[WRC] News & Rumours (part V) 2017

[Archie Gillaine]

I've been losing faith in them since 2016 and this calendar situation is incomprehensible. Excluding Rally GB from both Championships, there are 5 rounds of the BRC, 12 rounds of the WRC... How the heck and for what reason have they managed to clash with the WRC for not one, but two rounds?!

I think it's more polite to assume that there's a MSA conspiracy to inhibit the popularity of the BRC so they can more easily implement the changes of the spectator safety review than acknowledge the probable reality, that the organisers of the BRC neither have the vision, resources or ability to allow the BRC to do anything but just about survive, rather than thrive...

Kalle Rovanpera coming to the BRC was like a free gift for the 'promoter', it looks like they've managed to squander that opportunity before we even get to 2018.

IMS aren't great at promoting, the BRC in it's revamp hasn't been a spectacular success. As for Kalle, he'd have made little difference to the popularity of the BRC, not even Ogier et al can do anything when the sport is completely invisible.

[Archie Gillaine]

The MSA has no backbone to fight the forest commission or any other unelected bureaucrat who wants to get rid of rallying. It's managed decline, like everything else in Europe.

The MSA are just go-along get-along goo with no fight in them. I'd love to be proven wrong, but I won't be.

There's the main problem with British Rallying....the MSA.

[Barreis]

What's this, BRC or WRC thread?!

[the sniper]

As for Kalle, he'd have made little difference to the popularity of the BRC, not even Ogier et al can do anything when the sport is completely invisible.

I don't entirely agree. Kalle at least attracts the interest of the hardcore who follow rallying, like us on this forum. Maybe the buzz around him would interest the people who more causally follow rallying, but are currently uninterested in the BRC 'product'. There is an audience for rallying in the UK, the WRC highlights on Channel 5 usually get around 300k viewers. Look how many people make the effort to turn out for Rally GB each year or the Roger Albert Clark, or at least have done historically in the case of the latter.

The greatest embarrassment for the BRC is that it barely attracts the interest of even the hardcore rally fans! The worst thing is, I just don't feel this even concerns IMS...

What's this, BRC or WRC thread?!

Indeed, sorry! I've vented now, I'm done.

[dimviii]

any news?

[Rally Power]

any news?

First part Neuville talks about the title chances and his commitment to get it, plus some considerations on the season, the i20 and the team. Second is a series of unpleasant comments on Ogier (the permanent moaning, the lucky errors, etc), revealing they’re not the best friends. Funny to see that he says Ogier often tries to destabilized his competitors but he's clearly using this interview to piss off Ogier…

[focus206]

First part Neuville talks about the title chances and his commitment to get it, plus some considerations on the season, the i20 and the team. Second is a series of unpleasant comments on Ogier (the permanent moaning, the lucky errors, etc), revealing they’re not the best friends. Funny to see that he says Ogier often tries to destabilized his competitors but he's clearly using this interview to piss off Ogier…

Is he saying he thinks he has 70% of chances to become champion? As much as I want Thierry to win the championship this year, it'll hardly happen if Ogier won't hit trouble. And from the way Neuville is driving, he's more likely to hit trouble than Seb.

[dupanton]

More than 70% even... He needs to be confident to have a shot

[jparker]

Neuville is the champ for 2017 in my book. I know consistency is part of the game, but without those silly mistakes in the beginning, we wouldn't talk about Ogier at all now. Also, there were few events where things were fare and square for both of them, and Neuville won easily. In Ogier's defense, his car is not up to the job, but that's something Ford boys are constantly denying. In any case, we can all see that Ogier (and probably Loeb) are not super humans if they don't have superior machinery in their hands.

[AnttiL]

In Ogier's defense, his car is not up to the job, but that's something Ford boys are constantly denying.

The car "not up to the job" is going to win the manufacturer's championship, even if Ogier does not become driver's champion.