WRC: Rally Germany

Steve · Aug 17, 2011

MINI chief expects more pace in Germany (wrc.com)

MINI WRC Team head David Richards has called on his factory drivers Kris Meeke and Dani Sordo to up their pace on ADAC Rallye Deutschland this week.

Briton Meeke and Spaniard Sordo were under strict orders to accumulate vital running in their John Cooper Works WRCs in Italy and Finland earlier this season. However, for the teamâ€™s third start at world level, Richards wants his drivers to run closer to the front, despite conceding recently that a lack of engine development will rule out a bid for victory on the Tarmac event.

â€œWe have high expectations going into Rally Germany,â€ said Richards. â€œThe MINI has shown a great deal of promise in recent Tarmac tests in Germany and Italy and both drivers have told me how much confidence they have in the set-up. Dani, in particular, very much likes this rally and I know that he and Kris have traded times on these stages in the past. Unlike Finland, where our number one priority was to get valuable competitive mileage on the car, in Germany we will be looking for both drivers to begin to demonstrate the true performance of the MINI.â€

Meeke, who claimed victory in the Junior world championship section of Rallye Deutschland back in 2006, said: â€œThe engine is one of the areas weâ€™re working on as part of the ongoing development. We could be exposed in Germany because of all the junctions - there are 80 on the Arena Panzerplatte stage alone - but at the same time we have to remember this is only our third rally and our first on Tarmac.â€

While Meeke has excelled in Germany in the past, Sordo is perhaps better equipped to take the fight to MINIâ€™s rivals on the Trier-based event. Heâ€™s regarded as an asphalt specialist and has been second on three previous occasions in Germany during his stint with Citroen.

â€œThis is a rally I am really looking forward to,â€ he said. â€œI like the stages in all three areas - the vineyards, the military training ground and the normal roads. It has lots of hairpins, which are very different to the tight corners we get in Spain. I particularly enjoy driving in the vineyards as these roads are narrow and ast.â€
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Steve · Aug 18, 2011

More MINI Than Ever Before. (minimotorsport.com)

18 August 2011

Beside MINI WRC Team drivers Kris Meeke and Dani Sordo, a further four MINI John Cooper Works WRC drivers will take the start of Rallye Deutschland â€“ more than ever before in the history of the WRC.

MINI rally fans are in for a treat this weekend when Trier hosts the WRC for its ninth stop of the 2011 season. Never before has the MINI brand been represented by more entries in a WRC round than in this yearâ€™s Rallye Deutschland.

The MINI WRC Team has been busy preparing for the rally alongside the Mosel since Monday, and fully intends taking the MINI John Cooper Works WRC to the limit in its third event of the year, and the first asphalt rally of the season. "The MINI has shown a great deal of promise in recent tarmac tests in Germany and Italy. We have high expectations going into Rally Germany", says team principal David Richards.

Dani and co-driver Carlos del Barrio as well as Kris and his Co Paul Nagle acquainted themselves with the virtually unchanged route - and their asphalt-specification cars - during the "Recce", and approach the start in a confident frame of mind. "I am confident we can do well here," says the keyed-up Dani.

The other four MINI WRC drivers are also sure to attract the attention of experts and fans alike â€“ particularly Pierre Campana, driving for the French Drive-Pro-Team. The 26-year-old only switched to a MINI WRC a few weeks ago, yet already feels comfortable with his new car after testing ahead of his Rallye Deutschland start. This was proven last weekend with his win on the Richard Burns Memorial Rally.

"The Richard Burns Memorial Rally has been a remarkable event," says Campana, this year the nominated Number 1 driver for Rally Team France, the team supported by the FFSA, Franceâ€™s motorsport federation, and thus poised to follow in the footsteps of SÃ©bastien Loeb und SÃ©bastien Ogier. "Rallye Germany is a very important step in my career, but I have to set realistic expectations which are really to get through every stage cleanly," adds Campana, who will also take the start of Rallye France.

Also confident are Daniel Oliveira of the Brazil World Rally Team and Armindo Araujo from Motorsport Italia. Araujo intends building on his strong performance on the challenging Rally Finland, where the Portuguese placed a promising 20th . He and Oliveira, who ended 49th in Finland and will appear in Germany with just 200 asphalt test kilometres under his belt, have had experience with the MINI WRC since the beginning of the season.

Taking the wheel of the sixth MINI WRC in Germany will be Patrik Flodin. The Swede, who is an ace on snow and gravel, primarily plans to amass asphalt experience in Germany. "I want to show people that I want to learn to be a tarmac driver," says Flodin, who is taking a break from the Production Car World Rally Championship (PWRC) to compete in Germany. However, this will be the last WRC event of the season for Flodin, who plans to contest two further PWRC rounds.

However, fans are sure to notice the absence of two further MINI WRC entries in Germany. Matti Rantanen, who celebrated his MINI WRC debut in Finland, has withdrawn after the Finn slid off the road and rolled out of the second special stage, having put in a promising performance on the opening test.

Also non-starting is Mattias Therman, who placed 62nd in Finland with his MINI WRC. However, MINI fans can still look forward to strong representation in a quality field by their favourite brand. The best views of all MINI WRC cars and their crews can be had at tonightâ€™s ceremonial start at the Porta Nigra in the heart of Trier at 8 PM CET
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Justa Jim · Aug 18, 2011

This is looking good IMHO.

Jim

Steve · Aug 18, 2011

Shakedown: Dani and Kris in the Top Ten. (minimotorsport.com)

The MINI WRC Team had a solid start into Rally Germany: Kris Meeke finished eighth after Thursday's shakedown, Dani Sordo was tenth. Both are looking forward to the first special stages on Friday morning.

After the first shakedown run Kris had already settled into a promising fourth place. On his third run however he punctured both of his left-hand side tyres and was only carrying one spare wheel.

Inspite of this Kris was very pleased with the setup of his MINI John Cooper Works WRC. "I am comfortable with the car," Kris said. "But it wakes you up a bit when that happens. You have to remember itâ€™s a performance tyre and not completely puncture proof."

Meanwhile Dani finished tenth after the shakedown. "We tried a few things with the springs, it was not bad," Dani said upon his return to the service park. "But there is still more we need to improve."

So the MINI WRC Team is looking forward to the first three special stages on Friday morning. Three more are due in the afternoon. The first car will start onto the 24.18 kilometre "Ruwertal/Fall 1" special stage at 10.13 AM CET.
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Justa Jim · Aug 18, 2011

Great work Steve. Please keep them coming. See ya tomorrow.

Jim

Steve · Aug 19, 2011

An update from MINI Motorsport at the mid-day point. Good so far.

Tricky Weather, Strong Pace.

Special Stage 3: Weather conditions remain changeable: SS3, called Moselland 1, is held in the dry again. Dani and his co-driver Carlo del Barrio keep their good pace and finish the stage after 12:21.8 minutes in fourth. Kris and his co-driver Paul Nagle follow in sixth, with a gap of 5.2 seconds to their team-mates. In the overall standings Dani ranks fourth, with Kris running in fifth. Now the cars head back to the Service Park. At 15:07 local time itâ€™s time for the second running of the first stage Ruwertal/Fell.

Special Stage 2: The weather might play a crucial role over the course of the Rally Germany weekend. The second stage gives a taster of this weather gamble: rain showers in the area of the 22.47-kilometre SS2 demand maximum focus from the drivers. On the hard tyre compound, Dani copes well with the tricky conditions and puts in the fifth-fastest time in the no. 37 MINI. Kris brings car number 52 home in sixth. After two special stages, the MINI WRC Team drivers are fifth and sixth in the overall standings.

Special Stage 1: The ADAC Rallye Deutschland is on. Dani and Carlos are the tenth pairing to tackle the first 24.18-kilometre special stage called Ruwertal/Fell 1. They donâ€™t experience any problems and cross the line after 14:05.0 minutes, earning them sixth on the time sheets. â€œThis wasnâ€™t bad for the first stage,â€ Dani comments afterwards.Kris and Paul are due ten minutes after their team-mates. Like Dani and Carlos they instantly find a good rhythm in their no. 52 MINI John Cooper Works WRC,coming in just 2.3 seconds slower than their fellow MINI WRC Team drivers. P6 and P7 after SS1 â€“ a promising start.
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Steve · Aug 19, 2011

MINI squad encouraged by strong start (wrc.com)

Prodrive's technical chief David Lapworth says the MINI WRC Team's impressive start to ADAC Rallye Deutschland is just what he expected.

After three special stages Dani Sordo is fourth overall with team-mate Kris Meeke less than 15 seconds behind in fifth.

â€œWeâ€™re quite happy at the moment,â€ said Lapworth. â€œWeâ€™re not losing anywhere in particular - itâ€™s where we hoped to be at this stage and we hope thereâ€™s more to come. We still have a lot to learn but the feedback from the drivers has been very positive and there have been no surprises.â€

Sordo, who has finished second in Germany on three occasions, said: â€œWe are in the top four and maybe we can improve on that. Maybe my experience here and because I prefer Tarmac is important but we had some nice times on the gravel in Finland. This is the first time on Tarmac and we are even closer.â€

Meeke added: â€œWeâ€™re happy with the way the car is working but for sure Citroen has made the right calls on the tyres. But we canâ€™t complain. We're not far behind Dani and you have to remember heâ€™s been second here three times in the past.â€

Rallye Deutschland is the Prodrive-run MINI teamâ€™s third appearance in the world championship this season following outings in Italy and Finland. In addition to the two factory machines, there are four semi-works MINIs in action in Germany this week. After three stages Armindo Araujo is 11th, French newcomer Pierre Campana is 23rd, while Daniel Oliveira is 29th. However, Patrik Flodin retired his John Cooper Works WRC on stage two.
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Justa Jim · Aug 19, 2011

Jim

Steve · Aug 19, 2011

Convincing Start in Germany. (minimotorsport.com)

The MINI WRC proves to be in good shape at its home event: After six stages Dani Sordo holds fourth overall, while Kris Meeke ranks fifth. Day one in our stage ticker â€¦

Special Stage 6: The MINI WRC Team drivers conclude day one of Rally Germany in style and consolidate their excellent positions in the overall standings. Dani finishes Moselland 2 in fifth, holding fourth overall â€“ 21.9 seconds behind third-placed Mikko Hirvonen â€“ after 6 out of 19 special stages. Kris clocks exactly the same time as his team-mate on SS6 and ranks fifth overall. On Saturday eight stages await the WRC aces, with the first car going out at 8:18hrs local time. One thing is certain: After Fridayâ€™s results and the promising performance level shown, the MINI WRC Team can head into Saturdayâ€™s action full of confidence. The MINI John Cooper Works WRC is in attacking mode!

Special Stage 5: In contrast to the first run on the Grafschaft Veldenz section, Dani and Kris tackle SS5 in dry conditions. Car number 37 goes fifth quickest, Kris comes home seventh in the no. 52 MINI. One more SS of 19.92 kilometres will conclude the first day of Rally Germany, and the cars will go into Parc FermÃ©, situated at Trierâ€™s Viehmarkt.

Special Stage 4: While some crews suffer problems and lose time over the course of Ruwertal/Fell 2, everything is running according to plan for the MINI WRC Team. As in the morning, the 24.18-kilometre stage is held in dry conditions, giving Dani and Kris the chance to push hard â€“ and they record the best stage result of the MINI WRC Team to date. At the first split Kris is even 0.7 seconds faster than any other driver, ultimately finishing third with a time of 14:03.9 minutes. Dani is just 2.3 seconds slower than Kris, putting him in fourth. The Spaniard lies 7.3 seconds adrift of Hirvonen in third.
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Steve · Aug 19, 2011

Meeke thrilled with Mini's performance on its asphalt debut in Germany (autosport.com)

By David Evans
Friday, August 19th 2011, 19:01 GMT

Kris Meeke has praised the Mini team for building a car which 'put a smile' on his face throughout today's opening loop of Rallye Deutschland stages.

The Northern Irishman is just 17 seconds behind his team-mate Dani Sordo - with the two John Coooper Works WRCs running fourth and fifth on the asphalt debut of the Prodrive-built car.

"It's a fantastic feeling to be driving this car down these roads," said Meeke. "I can tell you, I've had a big smile on my face all day, it's been mega. The team have done a great job with the car."

Beyond running the wrong tyres in the rain on stage two, Meeke's only gripe came on the day's final stage, when the car began cutting out, causing him to spin and drop eight seconds.

"That was frustrating," he said, "but running fifth here is probably more than I expected. At the back of your mind, you always want a little bit more, but I'm really pleased with the way things have gone. The guys will have a look at the engine thing tonight and we'll have it sorted for tomorrow."

Meeke was particularly pleased at the pace he was showing against his more experienced team-mate.

"Dani has finished second here plenty of times," said Meeke. "And the only driver who could beat him was Sebastien Loeb, so to be so close - and we would have been closer without that spin on the last stage â€“ I'm happy."

Meeke and Sordo set exactly the same time on the final stage, with the former Intercontinental Rally Challenge champion having posted Mini's best effort â€“ third quickest on SS4.
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Steve · Aug 19, 2011

Keeping track of the rest, the other 4 MINI drivers are 10th (Araujo), 20nd (Campana), 24th (Oliveira) and 67th (Flodin).

Steve · Aug 20, 2011

The MINIs are still going strong. First half updates for day 2:

Dani on Course for a Podium. (minimotorsport.com)

Special Stage 10: "Arena Panzerplatte" â€“ This stage is infamous and feared among the WRC drivers. Countless junctions and the mighty â€œHinkelsteinsâ€ that line both sides of the road pose a big challenge to the drivers and require a lot of courage and talent. Dani and his co-driver Carlo del Barrio master the challenge without any major problems, as do Kris and Paul Nagle. The no. 37 MINI John Cooper Works WRC clocks a time of 20:04.4 minutes. As Fordâ€™s Mikko Hirvonen loses a lot of time after a puncture, Dani moves up to third overall. This marks the first time a MINI drivers has been ranked among the top-3 this year! Kris is 11 seconds slower than his team-mate and remains fifth overall. However, the gap to fourth-placed Hirvonen is just 2.4 seconds. The cars now go into service, before this morningâ€™s four stages will be completed again.

Special Stage 9: At first it looks as though Kris could be eyeing the third-fastest time on SS9. But then he drops some valuable seconds in the final section due to a puncture, meaning he has to make do with fifth after 15.23 kilometres. Dani is 2.2 seconds quicker and claims fourth on this stage. As Petter Solberg also loses time due to a puncture, Kris regains fifth overall, while Dani defends fourth. Now itâ€™s time for the first run on the â€œPanzerplatteâ€. The MINI John Cooper Works WRC and all the other cars had better steer clear of the dangerous â€œHinkelsteinsâ€ there!

Special Stage 8: Both MINI WRC Team drivers maintain their strong pace on SS8. Dani crosses the line at Bosenberg 1 in 8:31.2, finishing fifth. Kris trails his team-by just 0.7 seconds to come sixth. This means Dani consolidates fourth overall, while Kris manages to regain some ground on Petter Solberg.

Special Stage 7: The second day of ADAC Rally Germany kicks off with the 11.37-kilometre Hermeskeil/Gusenburg 1 stage. Following the strong Friday results, Dani and Kris roll to the start as fourth and fifth. Dani experiences a trouble-free opener to the day, setting the sixth-fastest time in 6:16.6 minutes. After promising split times Kris loses ground in the final section of the stage. â€œI made a mistake on the handbrake at a junction, completely my fault,â€ he comments. He comes tenth, losing P5 in the overall classification to Petter Solberg.
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Steve · Aug 20, 2011

After 3 of the 4 afternoon stages Sordo and Meeke are still 3rd and 5th, Araujo 10th.

minimark · Aug 20, 2011

....afraid to say anything and jinx them!!!

old81 · Aug 20, 2011

Some very nice pictures are making there way to FB, if you spend time over there.

FB MINIMOTORSPORT

Don

Steve · Aug 20, 2011

Day 2 down, Sordo and Meeke still 3rd and 5th, Araujo up to 9th. Fingers crossed.

Steve · Aug 20, 2011

The MINI Motorsport report for the second half day 2 stages:

Dani maintains good pace and third.

Dani Sordo enjoys an excellent day two at the Rally Germany, successfully defending third place and keeping Mikko Hirvonen at bay. Meanwhile, Kris Meeke has luck on his side.

Special Stage 14: Dani concludes the final special stage of the day with the second fastest time. He crosses the line just 3.4 seconds behind stage winner SÃ©bastien Ogier. As a result, Dani increases the gap to Mikko Hirvonen, successfully defending his third place overall. Kris drops time again on this stage, but his closest rival Petter Solberg suffers another puncture which keeps Kris in fifth overall at the end of the day.

Special Stage 13: A blow for Kris and his co-driver Paul Nagle after their perfect run on SS12, as they suffer a puncture on the final split sector which costs them precious time. Solberg, however, who is chasing them for fifth overall, also suffers a puncture. So Kris stays in fifth, one place ahead of the Norwegian.

Special Stage 12: Dani loses three seconds to Hirvonen in the third split. What happened? "I don't know," says Dani. "The car is running fine. It did not feel as if I was slower." At the end of this stage, Hirvonen trails Dani by 27.4 seconds. Meanwhile Kris has a flawless run, saying: "Finally a perfect stage for me." Kris is 3.5 seconds faster than his team-mate Dani and maintains his lead over Solberg.

Special Stage 11: Dani returns quite sharp from the midday service and keeps Hirvonen at bay. Hirvonen gains a second on Dani, but the MINI WRC Team driver still holds a comfortable lead of 31.9 seconds over the Finn in third place overall. Kris stays in fifth. "The pace is good, but I made a couple of mistakes," he says. "But I am going to give it everything I can to try to fight for position."
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Steve · Aug 20, 2011

Sordo: itâ€™s good to get out of Loebâ€™s shadow (maxrally.com)

20th August 2011
By Anthony Peacock

MINI driver Dani Sordo says that the move to another manufacturer after spending all of his professional career at Citroen alongside Sebastien Loeb gives him extra motivation.

Sordo has had Loeb as his team mate since 2006, getting the better of the seven-time World Champion only exceptionally rarely. Now though, he says that the move to MINI has unlocked extra performance within him â€“ and that his third place on Rallye Deutschland after two days proves the point.

â€œIt feels good; I feel free,â€ said Sordo. â€œI like Sebastien and the people at Citroen, but this is a different challenge now and it is really good for me. I have the chance to push and to fight and also to develop a car from new. It gives me a fresh motivation.â€

Although Sordo says that he was not expecting to be holding a provisional podium place on only the MINIâ€™s third WRC rally, he admits that he is not entirely surprised.

â€œThe car has a good balance and I think I am driving well so this is what I was hoping,â€ he added. â€œFor me itâ€™s very exciting because I know that there is more to come in the future as wll.â€
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Steve · Aug 20, 2011

Drive of the day: Dani Sordo (maxrally.com)

20th August 2011
By Giles Wade

Dani Sordo is no stranger to success on Rallye Deutschland. With three second-place finishes and a plethora of stage wins to his credit, the Spaniardâ€™s record on the asphalt round is not to be sniffed at.

While his capture of third place on todayâ€™s 10th stage owed much to Mikko Hirvonenâ€™s puncture, it nevertheless represented a remarkable effort by Sordo, who swapped Citroenâ€™s riches and championship-winning machinery for MINIâ€™s underfunded and underdeveloped John Cooper Works WRC for the 2011 season.

And it got better for the 28-year-old. With Hirvonen beginning to close in his factory Ford Fiesta, Sordo was able to dig deep to mount a final-stage charge that has enabled him to extend his overnight margin to the Finn to more than 30 seconds, making him a worthy drive of the day winner.
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Justa Jim · Aug 20, 2011

MINIâ€™s underfunded and underdeveloped John Cooper Works WRC for the 2011 season.
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Jim

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