Abu Dhabi: Citroen Total Abu Dhabi returns to a happy hunting ground this weekend — August 20 to 23 — at Rallye Deutschland, round nine of the current 13 stage FIA World Rally Championship season.
With 11 consecutive wins in Germany between 2002 and 2013, Citroen are again strong favourites coming into the event, which is good news for Mads Ostberg who is chasing a top ten finish for the 12th event running — a feat that has only been achieved once in the last four seasons.
A return to tarmac is also a welcome factor, with the majority of the remainder of the season set to be contested over the hard stuff.
“The DS 3 WRC is an exceptional car on tarmac, so I can’t wait to get going on this, the first proper rally on this surface on the 2015 calendar,” said Ostberg, who stands third in the current driver’s standings on 84 points, 98 behind leader Sebastian Ogier.
“Testing went very well. I was able to fully concentrate on my driving, to get my bearings again. The upgrades made by the technical team are undoubtedly going to help us to compete with our main rivals. I know Rallye Deutschland pretty well now, having competed here five times before.
“It’s a great event, which calls for a lot of concentration. My aim is to do my best and be as quick as possible. The roads vary a lot throughout the rally, with stages in the vineyards, the forests and the military base and so you need to keep adjusting your driving style. A top five or six finish would be a pretty good result, because we need to score points for the championships,” added Ostberg, whose best performances this season have been two second place finishes in Mexico and Argentina.
Kris Meeke, who is sixth in the drivers’ standings on 54 points, 128 points off Ogier, backed his teammate’s sentiments.
“I can’t wait to get started,” said Meeke, who has won one event so far this season in Argentina. “Rallye Deutschland is an event that I particularly enjoy. Last year, we were on the pace. For my first race on tarmac in the DS 3 WRC, I had found the confidence to push very quickly. The car is just incredible on this surface. I hope that the experience I’m accumulating at each round will help me to be among the front-runners again. I’d prefer it to be hot and dry, although the weather is always very difficult to predict in this region. If it rains, the early runners drag a lot of mud on the lines and it becomes more difficult. Finishing on the podium here is a realistic goal. If I manage to be consistent and keep out of trouble, I know that we’ll be at the front. But anything can happen.”
