banner The latest auto news, reviews, prices, product and vehicle releases. Auto News 5

Stay connected Subscribe to our RSS feed

Do not miss the latest Auto News !

Aug
22nd

Rally: Jari-Matti Latvala tops shakedown in Germany

Stay connected Subscribe to our RSS feed
From WRC.com

Jari-Matti Latvala was fastest in this afternoon's shakedown for ADAC Rallye Deutschland as three different cars filled the top three positions.

The Finn's Volkswagen Polo R was fastest by 0.7sec over the 4.55km Konz test, south of Trier. Latvala set his winning time on the last of four runs over the asphalt roads in the vineyards on the banks of the Mosel River.

With qualifying not part of asphalt events, the shakedown was the last chance for drivers to test ahead of tomorrow evening's opening two stages of the season's first pure sealed surface encounter.

“The car feels good but, of course, this rally is tough. It's probably the most difficult of the dry asphalt events. I'm not putting too much pressure on myself. I just want to go out, relax and see how it's going to be,” Latvala told wrc.com.

Second was Dani Sordo in a Citroen DS3, the Spaniard happy to be on his favoured asphalt surface after a tough time on the gravel roads in Finland earlier this month. 

“It was a good start, yes, but for me it was more important that my times were good from the start, because as the session goes on they usually get better and better anyway,” said Sordo.

Thierry Neuville was third fastest in his Ford Fiesta RS, the Belgian just one tenth slower than Sordo through the stage. 

World Championship leader Sebastien Ogier overshot a junction on his final run and had to settle for the fourth fastest time, with Evgeny Novikov rounding off the top five. 

The rally kicks off tonight.

Sébastien Ogier, Rallye Deutschland, Volkswagen Polo R WRC
Sébastien Ogier, Volkswagen Polo R WRC (Photo: VW)

Shakedown results - Rallye Deutschland (WRC)

1. Jari-Matti Latvala 2min 23.5sec 
2. Dani Sordo 2min 24.2sec

3. Thierry Neuville 2min 24.3sec
4. Sébastien Ogier 2min 24.9sec

5. Evgeny Novikov 2min 25.1sec

6. Mikko Hirvonen 2min 25.5sec

7. Mads Ostberg 2min 25.7sec

8. P-G Andersson 2min 26.3sec

9. Nasser Al-Attiyah: 2min 27.2sec

10. Michal Kosciuszko 2min 29.2sec. 

11. Martin Prokop 2min 30.0sec
12. Khalid Al Qassimi 2min 31.4sec


Hosted by CifTech Hosting.