Reigning World Rally Champion Sebastien Ogier has won the 2016 ADAC Rallye Deutschland, round nine of the FIA World Rally Championship.
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Victory sends Ogier 59 points clear in the drivers’ standings after closest challenger, and Volkswagen team-mate, Andreas Mikkelsen finished fourth.
The Frenchman recovered from an overshoot on day one to overhaul his teammate Andreas Mikkelsen on day two which meant he came into the final leg just needing to bring the auto home. “This is great”, Ogier said at the finish. “I haven’t had a chance to win on the recent rallies and I was missing that feeling for sure”. Most importantly, it has been a great weekend for the team with a double podium. “I haven’t had a chance to win on the recent rallies and I was missing that feeling for sure”.
Paddon (#20 New Generation i20 WRC, 5th place overall) moves up to third in the WRC Drivers’ Championship on 94 points after a solid run to fifth. In the driver’s category, Ogier leads with 143 points followed by Mikkelsen with 98 points, Latvala with 87 points, Hayden Paddon with 84 points and Neuville with 76 points to round off the top five. “I really had to push to beat the guys around me”. A squad of Skoda Fabia R5s filled places 7-10, with Esapekka Lappi scoring P7, Pontus Tidemand in P8, Jan Kopecky in P9 and local hero Armin Kremer in P10.
Neuville therefore claimed the final podium spot, while a disappointed Mikkelsen – who narrowly avoided a couple of Power Stage spins as he lost the brakes on his Polo R – had to settle for fourth.
The full-length Panzerplatte stage had to be halted after the first seven runners when sixth-placed Citroen driver Stephane Lefebvre went off. “According to the doctors, their injuries are not life threatening”.
Gabin later received an operation to reduce the fracture to his left ankle.
In the Junior World Rally Championship the close battle between Simone Tempestini and Martin Koci didn’t reignite as Tempestini extended his advantage to 38.9 seconds over Koci at the finish.
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The next WRC event will be the Tour de Corse at the end of September due to the cancellation of Rally China because of extensive weather damage to the course.
