[WRC] News & rumours (part IV) 2016

[Simmi]

I think so, yes. The delay of the 2015 car being the best sign of that.

Delaying of a car isn't anything to do with managing a driver. It was the reactions that came after that which seemed to cause all the problems.

People gave Matton a lot of crap for how he managed Meeke. He never said close to what Penasse said about Neuville last year.

Penasse said: “Since he [Neuville] crashed in Argentina, he is no longer within the pace of the pack and the most annoying thing is that neither he, his co-driver or his entourage has any form of explanation. We are happy to have Hayden, because with him driving we are making progress.

“We spoke a lot after Finland in order to try to help him or see if there were any problems, we brought to him certain elements to show that he wasn’t really going anywhere. Even though he disagrees, people who saw him on the stages tell us: “He’s not as quick as he was.” And these are not just any old spectators, these are former drivers; people who know rallying.

“We were frank with him and we told him we no longer see the Thierry from the past. Now, to finish fifth, he needs two punctures and two people going off in front of him.”

http://www.maxrally.com/2015/08/26/n...thing-to-prove

I'm not sure how much the driver rotation with the 20 car really helped - especially with last year's very public "benching" of Neuville at the end of the season to 'give him his confidence back'. I think Hyundai also struggled with tensions between Neuville and Paddon. You can see their reluctance to favour drivers, and the fact they did the 10-round paperwork for Sordo this year, rather than being forced to pick between Hayden and Thierry, speaks volumes.

Ultimately I think Neuville was probably extremely difficult behind the scenes, and Hyundai's top brass reacted to it quite badly. No one is blameless. Probably the best thing is to go their separate ways.

[dimviii]

Fabio Andolfi will step up from his two-wheel-drive Peugeot 208 to pilot Hyundai's brand-new i20 R5 on the championship's next round, the Tour de Corse - Rallye de France (29 Sept - 2 Oct).

http://www.wrc.com/en/wrc-3/news/201...1--36-36-.html

[tomhlord]

Delaying of a car isn't anything to do with managing a driver. It was the reactions that came after that which seemed to cause all the problems.

People gave Matton a lot of crap for how he managed Meeke. He never said close to what Penasse said about Neuville last year.



http://www.maxrally.com/2015/08/26/n...thing-to-prove

I'm not sure how much the driver rotation with the 20 car really helped - especially with last year's very public "benching" of Neuville at the end of the season to 'give him his confidence back'. I think Hyundai also struggled with tensions between Neuville and Paddon. You can see their reluctance to favour drivers, and the fact they did the 10-round paperwork for Sordo this year, rather than being forced to pick between Hayden and Thierry, speaks volumes.

Ultimately I think Neuville was probably extremely difficult behind the scenes, and Hyundai's top brass reacted to it quite badly. No one is blameless. Probably the best thing is to go their separate ways.

Nice summary, well said.

[Rally Power]

Ultimately I think Neuville was probably extremely difficult behind the scenes, and Hyundai's top brass reacted to it quite badly. No one is blameless. Probably the best thing is to go their separate ways.

You’re right, but since Portugal Rally Neuville’s got his form back and delivered some good results. Apparently his relationship with the team has improved and he still is their most complete driver. If Koreans really want to fight for the WRC title they should keep him, as neither Suninen nor Tanak can be a more effective choice.

On the other hand, Citroen with Meeke and Neuville will be a hell of a team and, probably, VW’s main competitor.

[Eli]

You’re right, but since Portugal Rally Neuville’s got his form back and delivered some good results. Apparently his relationship with the team has improved and he still is their most complete driver. If Koreans really want to fight for the WRC title they should keep him, as neither Suninen nor Tanak can be a more effective choice.

On the other hand, Citroen with Meeke and Neuville will be a hell of a team and, probably, VW’s main competitor.

although if you look for the long term run, choosing Breen now and helping him develop now before Meeke retires will (if Breen continues to impress) make him a good replacement for Meeke in the future...depends how quickly they want the title.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk

[Mad cat jnr]

Fabio Andolfi will step up from his two-wheel-drive Peugeot 208 to pilot Hyundai's brand-new i20 R5 on the championship's next round, the Tour de Corse - Rallye de France (29 Sept - 2 Oct).

http://www.wrc.com/en/wrc-3/news/201...1--36-36-.html

Surely it would of made more sense to put some one with 4wd experience and experience of R5's in it? Like Abbring?

[dupanton]

Surely it would of made more sense to put some one with 4wd experience and experience of R5's in it? Like Abbring?

Abbring, Sarrazin and Andolfi will drive an I20 R5 in Corse

[Simmi]

Abbring, Sarrazin and Andolfi will drive an I20 R5 in Corse

Nice. Between them we should get a nice gauge of its pace. Hope to see the car out in Spain and GB too this year.

[AL14]

Abbring, Sarrazin and Andolfi will drive an I20 R5 in Corse

Andolfi will drive the car of HMI (Hyundai Motorsport Italia). They have a car, I think the same that Rossetti tested a while ago.
I think this "lineup" is a perfect choice: Abbring will bring the speed, Sarrazin the experience for testing and further development, Andolfi is the investment for the future.

[tomhlord]

You’re right, but since Portugal Rally Neuville’s got his form back and delivered some good results. Apparently his relationship with the team has improved and he still is their most complete driver.

I absolutely agree Neuville is back on point. It's great to see.

Maybe a Citroen contract has inspiried him to be happy too...