WRC Germany: ŠKODA Motorsport and Pontus Tidemand with match point for title win

ADAC Rallye Deutschland, tenth round of World Rally Championship 2017, is a mixture of 21 tarmac stages with totally different characteristics. On Friday (August 18th) tricky and small roads with uncountable hairpins in the vineyards along the river Mosel are waiting for the teams. On Saturday (August 19th) the legendary military area of Baumholder offers gruelling and fast tank tracks on rough concrete. They are framed by massive rocks, the infamous “Hinkelsteins”, which can be a real car stopper. Sunday (August 20th) features fast and smooth country roads in the area around the Bostalsee service park in the north of Saarland.

On this very challenging tarmac roads the new WRC2 champion could be prematurely crowned. Out of the 13 rounds of World Rally Championship the WRC2 registered teams had to nominate seven rallies, out of which only the six bests results count for the final score. Three events (Portugal / Germany / Wales) are mandatory to be among these seven selected WRC2 rallies. Gravel specialist Pontus Tidemand will prematurely become world champion at ADAC Rallye Deutschland if he wins. Fourth or higher would be enough as well, if main rival Teemu Suninen doesn’t win the category.

Until today ŠKODA won twelve consecutive WRC2 rallies in a row. This winning sequence started at the RallyRACC Catalunya in October 2016. All nine WRC2 events in 2017 have been won by teams driving ŠKODA FABIA R5, which is by far the most successful car in its category. With seven entries in WRC2 at ADAC Rallye Deutschland the ŠKODA FABIA R5 again is the most popular car in its category. Two more ŠKODA FABIAS, not registered in WRC2, are among the entries in RC 2 class.

… that Rallye Deutschland was first established in 1982 as part of the European Championship?

… that in 2002 Rallye Deutschland joined the WRC after former Rallye Deutschland and Hunsrueck Rally merged into one event the year before?

…that the changeable road conditions and mixed tarmac surfaces require a suitable compromise at the cars’ suspension setup?

…that for the 2017 event the rally centre and the service park were moved from the historic Roman city of Trier to the holiday region Bostalsee in the federal state of Saarland?