2012 ADAC Rallye Deutschland Preview

ADAC Rallye Deutschland celebrates its 30th anniversary this year and its 10th running in the FIA World Rally Championship. It is once again based in Trier, Germany’s oldest town, and is the first all-asphalt event of the season.

Building on its successful format, the event continues to be run over Friday, Saturday and Sunday with three very different days of competition. Friday sees the crews head to the bumpy narrow lanes in the Mosel vineyards, Saturday’s highlight will be two runs through the long 46.54 kilometre Panzerplatte stage in the military grounds of Baumholder, as well as two stages in the Saarland and Trier areas, while Sunday takes the crews back to the Mosel region with two runs over the Dhrontal stage before the event concludes with the Power Stage – the Circus Maximus street stage run around the Porta Nigra, a UNESCO World Heritage site. With an ever-present threat of rain, combined with the changing surfaces, conditions are remarkably unpredictable on an event that draws spectators from a host of neighbouring countries.

Last year, Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia won the event and became the first crew to beat Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena on an all-asphalt rally since 2004, bringing an end to Loeb’s eight consecutive victories on Rallye Deutschland.

The event also plays host to the competitors in the FIA Production Car World Rally Championship, as well as the young up-and-coming drivers in the FIA WRC Academy.