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Germany countdown: Rally route

ADAC Rallye Deutschland (16-19 august) will provide crews with one of the biggest challenges of the year as the WRC returns to asphalt for the ninth round of the season.

Generally considered to be three rallies in one, crews will face narrow country lanes, access tracks that zig-zag through the Mosel vineyards and roads lined with huge concrete blocks called hinkelsteins in the Baumholder military training area.

The event kicks off on Thursday evening with a ceremonial start in the town of St. Wendel and then a brand-new 2.05km Super Special Stage in the town's Wendelinuspark amusement park.

Friday's tests take competitors into the vine-covered slopes of the Mosel valley for two stages: Stein und Wein (19.44km) - returning to the itinerary for the first time since 2015 - and Mittelmosel (22.00km).

The final stage of the loop, Wadern-Weiskirchen (9.27km), is a lapping stage made up of roads through open countryside with lots of junctions. All the tests are run again in the afternoon after a service in Bostalsee.

Saturday is the longest day and features action in the Baumholder tank training complex and on the narrow country roads of the Saarland region. There are eight stages in total, arranged as two loops of four.

The first test, Arena Panzerplatte (9.43km), is a mix of sections used in 2017 and is a taster before the following 38.57km Panzerplatte test which is the longest stage of the rally. A tyre fitting zone splits up the loop, as crews leave Baumholder for the fast country roads of Freisen (14.78km) and Römerstraße (12.28km). All four stages are repeated in the afternoon.

Three stages make up the schedule for the final day of the rally. An extended Grafschaft (29.07km) test is run twice, back-to-back, before the event ends with the 14.04km Bosenberg - returning after a two-year absence as the Live TV Power Stage.

Top highlights

Baumholder's stages. In addition to the fearsome hinkelsteins punishing anyone who runs slightly off line, crews regularly leap 40m from the famous Gina jump, making this a must-visit spot for spectators.
Grape growers must struggle to watch when the WRC comes to town. Rows of vines are regular victims of drivers who are too ambitious on the tight Mosel hairpins, but it does make for spectacular viewing.
The weather. The unpredictable weather conditions have caught out drivers in the past, but those who master them - like Ott Tänak in 2017 - can triumph.

Zdroj: wrc.com