Don't know how much Meeke wants in salary, but McRae had the highest salary of the drivers in 2003 and combined with his results at that that time it probably didn't win him a seat for 2004. Meeke might have different wage demands.
Printable View
Especially now with monster buildings from manufacturers, where spectators are standing too far from the teams and cars...
Iīm sure Pontus isnīt alone in taking decisions. Inhouse Skoda they very well know how to deal with his future as well, I think.
Wilson couldn't bring McRae back for 2004.Ford was losing a lot of money back then and were cutting down motorsport budgets (got out of F1 by the end of the year). And Colin always wanted a high salary. Richards tried to bring him back to Subaru because he knew he was very marketable but even then they couldn't agree on a salary. Plus, rules changed allowing only two cars per manufacturer.
I think, it is evident, that stars need to be aligned if you want to win. Every single driver has different driving technique, every single event is different, every single corner of a rally is different… so, many stars need to be aligned in order to win…
Some drivers/teams manage it better some worse. Mr. Loeb had advantage of being in one team his whole career. Ogier had the same possibility with VW, until they pulled the plug, and he was struggling in the beginning when he went to Ford, but at that time had enough experience and credibility to push for changes. Neuville had some hard time with first generation i20, while Paddon was doing alright with it. Tanak, looks like, was perfect match for Yaris, or he has unique skill to set it up right (or a bit of both). If you crash too much or you are to slow, no team will be willing to compromise their car to your liking, especially if you are not their “#1”. It’s different in each case and it is really easy to get lost for young gun like Paddon or others.
At this point it could be beneficial for Paddon to switch to Citroen (if they are ready to commit long-term), of course risky, but current situation at Hyundai ain’t good for him.
I'm sure Skoda (and probably Pontus) already know what Skoda are doing in the future, even if they say 'nothing has been decided yet'
It would still be a tough call for him though, especially as he is already knocking on a bit and Skoda have plenty of other drivers in stock.
Looks like Ogier is trying to get him a better salary again playing by retirement or staying at M-Sport.