New to WRC--How should I watch and what should I watch for

kirungi okwogera,

I am glad that you find the thread refreshing. I was worried that it might be too elementary, but I sure appreciate the information. What a fabulous sport!

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Originally Posted by Revman

How do the cars get from stage to stage?

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While being state-of-the-art racing machines, they are road legal cars too. And have to remain so, meaning if a crew happen to lose a wheel on stages, they can't criple to service as three wheel car. They could, but regs don't allow. It've been strickened since last years. Earlier it was possible.

If you are interested about technical stuff you can follow homologation of cars.
http://www.fia.com/regulation/category/760
Open 2017 Complete list of homologated vehicles with extensions

If you want to read sporting regulations http://www.fia.com/regulation/category/119
2017 Sporting regulations and appendices.

About regulations http://www.fia.com/regulation/category/123

These specific regulations don’t tell so much because there are some homologations regulations that aren’t public.

And of course I can’t resist to advertise my home WRC rally by a couple of videos.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeeV...ature=youtu.be

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q42jT7AsNFE

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Originally Posted by Revman

How do the cars get from stage to stage?

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Originally Posted by Hartusvuori

While being state-of-the-art racing machines, they are road legal cars too. And have to remain so, meaning if a crew happen to lose a wheel on stages, they can't criple to service as three wheel car. They could, but regs don't allow. It've been strickened since last years. Earlier it was possible.

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To add to this, it's in the spirit and base rules of rallying that the cars complete all the route on their own power, without outside assistance except for designated service zones. So except for service only the crews (driver and co-driver) are allowed to work on the car and only using tools and parts found in the car.

There are some exceptions for example for refilling the radiator with water from nearby creeks, or even some Corona beer if that's more readily available (true story).

In the old days the rules were a bit less strict and cars could crawl on 3 wheels to the next service or service points were not as strictly enforced. On the Monte Carlo some teams even did mid-stage tyre changes!

Another interesting detail is the cars have two operating modes: stage and road. The stage mode is used in competition and everything is turned to 11 (turbo, engine mapping, anti-lag, diffs etc.) road is more tame and used on the road sections.

also all proper rally cars are equipped with a "road" ECU map for fuel economy and engine maintenance which they use on road sections.

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Originally Posted by seb_sh

In the old days the rules were a bit less strict and cars could crawl on 3 wheels to the next service or service points were not as strictly enforced. On the Monte Carlo some teams even did mid-stage tyre changes!

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Not even 'the old days', seem to remember Loeb doing it fairly recently. Although in '96/'97 (around then, can't recall which exact year) Makinen lost a rear wheel in Rally GB but was stopped by the police from carrying on. IIRC Gronholm had a similar problem a few years later. Of course the cars still have to comply with traffic laws of the country, people have been stopped for speeding in the past at several events.

Things didn't used to be quite so strict there's a great video of Ari Vatanen on a rally in the UK where they borrow the driveshaft from a spectator's road car (think it was a Capri)

Edit: Was actually the diff - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LmzOKiJfiQ

1976 Scttish Rally. Not the worst way to kill forty minutes of your time. With the exception of a few Finns it's very British, though.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=RGQDBlLA_RE

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Originally Posted by MrJan

Not even 'the old days', seem to remember Loeb doing it fairly recently. Although in '96/'97 (around then, can't recall which exact year) Makinen lost a rear wheel in Rally GB but was stopped by the police from carrying on. IIRC Gronholm had a similar problem a few years later. Of course the cars still have to comply with traffic laws of the country, people have been stopped for speeding in the past at several events.

Things didn't used to be quite so strict there's a great video of Ari Vatanen on a rally in the UK where they borrow the driveshaft from a spectator's road car (think it was a Capri)

Edit: Was actually the diff - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LmzOKiJfiQ

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The reason why it is now forbidden is exactly that the outcome was completely unpredictable and as such quite unfair. Sometimes the traffic police closed eyes and the show went on (Loeb in Mexico for example), sometimes the police was strict and the crew was fucked (Mäkinen in GB). Now the rules are stricter but same for everybody.

Talk to me about Hanninen.....Seems like a journeyman type of driver. Did development work for Hyundai and now Toyota....Does this guy have rally winning potential?

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Originally Posted by Mirek

The reason why it is now forbidden is exactly that the outcome was completely unpredictable and as such quite unfair. Sometimes the traffic police closed eyes and the show went on (Loeb in Mexico for example), sometimes the police was strict and the crew was fucked (Mäkinen in GB). Now the rules are stricter but same for everybody.

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I remember Gronholm in GB, something like:
Policeman: I can't let you continue
Gronholm: But I can continue
Policeman: No you can't
Gronholm: But I can, I know I can, if you let me