Red Bull Rallye Team drivers Hermann Gassner Jr and Patrik Sandell were once again on top form on day two of Rallye Deutschland, which covered 185 kilometres over eight gruelling stages.
Gassner Jr remains in fourth position in the Production Car World Rally Championship, while Sandell is locked in a thrilling battle for Super 2000 World Rally Championship honours with five stages to go until the finish in Trier on Sunday afternoon.
With ambient temperatures exceeding 30 degrees centigrade and the road temperature hovering around the 40-degree mark, both Red Bull drivers have faced a tough challenge. Gassner Jr reported the temperature on board his Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX rose to 50 degrees centigrade at one point in the afternoon.
"Everything has been fine today and I am satisfied with my performance," said the 21-year-old Gassner Jr. "We were hoping for a podium finish but at the moment that is not going to be possible. However, it is very important we reach the finish so we won’t take any big risks and will be doing our best to stay calm in front of our home fans."
Gassner Jr’s only real cause for concern occurred on stage eight when he lost 20 seconds with a spin on a left corner. However, it proved to be a rare error by the rising star, who is chasing PWRC points for the first time after being nominated as a wildcard entrant by the rally organisers.
Swede Sandell is 4.6 seconds off the lead in the SWRC category following an impressive showing in his Skoda Fabia. "It’s a big battle and I am really enjoying it," he said. "I’ve really gone for it today and I think my rivals are afraid of me rather than the other way around because I am putting pressure on them. A win is the target tomorrow and I am reasonably confident I can do it. I am in control of the situation and the car has been perfect."
Raimund Baumschlager, whose BRR operation runs Gassner Jr and Sandell, was full of praise for his two drivers. He said: "It’s been a great day for both our drivers. Congratulations to Patrik especially, who has done a fantastic job to be fighting for the lead. Tomorrow is going to be a very exciting day and obviously our plan is to try and win: whether or not the plan comes off is another question! As for Hermann, his priority is to learn and get to the finish. Recently he made a big change to his pace note system, so it’s important that he gets a lot of practice with this. So far, I think he is doing a very good job."
Sunday’s final leg consists of five stages and a competitive distance of 85.69 kilometres. The first stage gets underway at 0728hrs local time with the rally closing SSS Circus Maximus stage through the streets of Trier starting at 1303hrs.