Double anniversary of ADAC Rallye Deutschland

The ADAC Rallye Deutschland has cause to celebrate: 30 years ago, this popular rally – in fact, the biggest rally attraction in Germany – made its debut. 20 years later, it became an official FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) event. In recent years, it has drawn some 200,000 fans annually to the area around Trier.

One particularly attractive aspect of the ADAC Rallye Deutschland is its traditionally diverse itinerary, which actually makes it “three rallies in one”: the rally is a taxing combination of zig-zagging sections with sharp turns among the vineyards, medium-tempo stages in the Baum-holder military training area and high-speed asphalt roads in the Saarland region. The year 2007 saw the addition of the CIRCUS MAXIMUS Power Stage, in which several cars at a time zoom through the narrow alleys of the city centre of Trier.

Further trademark features of the ADAC Rallye Deutschland – in addition to its unique itinerary – are its perfect organisation and the high safety standards for which the organisers have re-ceived top marks from the FIA right from the beginning.

The organisers of the ADAC Rallye Deutschland have come up with a more sophisticated con-cept for 2012. Adapting the special stages and the spectator concept, they have managed to make the German WRC event even more interesting and spectator-friendly for the anniversary.

History

The 30-year history of the ADAC Rallye Deutschland offers many highlights.

1982: Premiere of the Rallye, which starts and finishes in Frankfurt am Main. This first edition was also the longest, covering a total of 1,877km of which 508km were timed sections. The first winners of the Rallye were Erwin Weber / Matthias Berg.

1983: Rally legend Walter Röhrl wins together with his co-pilot, Christian Geistdörfer.

1984: The rally, now in its third year, includes 47 special stages – a record!

1986: Michèle Mouton from France is the first – and so far the only – woman to win the rally.

1997: Dieter Depping wins the ADAC Rallye Deutschland for the third time, making him the most successful German driver at the Rallye Deutschland.

2002: The ADAC Rallye Deutschland becomes an official FIA WRC event. This marks the beginning of Sébastien Loeb’s dominance. Eight consecutive victories make the record world champion the unrivalled no. 1 pilot in the history of the ADAC Rallye Deutschland.

2007: The spectacular Circus Maximus is officially added to the ADAC Rallye Deutschland.

2011: Sébastien Ogier wins the ADAC Rallye Deutschland, thus ending Sébastien Loeb’s winning streak.

Jean Todt (FIA President)
“The ADAC Rallye Deutschland is without equal. Its mix of narrow stages in the vineyards by the river Mosel, the hard surfaces in the military training area, and the fast asphalt roads offers the teams three different rallies all rolled into one – a marvellous challenge. The throngs of spectators from all over Europe also add a special flavour to the rally.”

Hermann Tomczyk (ADAC Vice President Sport):
“Our achievements with the ADAC Rallye Deutschland over the past years and decades are quite incredible. We have established it as one of the best rally events in the world. Our long tradition and big success are a testimony to the hard work of all those involved – from the officials to all the many volunteers.”

Armin Kohl (Clerk of the Course of the ADAC Rallye Deutschland):
“I am certainly very happy about the double anniversary of the ADAC Rallye Deutschland.
Plus, I am also thrilled that we have succeeded in making the rally even more interesting for our spectators in our anniversary year. The 2012 event will afford rally fans unprecedented views of this spectacular sport.”

Sébastien Loeb (Record champion from 2002-2010):
“I love the diversity of the stages and the atmosphere of this event. To me, this rally is like a second home rally. There are always lots of fans and friends from France to cheer me on.”

Walter Röhrl (Rallye world champion in 1980 and 1982)
“Whereas Formula 1 drivers rely on perfectionism, rally drivers need to be masters of improvisation.”

Sebastian Vettel (two-time Formula 1 World Champion):
“It is absolutely sensational – even by Formula 1 standards – to see how fast the cars can go on this kind of road surface.”