Calendar 2009/2010

[Roy]

I get almost a hart attack when I saw this. New rallies, unknown what surface and missed a lot of quality, classic rallies.


http://www.fia.com/mediacentre/Press...071207-14.html

WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP

The following calendars have been adopted for the 2009 and 2010 seasons of the FIA World Rally Championship.

2009 FIA World Rally Championship
01-Feb Ireland
15-Feb Norway
15-Mar Cyprus
05-Apr Portugal
26-Apr Argentina
24-May Italy
14-Jun Greece
28-Jun Poland
02-Aug Finland
06-Sep Australia
04-Oct Spain
25-Oct GB

2010 FIA World Rally Championship
24-Jan Monte Carlo
14-Feb Sweden
07-Mar Mexico
11-Apr Jordan
25-Apr Turkey
16-May New Zealand
20-Jun Indonesia
18-Jul Russia
08-Aug Bulgaria
22-Aug Germany
12-Sep Japan
10-Oct France

A number of measures to improve side impact protection have been adopted for all manufacturer cars in the 2008 World Rally Championship. The safety measures allow for more space for absorbing energy; a stronger supporting seat; an energy absorber; safety nets and optimised belt anchorage positions.

Further side impact measures, including strong seat rails and a load spreading door cage, will be applied as soon as the manufacturers and the equipment suppliers are able to comply.

The FIA Junior Rally Championship has been reinstated as a world series (FIA Junior World Rally Championship) as it now runs over three continents.

[SubaruNorway]

What do Russia and Bulgaria compare to? Is Rally Libanon in Bulgaria? The big loss for 2010 is Finland i think, you can't do a season without Finland, it's just to good.

If you don't remember how good it is
http://videos.streetfire.net/video/4...fa00cfd828.htm

[Josti]

hmm...I really have to get used to this. I don't know if country's like Poland, Turkey, Russia and Bulgaria add something new to the scene. To my knowledge, most of the rallies on both calenders are on gravel, so I don't know what the hell FIA was thinking. I doubt w'll see mixed surface events in Portugal and Italy to be honest. FIA might underline mixed surface events different than we thought (like adding a bunch of SSS...)

Nope, doesn't do it for me...

[Woodeye]

I thought from the beginning that this idea was born dead. And it sure is if you look at this calender. No Monte, Sweden or NZ in 2009 or Finland and Wales in 2010. What a joke!

Especially 2010 is ridiculous. Turkey, Indonesia, Russia, Bulgaria. I can hardly wait.

Somehow it seems to me that FIA is using all the possible ways to make this sport even LESS popular.

[leno]

my opinion is not so negative. it is true that some of very good events will be missing but events like russia, bolgaria, indonesia, jordan can aslo become spectacular?i more negative to only 12 events per years

[William Hunt]

Some rally's like Finland, Wales and surely the Monte Carlo should be on the calendar every year. And the Safari should come back to WRC (I'm dreaming).

[L5->R5/CR]

Originally Posted by Woodeye I thought from the beginning that this idea was born dead. And it sure is if you look at this calender. No Monte, Sweden or NZ in 2009 or Finland and Wales in 2010. What a joke! Especially 2010 is ridiculous. Turkey, Indonesia, Russia, Bulgaria. I can hardly wait. Somehow it seems to me that FIA is using all the possible ways to make this sport even LESS popular.

I for one am intrigued to see Rally Russia and Rally Indonesia, however, no NZ, GB, and Finland each year? That is a crime against rally....

[A.F.F.]

I excited to see Indonesia back. How about that mud

What I'm worried is that are the championships equal every year ?? Of course they are but how they are gained ? Some years may suit better to others.

[bryst]

What are FIA on! missing classic events will not enhance the world wide appeal of the sport how can you have a season without Monte,Finland,Wales,Sweden etc. FIA ARE IDIOTS.

[Lousada]

Surprising calendar. That there are only 12 events is a very big plus in my opinion.
I too am intrigued by some of the rallies. Where did Indonesia and Bulgaria suddenly come from??? I presume Russia is the IRC-rally that moves over. Alternating the rallies looks a little odd. But in my opinion rallies like GB and Monte Carlo have been so dumbed down and average that it doesn't really matter.

Anyway, knowing the FIA, this calendar and probably the whole philosophy will change another 1293840202 times before 2009 and 2010.

[Simmi]

I suppose fair play to them for getting these calendars out so early. At least now teams and prospective teams (pretty please) have some idea about the future and something to work towards. But like Lousada says there will no doubt be a couple of changes before we get to 2009.

From a personal point of view it would have been nice to have Ireland and Wales on alternate years. I'm more bothered about the type of cars that will be running then where the rounds themselves are situated.

[J4MIE]

I too am surprised to see Russia, Indonesia and Bulgaria on the calendars but will reserve judgement until they run. Might be that they are good events! I sometimes think that whatever the FIA do there are some that will always complain. Variety is the spice of life in rallying and I don't think that there should be any "classic" events in every year in this system, where would we stop? Monte, Sweden, Portugal, Greece, New Zealand, Australia, Safari, Finland, Argentina, Corsica, Catalunya, GB... I'll watch the WRC wherever it goes, and on the event(s) I particularly love, will enjoy them all the more every two years

Better side impact measures and window nets can only be a good thing IMHO

[Roy]

Originally Posted by bryst What are FIA on! missing classic events will not enhance the world wide appeal of the sport how can you have a season without Monte,Finland,Wales,Sweden etc. FIA ARE IDIOTS.

National rally clubs -and I 've heard- manufactures can choose the calender. They vote for it. Who is the FIA in this case? The people who selected the rallies which can voted?
This make it more and more a World Championship.

Citroen needs a gravel driver in 2009/2010. Ther are less tarmac rallies. So far I count 2. Didn't know what rallies these are: Do some know what surface is of:
Poland (Is it gravel?)
Indonesia (?)
Russia (IRC '07 gravel rally?)
Bulgaria (?)

[Roy]

Originally Posted by Lousada Anyway, knowing the FIA, this calendar and probably the whole philosophy will change another 1293840202 times before 2009 and 2010.

Right!

[duff]

Let me reiterate what most others are saying- No Monte, Finland, Sweden and GB is the wrong way to go. They are the most iconic, popular, entertaining and classic rallies of the calendar and the should be PERMANANT!

I think 12 rallies is the way to go but you have to keep the soul of the championship. Like A.F.F I'll look forward to indonesia though, that rally was great.

[J4MIE]

Originally Posted by duff Let me reiterate what most others are saying- No Monte, Finland, Sweden and GB is the wrong way to go. They are the most iconic, popular, entertaining and classic rallies of the calendar and the should be PERMANANT!

Ok, but why not my favourite event CYPRUS, I believe that should be permanent too?

Oh, and let's have Ireland as permanent as well, it was quite interesting.

And Turkey, we definitely need a Turkish event.

And why not Germany and of course we can't forget the middle east so Jordan has to stay in also.

[AndyRAC]

This news came out on Friday/Saturday and I've been waiting to comment since then. They really know how to shoot themselves in the foot don't they? Remember 1994-96 when there was rotation, it didn't work; 1995 didn't have 1000 Lakes, 1996 didn't have Monte or RAC, and as Iwent to the RAC it was a damp( actually a snowy, icey) squib. Don't they ever learn, the WRC needs all the help it can get, so losing your big Rallies isn't the way to go, the 'classics' should run permamently, i;e Monte, Acropolis, Finland, GB. What bizarre statements will be next? I'm not sure some of the new countries are going to offer anything new, if there was a new mixed surface event, well possibly, but it's mainly gravel, and still no Safari....
....and why is GB running in October? Over here there hasn't been much outcry that we're losing a round, imagine if it had been the British GP.

[Daniel]

No Finland? WTF??????

[N.O.T]

Nice to see that the rounds are limited to 12....The selection is stupid though...i think the FIA must adopt 5-6 rounds that should be included every year (as long as they pass the standards) and rotate the remaining rounds

[Livewireshock]

The problem with having a rotational system is that every rally must sit out a year.

If you want to have "classic" events that are used year after year, you will be confronted by 20 different rallies as to why they should be made permanent. Because everyone wants to be there & everyone will be passionate for their favourite event, especially for their local rally.

By restricting the calendar to only 10 rallies a year limits the amount of venues the WRC can attend. As it stands, 8 out of 10 WRC rallies in 2009 will be held in Europe, so it hardly makes it a World Chapionship. In 2010, 6 out of the 10 events will be within Europe, with Jordan just being that little bit further.

So regardless of what most of you say, 60-80% of the events are going to be with in a 4 hour flight of most of Europe. So access & transport can not be considered an issue for any fan. With low cost airlines & such, travel is easier than ever.

Plus by having the WRC in new countries will open those countries up to become greater hard core Rally fans. It is too early to tell if the events will be good or not, but we should not put the cart before the horse in this matter. We could be surprised & see new venues full of ecstatic fans with great reports from the drivers to the quality of the roads etc....

Personally I think 10 events are too few, twelve would have been better with at least 4 long haul events per year, one each in South America, Asia, Africa & Oceania. As it currently stands, we have three rallies in Asia in 2010 but none in 2009 & I guess none in 2011.