Six Fiesta R2s travelled to Germany for the fourth round of the Fiesta SportTrophy International (FSTi) series this weekend where Christian Riedemann (22) and Josefine Beinke (18) took their first FSTi victory at the hotly contested ADAC Rallye Deutschland.  The 22-year-old driver's stunning performance also meant he finished fourth in the Junior World Rally Championship (J-WRC), in which he was nominated as the Guest Entry.  Current FSTi leader Victor Henriksson sat this round out, but maintains his lead by five points to Bader Al Jabri.

The three-day event saw the pack of Fiesta R2 entries tackle the longest FIA World Rally Championship stage in the calendar (Panzerplatte, 48km) with four of the original entries making it to the end of the challenging 405km event.  Two FSTi entries retired on Day 2, including the only entry to have previously contested Rallye Deutschland - Joachim Müller-Wende.  British duo Harry Hunt (21) and Sebastian Marshall (22) also retired on Friday afternoon with engine problems.

Friday's opening stage (SS1) was stopped for the six FSTi entries due to J-WRC rival Kevin Abring rolling on the stage and blocking the road.  The drivers were diverted directly to SS2, but this was also stopped after Riedemann had finished due to an earlier incident.   On Day 2, SS10, the longest of the day, was cancelled due to two cars that had caught fire on the stage.  For the drivers that missed these stages, a stage time approximate to their second pass was nominated by the Stewards.

Christian Riedemann has won a €1,500 M-Sport voucher and was also the winner of the Muc-Off Best Presented Car Award.

The Fiesta SportTrophy International (FSTi) series will move to Germany next week for the ninth edition of Rally Deutschland where six Fiesta R2 entries will prepare for the FSTi's first asphalt round of the season.

The seven-round series follows the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) calendar and the ADAC Rally Deutschland is the fourth round of this year's FSTi championship.  It will be the first asphalt round of the year in the FSTi championship and with only one of the six competitors having contested the event since its inception into the WRC in 2002, it will be a tough event.

The three-day event will kick off with an opening ceremony at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Porta Nigra on Thursday 28 August and will feature a total distance of 1,194 km, comprising of 19 special stages covering 407 km. 

Harry Hunt (21) and co-driver Sebastian Marshall (22) will be fighting hard to try to take back their lead in the FSTi series and close the 13 point gap on current championship leaders, Victor Henriksson (22) and Håkan Palm.    

A record breaking number of entries in the Fiesta SportTrophy International (FSTi) series will travel to Scandinavia next week for the 60^th edition of the iconic Neste Oil Rally Finland.  Eleven Fiesta R2 and three GpN Fiesta ST entries will prepare for one of the most hotly anticipated events on the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) calendar.

The Neste Oil Rally Finland is the eighth round of the WRC and the third round of the FSTi. One of the oldest events on the calendar, Rally Finland is also a firm favourite with drivers and fans alike as it lives up to its fearsome reputation as the fastest rally of the year. The event, which will kick off on Thursday 29 July and will feature a total distance of 1,307 km, will comprise of 19 special stages covering 310 km. 

The second round of the 2010 Fiesta SportTrophy International (FSTi) series got underway on Thursday evening as the competition joined the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) for the Vodafone Rally de Portugal.  This was the third time that the FSTi series had visited Portugal and the gravel road surfaces combined with the Algarve's warm climate proved challenging for the six Fiesta R2 entries and one GpN Fiesta ST.

The event kicked off in the Algarve Stadium on Thursday evening with an exciting Tarmac Super Special Stage. Constructed in 2004, huge crowds flocked to the football stadium to watch the FSTi drivers go head to head round the spectacular flood-lit 2.03km speed test.  Unlike the rest of the rally, the Super Special had a smooth asphalt surface, which on gravel tyres meant a serious lack of grip for the FSTi crews.