Action galore in and around St Wendel at the ADAC Rallye Deutschland

• Official start and finish of the German FIA World Rally Championship event
• St Wendel highlights: Shakedown, opening ceremony, Super Special Stage, Power Stage, podium ceremony

Munich. In August, the eyes of the excited rally world will be on St Wendel, the new start and finish of the ADAC Rallye Deutschland. This town in the north-eastern part of the Saarland will actually host several of the many highlights on the schedule of the German WRC rally (16 to 19 August). World Champion Sébastien Ogier, current no. 1 Thierry Neuville, and all the other WRC stars can look forward to a warm welcome because the enthusiasm for rally racing has always been overwhelming in this region: between 1985 and 1989 - when the ADAC Rallye Deutschland was not yet a WRC event - St Wendel did, in fact, already play host to the rally. In the years that followed, Special Stages, road sections and regroupings took place here on a regular basis.

St Wendeler Land Shakedown

Even before the opening ceremony of the ADAC Rallye Deutschland, the St Wendeler Land Shakedown (16 August) will already give you a first taste of the action. The WRC stars will begin their warm-up at 08:00hrs, covering a track of 5.52km in length to the north of St Wendel. Since the participants will complete the course several times, going at full rally speed from time to time, the Shakedown will be a good opportunity for the fans to watch their idols extensively. Admission is included in the rally pass.

Opening ceremony in St Wendel

On Thursday afternoon, the opening ceremony in St Wendel will usher in the official start of the ADAC Rallye Deutschland. The participants will gather in the town centre with their rally cars. At 17:00hrs, they will begin to drive through the start arch in Schlossplatz (castle square) where they will be introduced to the audience. The support events include, for instance, an autograph session with the WRC stars who will also sign the Golden Book of the town of St Wendel. A diverse show will round off the opening ceremony. Admission will be free for all visitors. They will also be able to watch the subsequent first Special Stage live on a giant video wall in the town centre of St Wendel.

St Wendel Super Special Stage

After the opening ceremony, the teams will drive to Wendelinuspark on the western fringes of the town. There, the St Wendel Super Special Stage will be the first motor sport highlight of the ADAC Rallye Deutschland. At 19:08hrs, the first car will embark on the circuit, which combines the perfect view with a genuine arena feel. The course is 2.04km long and has a few challenges in store for the drivers. Fans can look forward to corners taken with pin-point precision and to spectacular drifts. Admission is included in the rally pass. EUR20 Special Stage passes will be available on site.

Bosenberg Power Stage with podium ceremony in St Wendel

St Wendel will make another great appearance on the final day (19 August): with the Bosenberg SS (start: 12:18hrs) in the north-eastern district, the WRC stars will complete the final and decisive Special Stage. 14.04km in length, this Power Stage, where drivers can add additional points to their WRC score, ends just outside the town. Once across the finish line, the winners will drive straight on into the town, where the official podium ceremony at approx. 13:00hrs will bring this year's ADAC Rallye Deutschland to a glorious conclusion. In Schlossplatz, the rally fans will once more have the opportunity to thoroughly celebrate the best teams of the German WRC rally.

Get your rally and day passes in pre-sale now!

Passes for the ADAC Rallye Deutschland are available from the official ticket shop on the web: go to www.adac.de/rallye-deutschland (under the Tickets tab) to get your four-day rally passes or day tickets (Thursday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday). Pre-sale buyers will enjoy discounts and an attractive package offer that includes the official event magazine. Just like last year, the pre-sale price of a rally pass package is EUR70 (EUR65 for ADAC members). Day passes are available for EUR35 exclusively in pre-sale. During the ADAC Rallye Deutschland, the regular price for a rally pass will be EUR80 at all on-site sales points.

The rally passes cover:

• Access to all Special Stages on all days
• Access to the AUTODOC Service Park on all days
• Access to the Shakedown on Thursday
• A spectator map providing all the essential information about the rally
• ADAC Rallye Deutschland lanyard
• ADAC Rallye Deutschland sticker
• ADAC Rallye Deutschland magazine (in German with essential information in English and French)

ADAC Rallye Deutschland information:

The ADAC Rallye Deutschland has a unique worldwide reputation. Its mix of hairpin stages in the vineyards, tough tracks on the Baumholder tank range and fast asphalt roads presents extreme challenges for both the teams and the drivers. Excellent driving skills and versatility are of the essence here. Diversity, high-class action and closeness to the fans are the ingredients that make the ADAC Rallye Deutschland such an attractive package for spectators as well. Year after year, this major event draws enthusiastic crowds from all over Europe, giving it a special, international atmosphere.