WRC calendar 2010 and beyond...

[MJW]

Occasionally there used to be snow and ice on the old RAC Rally, since it moved to South Wales there hasn't been any.

Struggling for snow in Sweden these days too. Who knows what Sweet Lamb in December is like, maybe we get a "winter" in the UK in 2008/9, the summer is cold enough here this year.

[AndyRAC]

Agree about the GPWEEK online magazine - it's worth subscribing. Good points raised by Martin Holmes. You don't get rid of your prestige events - unless it's the WRC - and the people running it are clueless.

[koko0703]

I would like to see New Zealand instead of Japan, Corsica instead of Catalunya, and Acropolis as a permanent event but I understand the manufacturers suggestion. With Oz and NZ rotating, they'll have at least one event in down under every year while two manfacturers (which is sadly half of manufacturer entries right now) wants home event in Japan. Two permanent event in France probably doesn't work out in the World Championship, so if you have to pick one, Monte would be the choice. And having a visit to South America would be good from the promotinal perspective.

Yes, fans have different opinion but I rather give manufacturers what they want right now.

[Saabaru]

You have an interesting point of view. Do you not think that the historical background to the event, classic stages and fog (in addition to rain) add to the uniqueness of Rally GB? Also they were only the second event last year to have proper night stages.

If it were run on tarmac it would lose its character and become rather similar to Ireland, I think. I like GB the way it is.

All I am saying is don't stop running one event that is one of the most spectated events on the calendar and use an excuse that you hold as a unique quality for another rally. Personally I don't like Rally GB the way it is and would rather see it run on tarmac. Those muddy roads of Wales can be just as distructive as the dry rocky roads of Greece, but we all have different opinions. I know there are other reasons they used to stop running Rally Portugal but they could have been addressed very easily. But in the end it's all political and has nothing to do with the motor sport.

[redunderthebed]

I have got the impression that an Australian Rally wont happen because noone wants it for some reason. There was rumblings of a QLD rally but the company responsible for that collapsed or something im not sure. I think they should do it my home state of South Australia (biased i know) there is heaps of places i would imagine and the ARC has a round already which has being going for years so we can host such events.

I think they should cut the crap and either have a 12-16 round WRC season or have a 20-24 round season which includes all the rallys that get dicked around now.Don't leave people who have invested money into having this rally there in the lurch.

They should have a permanant rally fixture with no other rounds on a rotation list.Its a crap idea that just dicks the promotors around and makes WRC a less attractive thing to invest in because people dont know whether they are going to have a race at all next season.

[Motorsportfun]

I agree about some permanent rallies. I'm thinking to Monte Carlo, Finland, Acropolis, Corsica. But it's necessary to go to important markets like Russia (it has been rumoured Novorossysk, in the Black Sea), Japan, USA, China and, maybe, in Abu Dhabi (there are lots of potential sponsors). I agree to have the rotation for the other rallies: Corsica and Catalunya, Italy and Ireland, Norway and Sweden, Portugal and Turkey, Poland and Cyprus, and to do so...

[Rallyst3ve]

I think there should be a set of core rallies which should be run each year due to there importance in the history of the World Rally Championship such as the Monte, Sweden, New Zealand, Corsica, Finland, Rally GB etc then have a certain number of events which rotate each year giving new counties a chance.
I would reduce the amount of events to ethier 10 or 12 so you could have eight core events and two rotational events or ethier eight core events and four rotational.
Hopefully by reducing the number of events more teams will join up!
The length of events also need to be increased its just a sprint now with a few stages run twice each day. Thats not how rallying should be is it?? Obviously they cant be as long as they used to but lets have at least 10 stages a day and only one or two stages run twice a day make it more of a challange and get the excitment back to the world rally championship!!!!!!!!!

[AndyRAC]

Listening to Midweek Motorsport tonight on RadioLeMans.com, and Andrew Coe - Chairman of Rally GB was still hopeful that it will run in the WRC in 2010, and that the Manufacturers are still not happy about the calendar. He was hopeful that it would take place whether in or out of the WRC - as it's a popular Rally with fans, media, etc. I just hope he realises, it's nowere near as popular as it once was, with both fans and media.
As for Monte Carlo, haven't they signed up with the IRC for 3 years?

[cosmicpanda]

I don't think that the rotation system will last. Some rallies will find that they can't cope with it and will withdraw from the WRC, and then the rotation will be unnecessary. Of course, to get back to a 16 round calendar from 24 events will require eight events to withdraw, so it could take a while.

I think that if three or four events are withdrawn then we'd begin to see events run on consecutive years again.