Citroen WRT vs Ford WRT

[N.O.T]

No other driver in the whole history of the sport had such immunity and support as Wilson Jr....

something really fishy might be going with the ford b-team maybe the tax service of brittain need to investigate, Or maybe not......

[julkki]

Today I was reading the newspaper and I noticed a comment from Mikko. "I have to forget my survival instinct and put the pedal to the medal!"

What?!

You need to forget that survival instinct in the first SS if you want to challenge Seb. Too many times I have read comments from Mikko in the Finnish media that "Now I have to start to push, have to forget survival instinct or put the pedal to the medal"

Loeb doesn't give same kind of comments. It's only like "All is going fine, I'm going flat out" or "I can't go faster (this happens though very rarely)". I don't know if it's when Mikko tries to go in the pace of Loeb, he needs to overachive hugely or does those comments say that he has some safe-mode allmost always on or he has bad uncertainty of his speed. If he has, those seems to be permanent.

When Loeb and Ogier are going flat out and attacking one knows that they really are attacking and they really have the raw speed!

In Latvala's case it's clear that he has the raw speed too. When he pushes the car is on it's limits. But too often it goes over those limits.

In Mikko's case I have always had a confusion about the state of his skill/100% determination/car.

[MJW]

okay, we are here the wise guys but everybody on this planet beside family Wilson has to agree that Mr. Wilson made some tactical and general errors.
First it started with the follow-up with Marcus.
Everbody saw how good Loeb was, he's exceptionnel, on the level (or even higher) of Marcus, Juha, Tomi, Carlos, Colin. To beat this guy (when Marcus retired) they had to hire Duval the whole season beside Hirvonen and to ring Latvala later on.
And with Petter become free for 2009 they had another chance after Latvala was doing it bad back in 2008. Even 2010 they could hire Petter, now is Petter a problem for Ford like early said here.
Latvala is fast, good but it takes way too long for steady results. It was better to get him in one of the Stobart car and working on everthing a bit and play a good support role.

They already lost this season before it even started, like last year but they had the luck with the suddenly problems by Loeb.

And then the other Ford teams; what in the hell are sponsors thinking too support a Matthew Wilson who is really the slowest driver i've ever seen, it's pathetic and in his latest interview it was said it was a ten (!) year program..
It must be the Business 2 Business why Stobart is willing to pay the car for his son.
Then H. Solberg, many good international sponsors but he's driving for 3 years far from top drivers, he was interesting back in 2006 & 2007 but now it's nothing, hopeless, pathetic also too see. He's driving in nobody's land and will be catched by Raikkonen before the end of the season...
Villagra in the Munich car, why? With PG (or Pozzo if it must be an Argentine driver) in the car they had more attention for sure.
Block in the Monstor car is a complete commercial concept, i can accept that.

You need more drivers capable to catch and attack Loeb otherwise he will never make a mistake.
So hire PG directly and give Duval a fast car for the tarmac rounds and bring Meeke in the Stobart car next year.

Mr. Wilson and Ford are very good for the rallysport, thumbs up but the bad results is there own fault, simply.

About Loeb & Citroen; they are making the most out of it, the rivals making mistakes and beside Ford, from 2006 there was nobody else.

Agree - with the exception of the Duval bit.

[Sulland]

I have the feeling that Henning Solberg can do mucher better if given the opertunity.. It seems that he's paying to much for his seat in this team.. No testing at all, and not the top spec car.. And he is also afraid to destroy the car.. He even told that he could'nt afford to loose any more rear bumpers.. So thats how tight his budget is.. Mathew Wilson on the other hand is testing with the M1-boys..
Is Henning paying for his joyride? Just asking..

Henning should get out of the Stobart deal, and team up with Petter. That would benefit them both, if they could keep the truce !!

[mjh]

Have I missed something? There are only 15 points between the CWRT and FWRT after 4 events, it is still very close.

Citroen WRT is Loeb and Sordo, and Sordo has yet to set foot on the podium this season. If he keeps up his poor form this is going to cause a real problem for Citroen for the manufacturers championship.
If Hirvonen hadn't made his rare mistake in Jordan then things would be a lot closer. He's obviously trying hard to drive on the limit rather than settle for second and hope Loeb stuffs up (which nearly paid off last year). However now that Petter has refound his enjoyment of rallying I think the real threat is Loeb / Petter blocking out 1/2 on the podium and Hirvonen having to fight for third.
I don't believe Latvala has lost pace this year, I think he has accepted he is doing a different job and on that basis is having a good year so far, even with his roll in Turkey. He is backing Mikko up and scoring more consistently than Sordo. Its no good matching Seb's pace for 11 stages only to plough off the road on the 12th...
I think this year the makes championship will be a lot closer than you think and I wouldn't be surprised if Loeb / Petter / Mikko / Latvala / Ogier all had a turn on the top of the podium before the season is up......

I don't think the C4 is generally better than the Focus - they both have strengths and weaknesses, I think we are just seeing the usual all conquering Seb and a revitalised Petter against a Ford no1 and no2 that are getting used to having to use different driving approaches this year.

[mjh]

every single driver in the citroen team is far better than its counterpart in the ford team. About the cars i think they are pretty much equal...its the drivers that make a difference.

Ahem.... Sordo better than Latvala? Not on current form......

[amilk]

Time to wake up for Wilson sr. and to give the car of the junior to someone who can challenge the podium (like Petter, Ogier at Citroen).
Tarmac events are coming and we will not see a single Ford in top4.

I like Mikko but little bit tired to see the comments that "ok I have to push harder" - this is what he says since 3 years. Last year he was very lucky to challenge the title till the last race.

[EavesFan09]

Ahem.... Sordo better than Latvala? Not on current form......

I agree. Sordo had the advantage over the rally with Jarri coming higher than Sordo in only 6 of the stages and in the overall classification Sordo held the advantage in all but two.

But one rally does not make a season. Jarri has a 23pt lead over Danni and of course has out scored Sordo on every rally. In Jordan was higher than Sordo in 15 stages with 12 ending higher than Sordo.

[ridder]

Malcolm seems to think more about business than winning. Having some drivers that are there just for money is surely ok, but you should also have some challengers to attack.

There are free drivers that would be able to fight in the Top 6 given the opportunity:

Atkinson - about as fast as Petter if we should judge by times in crappy Subarus
P.G. Andersson

...and also one Petter Solberg

[6789]

Malcolm seems to think more about business than winning. Having some drivers that are there just for money is surely ok, but you should also have some challengers to attack.

There are free drivers that would be able to fight in the Top 6 given the opportunity:

Atkinson - about as fast as Petter if we should judge by times in crappy Subarus
P.G. Andersson

...and also one Petter Solberg

Mikko and Petter would have been a force in the BP World Rally Cars, both as number one drivers and then when/if Petter started to lead Mikko in championship he could play a supporting role or vice versa..

Atkinson Or PG would be great in Stobart but i guess they didn't the big sponsors like Henning or even Block i guess


Another thing to consider is that Citroen is a factory based team vs Ford being a contracted team through M-Sport.. Do you think this would make much of a difference, Citroen probably has a bigger bank balance i assume?