WRC
Rally Deutschland: Suzuki leg one summary
Suzuki crews poised to improve after solid start in Germany After an action-packed opening day of the Rallye Deutschland, the Suzuki SX4 WRC of Toni Gardemeister is in the top 10 - and the similar car of P-G Andersson is right behind him in 11th.
Edited: Aug 15, 2008, 11:17 PM
Copy link
Share on Viber
Suzuki crews poised to improve after solid start in Germany
After an action-packed opening day of the Rallye Deutschland, the Suzuki SX4 WRC of Toni Gardemeister is in the top 10 - and the similar car of P-G Andersson is right behind him in 11th. Both cars were perfectly reliable throughout the first day of the event, which was formed of six stages split into two loops of three with service at Trier. However, the action was cut short by an accident that stopped SS5 and spectator overcrowding that forced the cancellation of SS6.
Deprived of the competitive kilometres needed to move up the leaderboard, the Suzukis have not yet had the chance to display their potential on this challenging event: the first asphalt round of the World Rally Championship since Monte Carlo in January. The weather remained dry and warm throughout the opening loop of stages, which were held close to the Mosel River near the German city of Trier.
Car news - Suzuki SX4 WRC n.11 (Gardemeister), n.12 (Andersson):
The drivers used the opening day of the Rallye Deutschland to get back into the groove of asphalt driving for the first time since Monte Carlo more than six months ago. Despite a completely new surface and a new specification of Pirelli tyre, neither Suzuki SX4 WRC encountered the slightest mechanical problem throughout the day. Having used the shakedown test yesterday to start work on finding the best possible set-up for the event, both drivers continued to make solid progress throughout the day and they are equally confident of being able to improve their positions tomorrow.
Driver news:
Toni Gardemeister: "The day didn't start very well for me - I stalled the engine at one hairpin which meant I dropped time. There are so many corners and junctions in these stages that it's really hard on the brakes. Apart from that, the day has been good and the car has been absolutely fine."
P-G Andersson: "I have had a good feeling with the car today. It's been nice to drive. The stages are really tough and a big challenge for the car and driver. The SX4 WRC has been perfect, no problems at all. We made some changes to the set-up of the suspension this afternoon, which helped to get the car turned into corners easier. I'm looking forward to tomorrow. It's always a big test to go into the Baumholder stages and there are always a lot of people out there watching."
Team news:
Paul Wilding, Suzuki World Rally Team manager: "Our cars have been very reliable so far, and we are well-poised to improve our positions tomorrow on what are sure to be some extremely challenging stages, with the possibility of wet weather as well."
-credit: suzukisport.com
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Rallye Deutschland SS13 results
Next article JWRC: Citoren Rally Deutschland leg two summary
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Toni Gardemeister
IRC: Peugeot pre Monte Carlo Rally news
Other rally
Other rally
IRC: Peugeot pre Monte Carlo Rally news
IRC: Peugeot Monte Carlo Rally preview
Other rally
Other rally
IRC: Peugeot Monte Carlo Rally preview
SWRC: M-Sport Rally Finland preview
WRC
WRC
SWRC: M-Sport Rally Finland preview
Latest news
The ten closest finishes from the 2026 NASCAR season
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup 9 h
The ten closest finishes from the 2026 NASCAR season
‘Lewis suspected a conspiracy’ – Nico Rosberg explains how Lewis Hamilton F1 rivalry went awry at Mercedes
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1 10 h
‘Lewis suspected a conspiracy’ – Nico Rosberg explains how Lewis Hamilton F1 rivalry went awry at Mercedes
BMW "proud of what we achieved" after securing runner-up in 2026 WEC
WEC
WEC WEC
Monza
11 h
BMW "proud of what we achieved" after securing runner-up in 2026 WEC
The numbers that reveal how sprint races have turned the MotoGP title fight upside down
MotoGP
MGP MotoGP
Qatar GP
13 h
The numbers that reveal how sprint races have turned the MotoGP title fight upside down
Feature
Discover prime content
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe