[WRC] News & Rumours (part V) 2017

[sollitt]

I'll let you into a wee secret RP. Any WRC rally car is unaffordable for most privateers.

There's nothing wrong with a 2nd tier competition, if that's where you want to play. But that's quite a different thing to compelling anyone not on a factory payroll to play there or stay home.

Limiting the championship to factory drivers only? That's not rallying.

[Lundefaret]

The factory teams are the backbone, and we now have a fantastic season.
But the number of factory teams go up and down, so the sport should have a "dialogue" with private teams.

Testing is one thing, but two other factors make the sport unnecessarily expensive for both factory teams and privateers.

1) Carbon parts:
On a rally car parts like front spoiler, side sills, rear spoiler and diffuser are something that are often replaced several times during a rally. These should by regulations be made cheaper, like having them in fibre glass in stead of carbon.

2) Engine:
Though we have seen an increase in HP, the WRC cars still don't have extreme power figures by any means. But still one engine costs a huge sum.
The same HP an nm could be made much, much cheaper, if regulated in another way.

I really like the 17 cars, and have also been lucky enough to have ridden in one, but think FIA should be more cost focussed also to attract more factory teams.

[BleAivano]

Is there something wrong with following their dream, fighting with the best in the maverick sport in the FIA family?
Or has that now become Rallycross?

IMO WRX used to be like that but is now quickly heading towards WRC type of championship with factory teams dominating.

[AnttiL]

A sad day for Rally.
Rally is the maverick of motorsport, and has always been.

It was the motorsport where you could buy a car from a tuner, or make it yourself. Then you could drive a world championship round or two if you wanted. The best could measure up to the "factory" cars. Fight with the best, have the fun of walking in the same depot, driving a MK2 Escort or later a Gr A car.

Then the money and factorys came in, and FIA now in the end took the possibility and a possible dream away from almost all rallydrivers.

You're forgetting that there has been factory teams since the 60's. At first the world title was only for manufacturers.

And I'm pretty sure already the group A cars of the 90's weren't something you just bought, drove and competed with the factory boys. Instead you had buy an old factory car and have your own professional team.

[AnttiL]

Have you forgoten that Østberg did the whole 2012 private with 3 podiums and started with a 2nd in Sweden. Bouffier 2nd in MC 2014. Not to mention several by Solberg from 2009-2011

Østberg and Solberg were old factory drivers who could easily buy a factory car and get sponsors by that point for their own professional rally team and Bouffier drove for M-Sport. But we're talking about someone new coming and making a result with a private car to impress the teams, something like Jarmo Kytölehto did in Finland 1996 and 1997 by being third on a private Escort, hasn't happened in a long time. Now, you'd drive an R5 car and make a good result in WRC2 to get noticed. Kind of what Suninen's doing.

[Franky]

Now, you'd drive an R5 car and make a good result in WRC2 to get noticed. Kind of what Suninen's doing.

And there's the problem. WRC2 doesn't get enough press from anyone.

[AnttiL]

And there's the problem. WRC2 doesn't get enough press from anyone.

But R5 cars are still somewhat affordable for privateers. WRC17 are certainly not. If FIA would now open the competition for private entries in WRC class, we'd get just more Bertellis and Al-Qassimis cruising.

And the team bosses do notice what's going on in WRC2. Jost Capito said he'd pick Suninen as his third driver if he would start a team now and could pick any three drivers (with the third being a new promising star), and Lappi got a seat for Toyota.

And if you look at the current works drivers, only Latvala and Østberg started their careers in private WRC cars , everybody else got a factory deal by driving well in S1600/S2000. And even Latvala drove mostly a group N Impreza in his starting years.

[Franky]

Sponsors don't care if something is affordable or not. They want the attention. WRC vs R5 in that terms is a hopeless fight. Unless someone manages to get an R5 close to the podium.

I don't understand why some people don't like slower privateers (except N.O.T, who has declared multiple times what he thinks of them). As some of the previous posts here have hinted, rallying isn't only about creme de la creme.

[AnttiL]

I don't understand why some people don't like slower privateers (except N.O.T, who has declared multiple times what he thinks of them). As some of the previous posts here have hinted, rallying isn't only about creme de la creme.

You mean Bertelli, Prokop et al. ? why couldn't they just drive WRC Trophy or WRC2 since they're not fighting for the win anyway? What bothers me with them is that they usually drive their own race, with no one to compete with. They're seconds a kilometre slower than the works guys. And if there's two of them, they're worlds away from each other in terms of skills or resources. One tries their best, one just cruises.

EDIT: It's interesting that in Portugal, Prokop seemed to be on pace with the 4th-5th place guys in WRC2. Maybe next year private WRC2016 cars could contest for WRC2 points?

[Franky]

You mean Bertelli, Prokop et al. ? why couldn't they just drive WRC Trophy or WRC2 since they're not fighting for the win anyway? What bothers me with them is that they usually drive their own race, with no one to compete with. They're seconds a kilometre slower than the works guys. And if there's two of them, they're worlds away from each other in terms of skills or resources. One tries their best, one just cruises.

Answer this question. Would you buy a super/hyper car or a Dacia?