WRC
Rally Deutschland: OMV Kronos preview
OMV Kronos Citroen WRT plans to surprise The OMV Kronos Citroen World Rally Team has an extremely competitive team for the "ADAC Rallye Germany", the tenth run to the FIA World Rally Championship. Besides Manfred Stohl and Ilka Minor the Belgian ...
Published: Aug 16, 2007, 5:31 PM
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OMV Kronos Citroen WRT plans to surprise
The OMV Kronos Citroen World Rally Team has an extremely competitive team for the "ADAC Rallye Germany", the tenth run to the FIA World Rally Championship. Besides Manfred Stohl and Ilka Minor the Belgian pair Francois Duval and Patrick Pivato is eager for their first assignment with the Citroen Xsara WRC for over one and a half years. The OMV drivers already showed a lot of confidence during the testing on Monday.
Unfamiliar tarmac
Manfred Stohl needed several turns on the 3,5 kilometres long testing course about 50 kilometres from Trier in order to get used to tarmac again. It was the first time in eight months for the 35-year-old OMV driver on this surface. But he didn't take long to get accustomed once more. Stohl: "The car performs smoothly and I'm really impressed by how fast you can steer it on tarmac. Currently Francois ist still a bit faster but he is surely one of the fastest men on this surface in general. I'm convinced that we will improve by far and be able to erase the small insecurities caused by the long break."
The OMV duo has fond memories of last year's Rally Germany. Back then they finished in fifth place. Stohl: "That was when we proved for the first time that we are not only fast on gravel. And the Citroen Xsara WRC definitely has the potential to cause some surprise." During the testing Manfred Stohl already steered the Xsara WRC that had been designed by children.
No initial difficulties
The Germany Rally ist the ideal spot for a comeback of Francois Duval. In 2004 and 2005 he respectively finished second at this WRC-run, thereby putting a lot of pressure on serial-winner Sebastien Loeb (Fra). The Belgian neo-OMV driver already showed what can be expected of him when he went full speed right from the beginning of the testing on Monday. Duval: "The car is fantastic. Probably even better than the Xsara of 2005. We feel great and are mainly working on the choice of tyres. We didn't have to change the basic set-up at all. I am very happy to have gotten the chance to drive such a car once again."
Already EUR 79.620 in the OMV Move & Help account
Since this year's season of the OMV Kronos Citroen World Rally Team is under the sign of OMV Move & Help, EUR 20 will be donated to OMV Move & Help for each completed special stage kilometre. At the nine WRC-runs completed so far, Manfred Stohl/Ilka Minor have already taken in 79.620 Euro overall. In Germany further 14.240 Euro are at stake since not only Manfred Stohl will carry the colours of the OMV Kronos Citroen World Rally Team but also Francois Duval. Move & Help is the educational program by OMV for over 35.000 children and youths in cooperation with SOS Children's Village, Caritas and UNICEF.
356 special stage kilometres on 19 special stages
The ADAC Rallye Germany will commence on Thursday (August 16) with a show start in front of the Porta Nigra in Trier at 20.00 (local time). 19 special stages with an overall length of 356,27 kilometres are scheduled from Friday to Sunday (August 17 - 19). The overall length measures exactly 1.227,04 kilometres. The finish line will be crossed on Sunday (August 19) at 15.00 (local time) once again in front of the Porta Nigra in Trier.
This is Germany
Area: 357.022 sq km
Population: 82.515.990 inhabitants
Population density: 231 people per sq km
Capital: Berlin (3.378.280 inhabitants)
Germany has been a democratic-parliamentary federal state since 1949 and is a founding nation of the European Union.
-credit: owrt.com
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