Daniel Oliveira arrives in France for another try on asphalt

The BWRT driver Daniel Oliveira is aiming to capitalize on consecutive runs on asphalt when he tackles the Rallye de France next week (October 4th-7th) on board the Ford Fiesta RS WRC serviced and managed by the Stohl Racing team.

Daniel Oliveira and Carlos Magalhaes, Ford Fiesta RS WRC

Photo by: Ford Motor Company

The Brazilian representative hasn't practically moved away from tarmac roads after his last competition in Germany since Daniel and his Portuguese navigator Carlos Magalhaes decided to skip the Wales Rally of Great Britain to focus on their training programme.

Oliveira made use of another test-day in Austria ten days ago as preparation for his awaited comeback in the 11th round of the FIA World Rally Championship, and now is ready for another great challenge. "I'm really looking forward to this event. It's bee n more than a month since our last competition in Germany which has also been run on asphalt" said Oliveira.

"We come back to this rally with much more experience and kilometres on this surface than our first appearance last year which didn't work out as good as we wished it would. Now we feel more confident" he added.

The scenery. The Rallye de France is based on the outskirts of Strasbourg, in the Alsace North-West region, and shares some features with the Rally of Germany like the vineyard-based stages, plus undulating forest roads and also a speed test in a military training area in Bitche.

The inconsistent stage surfaces, a mixture of narrow and fast sections and even cold temperatures and unsettled weather are some of the ingredients of this round, the third to be entirely run on asphalt this season.

The route. The general layout is almost identical to that of 2011 with the inclusion of a new stage called Soultzeren-Pays Welche, to the West of Colmar, the centre of the first day of racing on Friday.

However, actions will kick off the day before with the starting ceremony which will be followed by a Super Special stage in Strasbourg.

On Saturday there will be a much faster and longer leg. The main novelty of this day is a 23,92-km stage in the Bas-Rhin department, called the Pays de la Haute-Ruche, which it is very quick and runs through the Steige and Charbonnière mountain passes.

For the final leg on Sunday the organisation has reshuffled the order of the first two stages before the Haguenau street test which will host the Power Stage for the second run.

The closing ceremony will be held in the Strasbourg Zenith for the first time putting on another spectacle for the spectators present there.

Rallye de France

Date: October 4th-7th
Round: 11 of 13
Base: Strasbourg (Alsace)
Surf ace: Asphalt.
Total distance: 1,385.72 km (competitives 404.90 km)
Number of stages: 22.
Longer stage: 43.45 km (SS 10 y 14, Pays d'Ormont).
Permanent Service Park: Strasbourg Zenith
Día 1: Thursday 4 October. Cars starting SS 1 at 16:30 (3.63km).
Día 1: Friday 5 October. Cars starting SS 2 at 09:23 (146.17 km).
Día 2: Saturday 6 October. Cars starting SS 9 at 08:38 (192.62 km).
Día 3: Sunday 7 October. Cars starting SS 17 at 09:23 (62.48 km).
Final: Sunday 7 October. Strasbourg.

Source: Brazil WRT