If you're really a purist then the leader should be first on the road, anything else is artificial tampering. ;)
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I definitely favour things remaining as they are. I especially dislike these knee-jerk reactions just because we got an exceptionally snowy Sweden for a change. Hardly grounds to rip up the rulebook. It's been said many times before, but in a world of DRS, success ballast the like, the WRC has a very nice natural handicap in the road order. It's also backed up by tradition. And I like the variation that weather and different surfaces bring.
That said I can see both sides. From a promoter standpoint I could definitely see the attraction in returning to qualifying - especially with Shakedown now being broadcast over their channels. It's much more of a spectacle. The WRC is in a new age of competitiveness too so it's a good time to bring it back. The only problem is if Ogier wins another couple of titles people will call for it to be binned off again.
The only way we can get equal road conditions is when we move everything into virtual world. I personally strongly dislike qualification in rallying as it really doesn't make it any more equal. Just a small select group benefit and everyone else will suffer anyway. So I really hope that this stupid knee jerk reaction fades away fast before anyone does something stupid.
So a rule that penalize allways the same is good?
What we could do is send some ex-professional driver in a wrc as 0 car to open the road. That way nobody fighting has to be first on the road.
Although i think ogier would still make the same complaints.
Qualifying has been used in the ERC with no issues. Why should two FIA Series (WRC and ERC) have different systems ?