Andrea Crugnola and Michele Ferrara executed perfectly the mission given to them in Germany. WRC 3 category leaders throughout, they also performed well against the other two-wheel drive cars competing in Germany, ending the rally with the class win. Above all else, the Renault Sport Technologies crew had no mechanical issues, the Clio R3T proving once again to be unfailingly reliable.

Crugnola and Ferrara were equally able to test their speed, as they won 17 out of 21 stages in the R3 category. The Renault Sport team were able to confirm the handling of the car on this surface ahead of the upcoming events in the World Championship. By claiming the 25 points for winning the WRC 3 category, the Italian pair also made up part of their deficit in the championship. They now lie third in the overall standings.

“It was a fantastic weekend for us,” commented a delighted Andrea Crugnola. “This is our first win in a World Championship rally ! We finished a highly respectable 22nd place in the overall standings, and won both the two-wheel drive and R3 categories. I would like to thank Renault Sport Technologies and ASM Motorsport, as well as our supporters, who helped us secure this result. We can’t wait to get to Corsica !”

“It’s a perfect result, exactly the one we had been hoping for,” confirmed Sylvain Alanore, Renault Sport Technologies’ Team Manager. “Winning was essential to be able to continue to fight with the leading cars in WRC 3. Andrea drove very well and we can all be pleased that we managed the race so well. We confirmed a lot of items ahead of the Tour de Corse, a rally that could prove decisive as regards the outcome of the title race. The team worked in perfect harmony and we were able to confirm the reliability of Clio R3T at world level on tarmac. Without taking any risks, we dominated both the WRC 3 and two-wheel drive categories. We still have some room for improvement in terms of out-and-out performance but we definitely already have real pace. That augurs well for the rest of the season.”

Rallye de France – Tour de Corse will be held on 1-4 October.

WRC 3 standings after Rallye Deutschland
1. Quentin Gilbert 75 points (4 results)
2. Ole Christian Veiby 65 (4 results)
3. Andrea Crugnola 52 (4 results)
4. Henri Haapamaki 48 (3 results)
5. Simone Tempestini 44 (4 results) …