Ford Future Thread

[Roy]

All teams are waiting for the meeting on june 24 to see the new wrc rules.

Was the meeting yesterday? Any news?

[MJW]

Was the meeting yesterday? Any news?

Two day meeting, yesterday and today, no news expected until late this afternoon. Autosport.com bill it as possibly the most important meeting regarding world rallying's future, with the series promotion and technical rules being decided (yesterday) and ratified today in the meeting with FIA.

[Roy]

Was the meeting yesterday? Any news?

I found something. no decisions yet.
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/68604

Both Citroen and Ford have confirmed they will walk away from the sport if the right decisions concerning the future of the World Rally Championship are not made in Paris this week.

Ford of Europe's motorsport director Mark Deans said: "This is a watershed moment for the World Rally Championship. It's impossible to overstate the importance of this week."

Deans' counterpart at Citroen, Olivier Quesnel, is in complete agreement.

"At the moment, the promotion of rally is nothing," he said. "Look at other sports, it's incredible. Look at DTM, it's so much more than WRC."

[AndyRAC]

I found something. no decisions yet.
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/68604

Both Citroen and Ford have confirmed they will walk away from the sport if the right decisions concerning the future of the World Rally Championship are not made in Paris this week.

Ford of Europe's motorsport director Mark Deans said: "This is a watershed moment for the World Rally Championship. It's impossible to overstate the importance of this week."

Deans' counterpart at Citroen, Olivier Quesnel, is in complete agreement.

"At the moment, the promotion of rally is nothing," he said. "Look at other sports, it's incredible. Look at DTM, it's so much more than WRC."

While I understand Citroen's gripe about lack of promotion, they aren't really helping themselves are they?
When was the last time you saw an advert promoting their success? Same with Ford, the last 2 years they have won the Manufacturers crown - yet would you know it?
Look at Peugeot in Sportscars - they've won 3 LMS races, and have advertised the fact the day after taking up a whole page in newspapers.

If the WRC is to survive and then grow, then the Manufacturers are going to have to embrace change. Simple cheap cars - S2000, which are easy for Privateers to get hold of, spectacular to look at and noisy. Currently, although great technology, are as boring as hell, and sound like strangled farts. Also, each event needs to be different instead of the identikit events we have now. If no changes are agreed, then the WRC is dead, simple as. At the moment, there's just no interest here in UK, an event passes without any mention in the mainstream media - that can't go on.

[Roy]

http://www.crash.net/motorsport/wrc/...exclusive.html
Wilson in a interview at Crash.net

Crash.net:
Have Ford set a time scale for when they want a global promoter appointed?

MW:
We are working with the FIA now. We need to make sure something is in place as soon as possible - the sooner the better really, because to make the decision to continue for the longer term, then, it's late now. But the important thing is we can work with the FIA now and get exactly what the sport needs, what Ford needs and what the other manufacturers' need, to take this sport to where it should rightfully be.

Crash.net:
How much longer can Ford and the other manufacturers' wait for it?

MW:
We have been given the green light that they are going to appoint a promoter and I know they are having meetings with promoters at the moment. You have got to get the right promoter. You have got to get the right people. It is not something that is going to happen overnight. As I said, we are working with them, because it is so important for everybody, that when it is announced, we want it to be right. At least we are having some input with the FIA and that is the important thing.