2008 Rallye Deutschland - official thread

[bluuford]

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.

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 :-)

[jparker]

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.

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.

[ttiirika]

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 :-)

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

[bluuford]

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

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 :-)

[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?

[maevad]

Result of shakedown?

[bluuford]

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?

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

[spudrsca]

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 :-)

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.

[Simmi]

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

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.

[DonJippo]

He is yet to make an error with real consequences.

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