Martin on the mend

Martin has been resting since Finland and commented: "I still feel quite tired, but I don't expect that to be a problem by the time the rally starts in Germany."

The Estonian reckons the German event is a tricky one though. "It is very different to the other asphalt events in the championship," said the 28-year-old. "There are many different road surfaces and it's not unusual to find several surface changes on the same stage. When it rains it's difficult to spot which surface has good grip and which doesn't."

The stages on the event are split between narrow roads through vineyards and varied roads over the Baumholder military training area.

"Baumholder is tricky because the roads are fast," said Martin, "the kerb stones are huge and if it is warm and dry then tyre wear becomes crucial. The vineyard roads demand total concentration because it's easy to miss a braking point and overshoot a junction. Sand on the road is probably the biggest worry. It makes corners incredibly slippery and with gravel crews banned, it will be especially difficult on the second pass through stages to spot where the danger places are."

Martin's Belgian team-mate Francois Duval echoed his thoughts on the particular nature of the stages, but added: "These stages are similar to the roads at home in Belgium on which I started my career. I'm used to them and I enjoy them."