The WRC stars gather for the 2019 ADAC Rallye Deutschland: the itinerary and its highlights and challenges

• All Special Stages of the German WRC event including details and starting times

Munich. This year, the ADAC Rallye Deutschland will be both longer and shorter. As contradictory as this may sound, it is the result of excellent planning: while the total mileage of the Special Stages (SS) has increased by approx. 6% over the previous year to 343.95km, distances between the locations of the German FIA WRC event are much shorter. For the fans this means more action and shorter commutes! Between 22 and 25 August, the world's elite rally drivers will gather in the Saarland and neighbouring regions to compete in 19 challenging Special Stages. Read more about them here:

Thursday, 22 August 2019
SS 1: St Wendeler Land (5.20km, 19:08 hours): Right after the official opening ceremony - for the first time this year at the Service Park at Bostalsee - the participants will launch into the new opening stage. Unlike the previous years, it is not a circuit stage but a very demanding sprint with separate start and finish areas. From the very beginning, the teams will certainly give it everything they've got, having had the chance to thoroughly familiarise themselves with this Super Special Stage.

Friday, 23 August 2019
SS 2 & 5 Stein und Wein (19.44km, 10:14 hours & 15:42 hours): Located a few kilometres to the east of Trier, this unique and challenging vineyard stage is practically a fixture of the ADAC Rallye Deutschland. After the start in Fell, the crews will have to negotiate a winding ascent to Thomm - two towns famous for their wines and mining legacy. This explains the SS's name: "stone and wine". Along the river Ruwer, the participants will whiz through the valley to Waldrach where a spectator area with an arena feel is located.

SS 3 & 6 Mittelmosel (22.00km, 11:08 hours & 16:36 hours): Friday's second vineyard stage starts near Trittenheim, where the river Mosel meanders through the beautiful landscape, and leads to Klüsserath and Rivenich and back to the riverbank. The stage is known for spectacular hairpin turns and breath-taking panoramas. Popular areas for the fans are the designated retaining walls in the vineyards near Klüsserath where a very intense rally experience is guaranteed as the WRC cars zoom past at great speed.

SS 4 & 7 Wadern-Weiskirchen (9.27km, 12:43 hours & 18:11 hours): The circuit stage to the north of Saarbrücken was included in the ADAC Rallye Deutschland itinerary in 2017. Between the townships of Wadern and Weiskirchen, the competitors will face a tricky section. At highest rally speeds, they will chase along narrow asphalt roads. Some very hard passages and 90-degree turn-offs will challenge the crews. Each will have to drive the circuit twice before crossing the finish line after nearly 10km.

Saturday, 24 August 2019
SS 8 & 10 Freisen (14.78km, 08:16 hours & 11:04 hours): In this high-speed SS, the WRC stars will not only go to their limits but literally cross the border, driving from one federal state to another (Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland). The SS starts in Berschweiler near Baumholder and ends south of Freisen. As an innovation this year, both runs will take place in the morning before the nearby military range will be buzzing with action in the afternoon.

SS 9 & 11 Römerstraße (12.28km, 09:19 hours & 12:07 hours): Both runs on the Römerstraße SS will also take place in the morning. Ever since its integration in the roadbook of the WRC elite in 2017, this high-speed Saarland stage has drawn huge crowds. Also because of spectacular sections such as the small jump on the outskirts of Urexweiler with its tricky left turn. It takes excellent driving skills to negotiate this SS smoothly.

SS 12 & 14 Arena Panzerplatte (10.73km, 15:08 hours & 19:08 hours): After the lunchtime servicing at Bostalsee, the ADAC Rallye Deutschland will move to the Baumholder military range for the further challenges the day will hold in store. The shorter of the two Panzerplatte SS is 1.3km longer than last year and will be run in the opposite direction: it starts at the central spectator area with its looming tower and an arena feel that is unique in the world. The Panzerplatte sprints certainly include the legendary Gina jump.

SS 13 & 15 Panzerplatte (41.17km, 15:46 hours & 19:41 hours): For the long Panzerplatte stage, the teams will need to take new recce notes. This ultimate endurance test both for the drivers and the cars will also be run in the opposite direction and includes several new sections. Fights for top speeds between the relentless Hinkelstein boulders and the tyre-killing surface of Panzerplatte make the stage a superlative roller coaster ride - with abrupt ascents and steep descents. All the action at the military range - this year until well into the evening - is a must for spectators. A summer night's dream for every rally fan!

Sunday, 25 August 2019
SS 16 & 18 Grafschaft (28.06km, 07:46 hours & 10:10 hours): On the final day of the ADAC Rallye Deutschland, do not forget to set your alarm clock. Early in the morning, the WRC stars will drive to the right bank of the river Mosel for the Grafschaft SS. At 28km, this is the longest vineyard stage. Between Wintrich and Gornhausen, where the SS starts and ends, the cars will negotiate nearly endless hairpin bends, climbing over 340m in altitude. On their way to the finish area, the teams will also pass the Arena Veldenz spectator area, an impressive natural grandstand with a prime view.

SS 17 & 19 Dhrontal (11.69km, 09:41 hours & 12:18 hours): The Dhrontal SS will be the new, crowning culmination of the ADAC Rallye Deutschland this year. It will take the teams through the Mosel vineyards once more before ending near Neumagen-Dhron, Germany's oldest wine-growing town. Nevertheless, the top drivers will hardly have time to take in the beauty of the region because the final SS is a Power Stage in which they can earn valuable WRC bonus points. The legendary Galeria Dhron spectator area is a hotspot with a perfect view of numerous switchbacks. Having crossed the finish line, the participants will return to the Service Park at Bostalsee where the official award ceremony of the 2019 ADAC Rallye Deutschland will take place at 13:30 hours.

Note:
For downloadable overview maps of the itinerary, go to the media portal at adac.de/rallye-deutschland-media.

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

Passes to the ADAC Rallye Deutschland are available at www.adac.de/rallye-deutschland. The official online ticket shop sells both four-day rally and day passes. ADAC members pay EUR65 for a pre-sale rally pass (EUR70 for non-members). The rally pass package is available at an extra EUR5 and includes the pass and the official rally magazine. During the ADAC Rallye Deutschland, the regular price for a rally pass will be EUR80 at all on-site sales points. Day passes (for Thursday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday) are available exclusively on pre-sale and start at EUR25.

The rally pass package includes:

• Access to all Special Stages on all days
• Access to the 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.