The vineyard stages have their own special challenge where the distance to junctions are often hidden from view from the drivers until the last moment, placing an unusual reliance on pacenote reading. A very special character of the region where the stages will be held is its unusual microcosmic climatic nature. Mid-summer storms can erupt without warning in every small area of the countryside, which create a special challenge for competitors’ tyre selection work. Suitable tyre choices have to be made for a group of stages and teams rely on professional weather forecasting agencies to help with these decisions. The 79km of stages without service or designated tyre changing points are the most challenging part for tyre selection. Unusually, crews are supplied with three different compounds of tyre. On this occasion, special heavy rain tyres are available where constantly wet conditions are expected between tyre changing points.The Toyota Yaris WRC returns to asphalt in Germany, where drivers @OttTanak, @JariMattiWRC and @KrisMeeke will take on the demanding and diverse roads of @ADACRallye. #TOYOTA #YarisWRC #RallyGermany #ToyotaGAZOORacing #WRC #OttTänak #JariMattiLatvala #KrisMeeke #TGR_WRC pic.twitter.com/C7NGXYX0EE
— Toyota GAZOO Racing WRT (@TGR_WRC) August 18, 2019
Where occasional wet conditions are expected, teams often hedge bets by fitting the same cars with different compound tyres so at least some of the four tyres will be appropriate! In addition, this is a rally where crews can take advantage of their own safety crews, whose main purpose is to check the route some time before the crews arrive to check whether recent storms have led to changes in conditions since the official crew reconnaissance some days before. The recently published entry list for the asphalt Rallye Deutschland confirms the first World Rally Car appearance in the WRC for Takamoto Katsuta, with selected competition number 17. He will drive Toyota Gazoo Racing’s fourth entry alongside the team’s usual three drivers. Notable entries on this event include Belgian driver Kris Princen in a Citroen DS3 WRC, and the Italian “Pedro” who replaced the originally entered Swedish driver Pontus Tidemand in M-Sport’s second WRC2 Pro entry, supporting Eric Camilli. There are 12 World Rally Car entries in total. This event does not count for the Junior WRC calendar, only one R-GT entry (Brazzoli’s Abarth), but also an impressive range of R5 cars with 13 Skodas (six with Evo versions), six Fiestas (four Mark II versions), four VWs and Hyundais and two Citroens. Three entries (all Mitsubishi Evo Xs) are running under national rules, 56 entries in all.#WRC Ready for our "home" event next week @ADACRallye
Read more in our preview 👉 https://t.co/KZjAlcy4UA#HMSGOfficial #RallyeDeutschland pic.twitter.com/HZmf4OhtyT — Hyundai Motorsport (@HMSGOfficial) August 16, 2019
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