New Deutschland

Surface: Tarmac

Not one of the drivers' favourites, this event lacks the charisma of the more exotic locations and many of the actual stages do nothing to inspire McRae and the other WRC stars.

Having only joined the WRC in 2002, the ADAC Rally Deutschland has actually been around since 1982 as an international event. It boasts luminaries such as Hannu Mikkola, Kalle Grundel, Jochi Kleint, Patrick Snijers, Piero Liatti, Robert Droogmans, Enrico Bertone and explosive French lady driver Michèle Mouton on its winners' before it attained WRC status.

Based around the Baumholder military ranges, the rally is an all-asphalt event, so it does play to the Citroen's strengths even if it is not the most aesthetically pleasing event on the calendar. Sebastien Loeb won here last season, so expect the Xsaras to be a potent threat on this year's event.

Calling this a simple tarmac rally would be to miss the thousands of small stones that appear to cover the roads and make them much rougher than the Autobahn.

Once the rally gets away from the stop-start first stages, it does improve, especially on the last day when a series of flowing sections allow the drivers to really cut loose and show what the car is capable of.

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