Rallye Deutschland: Preview Toyota Yaris WRC ready to master the varied roads of Germany

Aug. 18, 2019

The Toyota Yaris WRC returns to asphalt for round 10 of the 2019 season in Germany, where drivers Ott Tänak, Jari-Matti Latvala and Kris Meeke will take on the demanding and diverse roads of Rallye Deutschland (August 22-25). Fresh from victory on Rally Finland, Tänak is targeting his third Germany win in as many years as he seeks to further increase his 22-point lead in the drivers’ championship.

: 2019 Yaris WRC

Rallye Deutschland features three distinct types of stage: Twisting roads through the Mosel vineyards, the fearsome Baumholder military training area with numerous surface changes, plus fast and narrow country lanes around the service park at the Bostalsee lake in the Saarland region. The weather is often changeable, further complicating tyre choices and car set-up.

This year the rally begins from the service park, with Thursday evening’s opening stage to take place on nearby roads that drivers will have practiced on during shakedown earlier in the day. Friday’s leg is unchanged from last year, with two loops consisting of a pair of vineyard tests and the Wadern-Weiskirchen road circuit on the way back to service. Saturday has a new format, beginning with two country-lane stages each run twice in the morning, followed by two loops around Baumholder―including the 41.17-kilometre Panzerplatte―separated by an additional 15-minute service. Two repeated stages back in the vineyards round out the rally on Sunday.

Quotes

Tommi Mäkinen (Team Principal): “Our fantastic result in Finland was really important for both championships, and we all hope that we can continue that form in Germany. We were strong there last year, and Ott has won the rally for the last two seasons, so we are feeling confident about our chances as a team of another top result. It’s a rally where there’s a lot that can catch a driver out, whether it’s in the vineyards or the Baumholder roads, so you need to have confidence in your car and be very focused to avoid mistakes.”

Ott Tänak (Driver car 8)

: Martin Järveoja and Ott Tänak

“Germany is obviously a rally that I like a lot. Martin and I have won there two years in a row and our target this year is definitely to make it three. It’s certainly not an easy rally: I think last year was one of the most difficult wins in my career, as the competition was very strong and I had to push really hard from the beginning. It’s a big challenge for a driver to have so many different types of road in one rally, and to try to be fast on all of them and not make any mistakes. We know that the weather is often a big factor as well, and it can be very hard to predict.”

Jari-Matti Latvala (Driver car 10)

: Miikka Anttila and Jari-Matti Latvala

“It was really good to get the podium finish in Finland, and it means that I have a more relaxed feeling going to Germany. Last year we were up to second place when we had a problem on the final day and had to retire, so we know that we can be strong there. I’m really excited to see how we will do and I hope we can be fighting for the podium places again. The last asphalt rally in Corsica was difficult for me but we really worked on this in our test in Germany before Rally Finland: We were working on the braking and the turning, and I had a good feeling in the car.”

Kris Meeke (Driver car 5)

: Seb Marshall and Kris Meeke

“After a run of gravel events, I’m really looking forward to competing on asphalt again. I’ve had a great feeling with the Yaris WRC so far on asphalt and I hope that we can find that again in Germany. It’s always a really demanding event because of the three different types of terrain and, on top of that, the weather is often changing from one stage to the next. But it’s a rally where I’ve been competitive in the past and I really hope that we can secure a good result for the team.”

The statistics (Rallye Deutschland)

Year	Ott Tänak	Jari-Matti Latvala	Kris Meeke
2018	1	DNF	–
2017	1	7	DNF
2016	23	48	–
2015	8	2	12
2014	10	DNF	DNF
2013	–	7	–

What happened last year?

Ott Tänak and the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team followed their Rally Finland triumph by securing victory on Rallye Deutschland: The maiden win on asphalt for the Toyota Yaris WRC. As in Finland, the team achieved a double podium result, with Esapekka Lappi finishing in third place. Jari-Matti Latvala began the final day in third overall but had to retire because of a hydraulic pump issue.

: Yaris WRC Rallye Deutschland 2018

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team is inspired by the motto: “ALL FOR WIN” as it competes throughout the 2019 season. Our goal in 2019 is to fight for all three crowns. All team members are aiming for this big goal together. We look forward to your continuous support!