The potential of manufacturers at this point?

[tfp]

Why? Are you saying that they would prefer to only promote themselves in Asia/Aus rather than the whole world?

Of course the main factors in attracting more manufacturers is getting the sport at a level where it is properly popular again. If the viewers aren't there then it's not worth the investment.

Pretty much for now, I wonder how much popularity the asian manufacturers would gain from entering the WRC? Of course more manufacturers is a good thing, but the manufacturers have to feather their own nests first!

[sollitt]

If the owners of WRC want to include the world outside the Eurozone they need to have at least 16 events. Including countries in the emerging new world.

There will never be any benefit in running events for the sake of running events. Quality will always win over quantity. There is no place for half arsed poorly conceived events in out of the way places.

If you want to attract manufacturers (or any corporate involvement) you require robust and stable rules and organisation, a strong marketing and media profile and a selection of quality events, each with an individual style & character that adds both to the adventure and the marketability.
One such event each month is ample.

Of the Japanese manufacturers I would think Toyota would remain the most likely to return to WRC however I believe even that prospect is an extremely long shot.
Who knows what the Koreans might do? They wouldn't know themselves day in/day out.

In my view the FIA blew a golden opportunity by not making S2000 the WRC formula two years ago.

[focus206]

There will never be any benefit in running events for the sake of running events. Quality will always win over quantity. There is no place for half arsed poorly conceived events in out of the way places.

Totally agree

[AndyRAC]

Personally, I think 16 events is far too many and would be extremely costly, and that is the main problem with the current sport. The costs outweight the benefits.

Twelve high quality, well promoted, and differently challenging events is what the WRC needs.

[Plan9]

Interesting comments. Of course the economic climate, marketing, rules for the calendar have to be considered. I would have thought that including events like Ypres and Circuit of Ireland would be a no brainer to organizers in these circumstances. Wouldn't it also be beneficial to have an event in Russia and maybe China as well, at least the domestic Chinese car market is growing in double digits per year.

[A.F.F.]

There are succesfull marketing stories in WRC like Subaru Impreza, Peugeot 205 and 206, Mitsubishi Lancer evo, Toyota Corolla etc... Surely the worldwide promotion do them good but only if the concept is solid and right. Meaning what folks here have already said. The rules of WRC should be clear and NOT chamging every second year. There should be visibility and lots of it but not based on WRC rounds.

I don't know about you guys but I surely changed my opinions to positive for instance of Subaru when I saw it succeeding in rallying on every possible terrain... as well as Skoda.

[grugsticles]

I would think Hyundai is a fair chance to rejoin.
From what ive heard (I have not sighted any actual factual information) Hyundai are one of, if not the, fastest growing car manufactures in the world.
I would think that they have moved away from the stigma of being a totally cheap-and-cheerful manufacturer, and now make some very decent cars. For example, the i30 is a good piece of kit.
Finance aside, it would be the perfect time for them to enter world motor sport.

Having said that, Im a Subaru fan and Im hangin out for a sniff that they might be coming back to the WRC where they belong.

[Prisoner Monkeys]

I think the only real barrier to entry is Sebastien Loeb. Manufacturers enter the sport to increase their profile, and success is the surest way to do that. But Loeb has dominated the championship for the past eight years with Citroen. Once somebody proves that he can be beaten, I think a lot more manufacturers will be interested in the WRC again.

[MikeD]

Personally, I think 16 events is far too many and would be extremely costly, and that is the main problem with the current sport. The costs outweight the benefits.

I don't think 16 rallies would be too many. I think the problem lies with the many rallies that has no relevance to the Manufacturers. Many of the potential manufacturers are putting preassure on FIA to change the calendars for F1, WTCC, WEC and WRC to make it suit their sales markets.

WTCC has added China, USA and Argentina to the calendar because it's relevant for the Manufacturers in that Championship.

F1 will lose both Barcelona and Hungary this year or next and then there will only be 5 Europeans rounds left in F1. Spa and Paul Ricard will switch being the French GP (eventhough Spa is in Belgium)

I personally think that WRC has the worst calendar in terms of interest for manufacturers. They have no or very little interst in promoting their brands in Greece, Portugal, Finland, Australia, New Zealand and Jordan. Either these countries are too small in population and/or hit by ressescion, but the problem is that the WRC is too focused on it's historic events because the fans are in those countries. Unfortunately is the same countries where sponsors are harder and harder to find and with a decline in car sales.

I think WRC has too add Brazil, Russia, China and USA to its calendar to make it interesting to the manufacturers, otherwise we wont see any new manufacturers in the sport.

[Sulland]

A simple cheapish rallycar came i S2000, and manufacturers and buyers signed up.

R4T will make this happen again.
So, kill off todays WRCar that is to hard and to expensive for privat teams to buy and manage.


Make R4T top dog, and the rallyworld will blossom !


The big conglomerats in the manufacturers world will keep buying eachother, that will not change. If the WRCar is simpler and less expensive, and the manufacturersmchampionship is toned down, they might allow more than one of theirs to participate.