Which rally should they add to the WRC-calendar?

[vino_93]

In China there's officiel local Shangai VW-Skoda team running, with Niall McShea, and a VW one. you have too Citroen China and Subaru China involved. Only chinese brand on top is Soueast, which is the same as Proton in the 90's.
And moreover there's european professional drivers : McShea, Sandell, Higgins. And I don't remenber who was there some years ago.

I'm quite sure China is ready for a WRC round. Local dealers are involved, there's more than hundred starters, and for sure local brand want to promote them. Be in WRC could be a good way for them.
But I think India is not really interested in this ... maybe I'm wrong, but it doesn't have a lot of success in APRC, and there's no international rally. For sure they have to try to come back in APRC, and after if it works, so yes !

[Ripplin]

the best North American rallies are in Canada namely Rally of the Tall Pines in Ontario and Rally Baie Des Chaleurs in Quebec, perhaps this may seem a bit biased coming from a Canadian, but both of these events are highly regarded and draw teams from all across Canada and America.

Yeah, too bad we hardly get any coverage of them. 22 minutes on TSN, and 60% of that seems to be interviews. I really wish they'd devote an hour to each rally. That would help a bit, at least. 20 seconds of in-car footage followed by 2 minutes of interviews at the service park over and over again isn't a good way to create interest in a sport.

[Eli]

If i was to have a say about the calendar, I would make it 16 rounds like it used to be. Bringing back Cyprus,Norway,Japan,Ireland and Australia back in Perth. I would replace Rally Alsace in Corsica and make Rally Catalunya back as a full Tarmac Rally. So lets say the calendar for 2014 would be: Monte-Carlo
Sweden
Norway
Mexico
Argentina
Greece
Italy
Cyprus
Finland
Germany
New-Zealand
Spain
Corsica
Japan
Australia
Wales GB
and in 2015 put back Ireland instead of Norway.

[Hazza555)]

I think the best way to forward is to have rotating events, as it the easiest way to gain exposure to as many countries as possible. However I think that there should be core events that maintain a yearly place on the calendar. Like Monte, Sweden, Finland, GB, Spain, New Zealand, Corsica etc, i.e the rallies that have a historic presence in the WRC and keep the prestige of the sport alive. I also think that WRC should follow F1 and group events together based on their location. So for instance Mexico and Argentina (and maybe brazil) could be grouped together.

Maybe the calendar could stretch to 18 events but no more.

[trickydicky]

My calendar would be Monte, Sweden, Portugal, Safari, Corsica, Acropolis, Argentina, NZ, 1000 Lakes, Australia, San Remo, Catalunya, RAC, Morocco.

You can call me a traditionalist if you like!

I don't see the argument for Germany. Germany has loads of car manufacturers, I don't need to list them, and Germans, being sensible patriotic people will buy German cars. So, as a marketing episode for Citroen, Pug, Skoda et al, its a waste of time, they will still go and buy an Audi, Merc or BeeEm.

China and Brazil, yeah, loads of people, but, 0 interest in rallys. Therefore, waste of time. If Cutroen, Pug, VW group etc want to sell cars there a cool well made advert would be much more effective.

If I were to 'drop' a rally off my list it would potentially be Australia in favour of Ireland, the Czechs, Belgium or Estonia, i.e, a place where there are a whole lot of rally fans. Surely if you have a sport you want it to be held where people want to watch it, make it easy for yourself!

[Motorsportfun]

My calendar would be as it follows, with 14-dates (like said in the gentleman agreement between Manufacturers and FIA, under NOS-management), and I explain you my thoughs:

1 - Monte Carlo (no reasons to keep them off the calendar)
2 - Sweden (running a leg through Norway, whom big sponsors come from)
3 - Mexico (quite close to the USA, relevant market for VW and Ford)
4 - Portugal (giant budget and great value for WRC stakeholders, an event where you can invite potential sponsors to sign-in)
5 - Brazil (relevant market for VW and good moment to go, as they're investing a lot of money for WC and Olympics)
6 - Argentina (many local sponsors, etc)
7 - Greece (although with Country's problems, they run a nice event with lots of people on the stages. And it's a historical landmark of the sport)
8 - Italy (Emerald Coast is now owned by Ford's premier partner "Qatar" and it's planned a 1bln-investment from them in the region... furthermore in last 2 years the spectators were more and more. Even Colin Clark and Julian Porter noticed that during MotorsTV commentary!)
9 - Finland (no reasons to keep them off the calendar, great event)
10 - Germany (running a leg through Alsace)
11 - Australia (it's the main Country where some sponsors still have an interest)
12 - China (finally ready for a WRC-event)
13 - Spain (no reasons to keep them off the calendar)
14 - Great Britain (moving close to Man-Liv-Midlands will give a big boost, furthermore it's fully backed by Welsh government)

India is definitely not ready to host WRC, neither a motorsport-event. They don't consider motorsport as a "sport", so any event must be privately-funded. At the moment there's no interest from Tata too.

Russia has a very "closed" market, and they're thinking mainly to Lada's involvement in WTCC. If I were the Promoter, I'd wait some years before moving there...

[trickydicky]

My calendar would be as it follows, with 14-dates (like said in the gentleman agreement between Manufacturers and FIA, under NOS-management), and I explain you my thoughs:

1 - Monte Carlo (no reasons to keep them off the calendar)
2 - Sweden (running a leg through Norway, whom big sponsors come from)
3 - Mexico (quite close to the USA, relevant market for VW and Ford)
4 - Portugal (giant budget and great value for WRC stakeholders, an event where you can invite potential sponsors to sign-in)
5 - Brazil (relevant market for VW and good moment to go, as they're investing a lot of money for WC and Olympics)
6 - Argentina (many local sponsors, etc)
7 - Greece (although with Country's problems, they run a nice event with lots of people on the stages. And it's a historical landmark of the sport)
8 - Italy (Emerald Coast is now owned by Ford's premier partner "Qatar" and it's planned a 1bln-investment from them in the region... furthermore in last 2 years the spectators were more and more. Even Colin Clark and Julian Porter noticed that during MotorsTV commentary!)
9 - Finland (no reasons to keep them off the calendar, great event)
10 - Germany (running a leg through Alsace)
11 - Australia (it's the main Country where some sponsors still have an interest)
12 - China (finally ready for a WRC-event)
13 - Spain (no reasons to keep them off the calendar)
14 - Great Britain (moving close to Man-Liv-Midlands will give a big boost, furthermore it's fully backed by Welsh government)

India is definitely not ready to host WRC, neither a motorsport-event. They don't consider motorsport as a "sport", so any event must be privately-funded. At the moment there's no interest from Tata too.

Russia has a very "closed" market, and they're thinking mainly to Lada's involvement in WTCC. If I were the Promoter, I'd wait some years before moving there...

You think there should be an event in Brazil purely because it is a VW market? What about when the big wigs in the VW Group boardroom decide that throwing cash at a sportscar and GT program for both Audi and Porsche, Audi's DTM team and Skoda's rally team is quite enough, especially when interest in the WRC is at an all time low?
And you think having an event on Sardegna purely as a marketing tool for a Qatari owned holiday resort is preferable to having an event in one of rally's classic locations close to a whole shed load of fans? How utterly depressing, which department of the FIA do you work in?

[trickydicky]

Somewhere where I would consider having an event, purely for the hell of it, with no economic consideration given to it at all, is in Central Asia. There are loads of blogs on the web and TV shows about people riding across the region on bikes, or in Trabants, and the scenery is phenomenal. Not only that but there appears to be a limitless supply of rough and ready dirt roads. I am talking about the Kazakhstan/Southern Russia/North West China/Mongolia area. Sure, nobody would be watching because barely anyone lives there, and those that do drive horses, but I reckon it would be a good laugh. If we want to be sensible about it, China, Kazakhstan and Russia have money coming out of their ears and one of them could easily afford the logistics of actually getting there in the first place. Thinking of it, Kazakhstan could be up for it to put them on the map and be known of for something other than Borat! The event could be a long distance raid style Safari equivalent, without the crowds. I suppose it would have to be in summer, breaking down when its -40 could get dangerous!

[Motorsportfun]

You think there should be an event in Brazil purely because it is a VW market? What about when the big wigs in the VW Group boardroom decide that throwing cash at a sportscar and GT program for both Audi and Porsche, Audi's DTM team and Skoda's rally team is quite enough, especially when interest in the WRC is at an all time low?
And you think having an event on Sardegna purely as a marketing tool for a Qatari owned holiday resort is preferable to having an event in one of rally's classic locations close to a whole shed load of fans? How utterly depressing, which department of the FIA do you work in?

Are you on drugs? What Rally's Classic Location are you talking about? Alsace? Proudly traditional since... 2010! Come on, don't be stupid!

I really think you don't have ANY IDEA of what's Brazil now. Anyway, Brazil is one of the most fast-growing markets in the WORLD. It's not coincidence is F1 is trying to keep the race in, although in a old-crappy circuit. Furthermore, X Games has invested quite a lot of money there for not a properly remarkable event, but many sponsors found a wide place to sell their products, so it's "ok". At the moment, Brazil Government put in place the WORLD'S BIGGEST investments for infrastructures: motorways, airports, stadiums, entire downtowns for World Cup and Olympics.

You know, it's not just Volkswagen affair (that has a plant there and want to built from scratch a new one), as LOTS of conglomerates decided to open there their plants:
> Fiat produces his cars in Belo Horizonte
> Hyundai in Sao Paulo
> Renault in Curitiba
> Nissan in Rio de Janeiro
> Also PSA decided to produce there its new 208!

So, don't be stupid and just think at what Brazil has to offer to all WRC stakeholders. Manufacturers, Media, sponsors, local promoters, drivers, etc.

[trickydicky]

Malcolm Wilson of M-Sport made a very interesting point during a Q&A at the Autosport Show recently, about the future shape of the World Rally Championship.

Wilson was asked about the “geographical spread” of WRC events and in his answer, he correctly pointed to emerging countries and the imperative to get WRC into countries such as China, Brazil, Russia in the future.

This makes eminent sense - not just for giving rallying truly global reach to potentially massive audiences but it also makes sense from the manufacturer’s perspective i.e. high-volume car sales in huge new markets.

If WRC is to survive, the fact is it has to ‘escape’ from being a predominantly European-based championship, into a truly global one.

The one certainty is, the manufacturers will be eyeing emerging markets closely. The centre of gravity may be about to shift when it comes to WRC!

I'm not sure if this could be any more wrong. If the WRC left Europe, having say 3 or 4 events there, it would fold in 3 years tops. You have to remember where your competitors are coming from. Seen as most of them are European and money is tight it wouldn't take long for them all to pull out of a 'global' series on financial grounds. Then you'd have just your manufacturers taking part, no more than 4 because no body will pay a fortune to finish in the teens all the time, Toyota and BMW wouldn't fork out to do that in F1, never mind the WRC. Then the '4th' or least successful team would pull out, then another on financial grounds, and another having trouble attracting sponsors to race no one in front of no one, and you'd be left with nothing. All this has happened before in sportscars and touring cars.

If you think about it, you can trace the WRC's decline since when Malcolm Wilson got involved, so I would think his opinions are worthless. He's had his chance, and he made a hash of it.

Having said that maybe a total collapse wouldn't be all bad. People would still race each other across country, for the hell of it, and people would be able to buy cars , and we'd be back to the beginning again!