The most overrated rally driver?

[clem126]

most overrated at the moment seems to be campana. why does he get the money from ffsa? what has he ever shown except some good speed at corsica witch was his homeevent? and now with the mini he´s just very slow, same in irc with the peugeot.

I dont know how much ffsa give him to be in the Mini but Drive-pro's boss is also from Corsica, that why Campana has been chosen over other french driver that deserve that seat at least as much as he does!

[RobertS]

Statistically what you say is true.

I think 1995 is special because of the mountain-bike accident of Sainz - after he could not start in NZ

juwra.com**|**Season 1995 - Championship standings

It was the clear turning point in mid season, pre NZ:

Sainz - 50p
McRae - 20p.

If Sainz start in NZ, he is the absolute team no.1. in the second half of the season, even with a bad result in NZ(maybe a +1 with a healthy engine in AUS) - it means no chance for McRae
If Sainz the World Champion in 1995, he did not go to Ford in 1996 etc...
(here we have a lot of nice 'what if' scenarios)

Mäkinen took 4 titles...but 2 of them could easily have been anothers.

I am sure, a lot of fans have their 'own WRC stats' on which Carlos Sainz is the Champion in 1998 with that engine-fire at the end of the last ss. in GB.
He is the most unlucky champion at me...

Colin took 1 title but was very close on 3 others (97,98,01).

1997 >

juwra.com**|**Season 1997 - Championship standings

McRae had 5x retirements - 2x his own fault(MC ice-recce fault?) and 3x technical
Makinen had 4x retirements - 1x his own, 1x more own maybe(radiator in ID) 1x hit cow on Corsica(Tommi was very competitive on tarmac already in that year) 1x front-diff
Sainz 5x retirements - 5x technical KO!!! +1x 0p in Spain which was technical too

So, at me in 1997 Sainz was the most unlucky(again ), who could win also with a bit more reliable Ford.
But you are right, McRae was very near.

1998 >

juwra.com**|**Season 1998 - Championship standings

This year I can not agree, because Makinen had 6x! retirements in that season, good chance for everybody else...
Sainz was really unlucky in this season again, but the real speed was at Makinen.
Probably you seen McRae's 5x retirements only, in which 4x were technical.

2001 >

juwra.com**|**Season 2001 - Championship standings

Very interesting season, with a lot of 0p. at everybody.

Burns - 4x retirements (+2x 0p.)
McRae - 5x (+3x 0p.)
Makinen - 6x (+1x 0p.)
Grönholm - 8x (+1x 0p.)

At me the speed was at Makinen in this year also. But this is subjective.

[Sladden]

1998 >

juwra.com**|**Season 1998 - Championship standings

This year I can not agree, because Makinen had 6x! retirements in that season, good chance for everybody else...
Sainz was really unlucky in this season again, but the real speed was at Makinen.
Probably you seen McRae's 5x retirements only, in which 4x were technical.

I just watched that season today. Many had problems sure...but no one was as fast as Colin over the year with 21 ss wins over Mäkinen. But the thing was how poor Subaru concistency were. Australia and GB had Colins name written on them...in the lead on both but engine exipred. Pirellis not working on snow and dry tarmac...Mitsubishi and Michelin was always more concistent.

[Coach 2]

All have great sympathy with Carlos for the season ending in 1998, but can anyone remember why Tommi did not complete the Rally GB this year?

[RobertS]

All have great sympathy with Carlos for the season ending in 1998, but can anyone remember why Tommi did not complete the Rally GB this year?

I think that season was gone for Carlos on tarmac(see Spain and Corsica) >

http://www.juwra.com/season_1998_points.html

The Corolla was very competitive on tarmac, even vs kitcars >

http://www.juwra.com/catalunya_1998_results.html

but Sainz had badluck(again). In Spain a puncture, in Corsica electrical(?) 2x 0p.
AFAIK a lucky win for McRae in Corsica(rain + Pirelli)

http://www.juwra.com/corsica_1998_results.html

[Coach 2]

What I meant by the question Roberts, is that everyone seems to remember that Carlos had engine problems 400 m before the finish on the last SS, and lost the World Cup title for this reason.

But there does not appear that anyone remembers why Mækinen had to retire in the same race.

[RobertS]

What I meant by the question Roberts, is that everyone seems to remember that Carlos had engine problems 400 m before the finish on the last SS, and lost the World Cup title for this reason.

But there does not appear that anyone remembers why Mækinen had to retire in the same race.

With other words >

1998 >

juwra.com**|**Season 1998 - Championship standings

This year I can not agree, because Makinen had 6x! retirements in that season, good chance for everybody else...
Sainz was really unlucky in this season again, but the real speed was at Makinen.

Please read all of my posts, before quote for details...
We see it very same.

But there does not appear that anyone remembers why Mækinen had to retire in the same race.

I can not remember for the details.
Was somebody there - where Makinen hit the concrete-bloc - to warn Sainz, to slow down?

[Coach 2]

This question was not intended specifically for you Roberts.

But what I wanted out of the question, is to refresh the people's Memory, or the lack of it.
In that year had some historic cars driven in the SS1 before Mækinen came as start number one.
One of these cars had failure of either engine or gearbox inside the stage, and had released large amounts of oil on the asphalt. Mækinen hit this oil, and destroyed a rear wheel. The rest of the participants were warned about this and no one else had an accident.
On the way to the next service, Mækinen was stopped by police and had to withdraw from the rally.

[Nornbugger]

you are right in what you say Coach, Tommi was taken out through no fault of his own, it must have been a long rally for him waiting in the expectation of the title going from him.



a bit of topic, but why had Sainz no rear spoiler on that last stage?

[RobertS]

The rest of the participants were warned about this and no one else had an accident.

Sainz onboard - at 04:00
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5vz1DKNCNs

that yellow jacket-guy

I think all of these are 'what if's' or hard statements:

- Without the warning from the yellow-jacket guy Sainz hit that concrete too.
or
- all the same, without that 'warning' Sainz go through in that corner without problem
or
- Makinen was a bit too fast there + the oil on the road

We will never know....

Were there any warnings at the start of that stage for Sainz, which was not for Makinen