[WRC] News & rumours (part IV) 2016

[bluuford]

True that FIA allow now 55 days of testing instead 42 of 2016?

66.1 PERMITTED TESTING SITES
For Manufacturers registered in the Championship, testing (as defined in Art. 2.21 ) is permitted:
66.1.1 On a permanent testing site proposed by the Manufacturer before its first rally of the year and
notified to the FIA.

Duration:
66.3.2 In the case of a Manufacturer, a maximum of 55 days in any calendar year. This clause does not
apply to testing as stated in Art. 66.1.1.

[seb_sh]

MSport has just revealed some partial liveries (see MSport Ford thread). Ogier has big Red Bull backing, Tanak will have a different sponsor. What does this mean for the private VW team, is it another nail in the coffin?

Red Bull could choose to just sponsor one car in each team like they do in DTM with BMW and Audi. So the VW team could be a joint Red Bull/Norwegian/Adapta/Qatar effort with the Red Bull car being for Andreas Mikkelsen. But this is just me speculating...

[MikeD]

MSport has just revealed some partial liveries (see MSport Ford thread). Ogier has big Red Bull backing, Tanak will have a different sponsor. What does this mean for the private VW team, is it another nail in the coffin?

Red Bull could choose to just sponsor one car in each team like they do in DTM with BMW and Audi. So the VW team could be a joint Red Bull/Norwegian/Adapta/Qatar effort with the Red Bull car being for Andreas Mikkelsen. But this is just me speculating...

The VW private team with Qatar backing is dead, according to Colin Clark. It was only a remote possibility if Qatar (as a sponsor) would a back a team with Nasser and Ogier.

[Simmi]

Sounds like VW were playing hardball with what the 2017 car/staff were worth as a package deal over the season.

Now faced with just R5 dev next year you have to wonder whether they'd consider lowering the costs a touch? I'd guess not but people still seem to be linking drivers with a Polo from Sweden.

[the sniper]

Red Bull could choose to just sponsor one car in each team like they do in DTM with BMW and Audi.

They do the same in World Rallycross, MotoGP and have done the same in single-seaters too. Surely it's entirely plausible that they'd do the same in the WRC.

The VW private team with Qatar backing is dead, according to Colin Clark. It was only a remote possibility if Qatar (as a sponsor) would a back a team with Nasser and Ogier.

Colin says many things... More recently he's tweeted "Hearing some very interesting news about The Handsome One [Mikkelsen] tonight. When is the Rally Sweden entry list published?". Since this tweet we've had an official teaser video from VW finishing with a "Stay tuned" message: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgR6ops4Hhs .

Unless VW have embarked on a PR nightmare trolling exercise, I can't see how a 2017 VW team isn't a done deal now. I'll be amazed if it doesn't happen.

[Andre Oliveira]

Petter Solberg will do Sweden in WRC car. Maybe the Handsome One is other

[Andre Oliveira]

just saw it and very weird indeed...especially stay tuned in the end

It's rally week! On Thursday, we'll have two cars doing Romjulsrally 2016 with both Henning Solberg and Oscar Solberg behind the steering wheels Stay tuned! #TeamAdapta

[Fast Eddie WRC]

Matton re Ogier return...

http://www.motorsport.com/wrc/news/c...eunion-861255/

[stefanvv]

Matton re Ogier return...

http://www.motorsport.com/wrc/news/c...eunion-861255/

If Ford comes back 2018 it might be very difficult to get him. We'll see.

[tolx]

Even I don't like to say it, hyundai looks most beautiful to me.