15.37 BST)Remote Service Birkenfeld
17.23 hrs (16.23 BST)SS 14 Arena Panzerplatte 2 (30.38 km)
18.58 hrs (17.58 BST)Service in Trier
19.43 hrs (18.43 BST)Einfahrt Parc fermé in Trier

Sunday, 17. August

06.15 hrs (05.15 BST)Restart/Service in Trier
07.28 hrs (06.28 BST)SS 15 Dhrontal 1 (22.22 km)
08.03 hrs (07.03 BST)SS 16 Moselwein 1 (18.08 km)
09.08 hrs (08.08 BST)Regrouping/Service in Trier
10.41 hrs (09.41 BST)SS 17 Dhrontal 2 (22.22 km)
11.16 hrs (10.16 BST)SS 18 Moselwein 2 (18.08 km)
13.08 hrs (12.08 BST)SS 19 Circus Maximus Trier (4.37 km)
13.31 hrs (12.31 BST)Service Messepark Trier
16:15 hrs (15.15 BST)Ceremonial Finish Porta Nigra Trier


World Rally Radio time
Friday: 9am (08.00 BST)
Saturday: 8am (07.00 BST)
Sunday: 7.15am (06.15 BST)


Stage Times
http://www.vysledky-rally.cz/vysledky/
http://www.wrc.com/jsp/index.jsp?lnk...008&rally_id=D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by White Sauron

What a strange and boring rally! It's wednesday already, but still no photos of the new Focus are available. Seems like all service-park and journalists are dead. Even in this thread is there just 6 posts. Argh...

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Some free wine was being handed out with the media passes - perhaps this is being sampled before the event ;)

Some pics of the servicepark yesterday, but no new Focus ;)

http://www.rallyebild.de/2008Rallye/...008Service.htm

Lets just say my pickems are based on the speculation that the Subaru is much better in tarmac spec!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MartijnS

Some pics of the servicepark yesterday, but no new Focus ;)

http://www.rallyebild.de/2008Rallye/...008Service.htm

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Nice pictures, thanks.

Program, Google Earth Map .. Here : http://planetemarcus.free.fr/deutschland08.htm

well.. I am the first one during this rally:-) so, here is the question: any news about shakedown times?

I was looking my weather models and it looks that there is high possibility of rain overnight and little bit lower possibility in the morning and almost no possibility in the afternoon :-) So, we are going to see damp or wet roads in the morning and dry roads in the afternoon. Saturday seems to fine and almost no possibility of rain. Sunday is still quite unsure.. at the moment it looks like that rain just misses the Saarland region but this forecast will be more clear by tomorrow!
Temperature forecast is little bit better than it was a few days ago. But Friday it will be nearly 20 degrees, Friday night it will be as cold as 9-10 degrees only. and on saturday it will be 17-19 degrees highest. On Sunday it will be near to the 20 again.

So, it looks like this year we are going to see dry and cold Baumholder stages:-)

Any news from Shakedown??

I think Mikkelsen will be fast on this rally as its forst time with a 07 Focus :) !

Duval will be fastest Focus... :) !

Quote:

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Originally Posted by stmoto

Duval will be fastest Focus... :) !

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He wasn't in Monte, he won't there neither. The only reason he was so fast last year is that he was driving the car he'd got used to. But this time will be only his 2nd outing in the Focus. The highest placed Ford will depend on how Mikko will feel on tarmac.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by White Sauron

He wasn't in Monte, he won't there neither. The only reason he was so fast last year is that he was driving the car he'd got used to. But this time will be only his 2nd outing in the Focus. The highest placed Ford will depend on how Mikko will feel on tarmac.

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He had only very little testing before Monte. And it was almost completely on snow. This time he had more testing and really on tarmac :-) And Duval has never done very well in Monte. The only problem might be the low starting position for the first day. In the other way. if it rains overnight and rain stops in the morning, then Duval has 22 minutes dryer asphalt than Loeb :-)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by White Sauron

He wasn't in Monte, he won't there neither. The only reason he was so fast last year is that he was driving the car he'd got used to. But this time will be only his 2nd outing in the Focus. The highest placed Ford will depend on how Mikko will feel on tarmac.

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To be honest I can't see how Duval can help Ford, except maybe pushing Loeb to make mistake and then backing up. If that doesn't happen, then I can't see Duval in front of Mikko or JML, just doesn't make sense.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bluuford

He had only very little testing before Monte. And it was almost completely on snow. This time he had more testing and really on tarmac :-) And Duval has never done very well in Monte. The only problem might be the low starting position for the first day. In the other way. if it rains overnight and rain stops in the morning, then Duval has 22 minutes dryer asphalt than Loeb :-)

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I think that Monte 2008 was almost completely on dry tarmac, only very little snow there.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ttiirika

I think that Monte 2008 was almost completely on dry tarmac, only very little snow there.

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I mean his testing was completely on snow and rally itself was on tarmac. Sorry my mistake. I wrote too shortly. I should have mentioned that rally was almost on dry tarmac.

How Duval can help Ford? If he wins, then Loeb wont get 10 points, then maximum number of points for Citroen is 8+6 is 14 and lets say fords are 4th and 5th then they get 9 points.
If loeb wins and Sordo is second and fords are 3rd and 4th then Ford gets 11 points and Citroen 18 points So, manufacturer difference will be in first case 14-9=5 point in second case 18-11=7 points. So, Ford can win 2 points on that way.
If Duval happens to be behind Hirvonen and Sordo happens to be behind Duval then there will be benefit again :-)

Ford have Duval because he is the ONLY person that can challenge Loeb, but even then Duval would have to be having a very good day. He isn't all that familiar with the car, but at least he has the ability.

Obviously this all overlooks Sordo, who is arguably in the worst position as Loeb's team-mate. He will not be allowed to win the rally if Seb is behind him and Quesnel has confirmed this to the media.

Unfortunately if order is Sordo, Loeb, Duval, Mikko going into the final loop, you can be fairly sure there will be some mandatory switching of positions.

The main question for me on this event is whether Loeb has a mistake in him in Germany?

Result of shakedown?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Simmi

Ford have Duval because he is the ONLY person that can challenge Loeb, but even then Duval would have to be having a very good day. He isn't all that familiar with the car, but at least he has the ability.

Obviously this all overlooks Sordo, who is arguably in the worst position as Loeb's team-mate. He will not be allowed to win the rally if Seb is behind him and Quesnel has confirmed this to the media.

Unfortunately if order is Sordo, Loeb, Duval, Mikko going into the final loop, you can be fairly sure there will be some mandatory switching of positions.

The main question for me on this event is whether Loeb has a mistake in him in Germany?

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Loeb has made one huge mistake in Germany when he spun off the road in a very fast speed. I don't remember the year. He was very lucky not to hit something. you can see the video.. it is about on 50th second: http://www.wrc.com/jsp/index.jsp?lnk...many%20Preview

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bluuford

He had only very little testing before Monte. And it was almost completely on snow. This time he had more testing and really on tarmac :-) And Duval has never done very well in Monte. The only problem might be the low starting position for the first day. In the other way. if it rains overnight and rain stops in the morning, then Duval has 22 minutes dryer asphalt than Loeb :-)

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In Monte the first two days were stages he had never driven and with a not very good co-driver, it wasn't Pivato.
Here he has Pivato as his co-driver.

And for the first stage of the rally, the driver that open the roads and check the notes of the driver for Duval had a problem with the car and could not drive the stage and thus could not say how the roads were for Duval.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bluuford

Loeb has made one huge mistake in Germany when he spun off the road in a very fast speed. I don't remember the year. He was very lucky not to hit something. you can see the video.. it is about on 50th second: http://www.wrc.com/jsp/index.jsp?lnk...many%20Preview

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Yeah I think if I remember rightly it was maybe the year of his first win in 2002. But even then he got a nice slice of the luck he would become famous for. He is yet to make an error with real consequences.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Simmi

He is yet to make an error with real consequences.

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In Germany you mean? Because he has made errors even this year with consequences, like Sweden.

Result of shakedown?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by DonJippo

In Germany you mean? Because he has made errors even this year with consequences, like Sweden.

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Yeah sorry I meant Germany DJ. This season and definately last season Loeb has shown he has a mistake in him. That has to give his rivals hope even when they go to a Loeb stronghold like Germany.

1 D. Sordo 3:31.1
2 F. Duval +4.4
3 S. Loeb +5.5
4 M.Hirvonen + 5.7
5. H. Solberg + 6.1
6 G. Galli +7.1
7 P. Solberg + 7.7
8 J-M Latvala +8.8
9 C.Atkinson +10.0

I got some early results from servicepark.org by mail for half an hour ago. I guess these are early times:

1 D. Sordo 3:31.1

2 F. Duval +4.4

3 S. Loeb +5.5

4 M.Hirvonen + 5.7

5. H. Solberg + 6.1

6 G. Galli +7.1

7 P. Solberg + 7.7

8 J-M Latvala +8.8

9 C.Atkinson +10.0

Looks like the 08 evolution of the Focus does indeed have the new shape grill/lights etc.

Where the pics about new focus ?

The Fabia S2000 as zero car in Germany?

http://href.hu/x/6nd8

Quote:

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Originally Posted by teufel

The Fabia S2000 as zero car in Germany?

http://href.hu/x/6nd8

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No, on Barum Rally - http://www.barum.rally.cz/2008/press...7&sec=4&lng=en

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jbmarcus21

Where the pics about new focus ?

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Teeny tiny picture on the official site of Al Qassimi. Thats the only one I've found as yet.

http://www.rallye-deutschland.de/gal...st=317&id=3628

http://rallybuzz.stagetimes.com/ford...any-shakedown/