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M-Sport poised to prove tarmac pace

M-Sport World Rally Team's Mads Østberg and Éric Camilli will tackle the first in a string of asphalt events next week when the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) journeys to ADAC Rallye Deutschland.

Keen to prove the sealed-surface pace of the Ecoboost-powered Ford Fiesta RS WRC, the pairing will be looking to spring a surprise or two.

Arguably the most challenging of the season's autumn asphalt events, Rallye Deutschland demands much from team and crew alike.

The crews will have to quickly adapt to three very different stage characteristics. The vineyard stages are littered with junctions that require precise car control, but there are also fast roads in the Eifel Mountains and smooth country tests in Saarland.

If that weren't enough, the crews will also have to tackle daunting speed tests at the Panzerplatte military area which hosts three sprint stages and two passes over a demanding 40 kilometre stage.

This is where the rally can be won or lost and the treacherous ‘Hinkelsteins' - concrete blocks which are designed to stop tanks - must be avoided at all costs.

The crews must also make the most of the team's accuracy in forecasting the region's changeable weather and take advantage of vital information from their personal gravel crews to select the optimum tyre strategy.

Experience can be key and Østberg and co-driver Ola Fløene will have that on their side next week. Asphalt may not be the Norwegian's preferred surface, but he has the experience and knowledge to make the most of this challenging event.

With 14 previous starts between them, Fløene has finished twice on the podium and Østberg secured his best result of fourth when piloting the Fiesta RS WRC in 2012. The pairing finished fourth on the last asphalt outing in Monte-Carlo and contested Rally Islas Canarias with the Ford Fiesta R5 earlier this year to perfect their sealed-surface skills.

Their previous experience should work to their advantage and Østberg should not be discounted for a strong result.

In the sister M-Sport Fiesta RS WRC, Camilli and co-driver Benjamin Veillas have been looking forward to the asphalt fixtures. More accustomed to sealed-surface rallying, the Frenchman's career has been dominated by Tarmac rallies and he'll be looking to showcase his potential on this surface next week.

With two previous starts to his name, Camilli made his WRC debut at the German event in 2014 and quickly impressed - leading the J-WRC category ahead of his more experienced rivals. Having followed that up with a second place in the WRC 2 category last year, he'll be hoping to impress once again.

Both crews will share three full days of testing which includes roads in both the vineyards and the military ground to best prepare for the challenges ahead.

M-Sport will also run a third Ford Fiesta RS WRC for Ott Tänak and Raigo Mõlder. The Estonians have proven the pace of the Fiesta on gravel, and could also be candidates for a strong-showing on asphalt.

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Mads Østberg said:

"I naturally feel more at home on gravel, but I enjoy asphalt rallies and Rallye Deutschland is one of my favourites. The tricky conditions make it a really challenging event, and I enjoy that - the muddier and trickier the better!

"I secured my best result here with the Fiesta in 2012 and, as I remember, the car handles really well on Tarmac. We have one and a half days testing to perfect the set-ups and I feel that we are well-prepared.

"Earlier in the year, Ola and I contested Rally Islas Canarias with the Fiesta R5. We had good speed on those roads and we're keen to take that knowledge forward. Ola also knows what it takes to be on the podium in Germany, so I couldn't have anyone better sitting alongside me!

"We're ready for the fight, and ready to give it our all as always."

Éric Camilli said:

"This is the event that I have been looking forward to all year. It won't be easy, but I am feeling more confident ahead of this one. I feel at home on asphalt, and I know this rally quite well having competed here twice before.

"We completed a test in the vineyards earlier this week, and we'll be on the military range on Sunday. I've not experienced a world rally car on asphalt since Rallye Monte-Carlo, and the circumstances are completely different now. I was pleased with my speed in Monte, but now I have more knowledge and a lot more understanding so I hope it will be possible to do something next week.

"It is still important for us to gain experience but if we feel comfortable we'll push hard. I hope we can build on the asphalt pace I showed at the very start of the season - that is the target."

Team Principal, Malcolm Wilson OBE, said:

"Having already proven the potential of the Fiesta on gravel, we're keen to do the same on asphalt. We know that we have a good package for Tarmac rallying and all of our drivers are capable of proving that next week.

"Asphalt might not be Mads' preferred surface, but his experience and knowledge of this event means that he cannot be discounted. He and Ola have been working on their asphalt pace and could find themselves well-placed to challenge for a strong result.

"Éric has been looking forward to this one. At the beginning of the year he selected this event to show his true potential, and I think we could see that next week. So far he's been gaining experience, but he knows this rally well. It is still important for him to secure the mileage, but there is less pressure and he can go out there and enjoy it."