[WRC] News & Rumours 2018

[BigWorm]

Colin Clark "praying" for Wilson to "rescue" Meeke:

https://www.facebook.com/720282531/p...5735145107532/

It would be nice, even as a 3rd driver for 2019 if Ogier stays (Ogier-Evans-Meeke) it would be interesting for multiple reasons. I somehow doubt it though. Not like he came to "rescue" McRae after he got kicked from Citroen in 2004.

Don't know how much Meeke wants in salary, but McRae had the highest salary of the drivers in 2003 and combined with his results at that that time it probably didn't win him a seat for 2004. Meeke might have different wage demands.

[sindroms]

I must say, when I am going to spectate the rally, I am usually not interested in visiting service, especially during the rally. Maybe before rally or after, but not during.

It depends on taste of course but in my case also service park visiting is nothing more than gap filling option. When you have plenty of time before rally/between loops then "ok, we can fill in the time by service park visiting".

[GravelBen]

It depends on taste of course but in my case also service park visiting is nothing more than gap filling option. When you have plenty of time before rally/between loops then "ok, we can fill in the time by service park visiting".

Same here, the only time I actually make an effort to go to service parks is to spend a few minutes catching up with friends who are competing.

[PLuto]

Especially now with monster buildings from manufacturers, where spectators are standing too far from the teams and cars...

[racerx1979]

Do you think Skoda would allow that if they're truly going for a WRC program? Or if Tidemand would get a seat at Citroen, he would want to return to Skoda?

Would you wait on Skoda if you were Pontus? Tough question either way.

[Rallyper]

I´m sure Pontus isn´t alone in taking decisions. Inhouse Skoda they very well know how to deal with his future as well, I think.

[macebig]

Wilson couldn't bring McRae back for 2004.Ford was losing a lot of money back then and were cutting down motorsport budgets (got out of F1 by the end of the year). And Colin always wanted a high salary. Richards tried to bring him back to Subaru because he knew he was very marketable but even then they couldn't agree on a salary. Plus, rules changed allowing only two cars per manufacturer.

[Marcco]

Re Paddon
I asked this on his FB

How does Thierry's driving style differ from yours, is your driving style closer to Andrea's and do you collaborate on setups?, Also have you solved the setup issues with i20 or is it inherently designed for a different driving style? Big Congrats on a solid drive!

His answer
Thierry is driving somewhat straighter/smoother although equally committed. He is being efficient with the car. While my way to drive is prob closer to Andreas than Thierry, I also know it is effective if all the stars align. I have been struggling with the front diff setup for 18 months with this car now but myself and the team know the answers, but how we implement this is yet to be seen. In the meantime we have a small compromise with what is available and trying to do the best job possible with that.

IMO if you have a compromised setup you are going to leak time no matter how committed you are. I feel he still has the speed he is just not willing to throw it away in the hunt for wins like some such as Meeke.

I think, it is evident, that stars need to be aligned if you want to win. Every single driver has different driving technique, every single event is different, every single corner of a rally is different… so, many stars need to be aligned in order to win…
Some drivers/teams manage it better some worse. Mr. Loeb had advantage of being in one team his whole career. Ogier had the same possibility with VW, until they pulled the plug, and he was struggling in the beginning when he went to Ford, but at that time had enough experience and credibility to push for changes. Neuville had some hard time with first generation i20, while Paddon was doing alright with it. Tanak, looks like, was perfect match for Yaris, or he has unique skill to set it up right (or a bit of both). If you crash too much or you are to slow, no team will be willing to compromise their car to your liking, especially if you are not their “#1”. It’s different in each case and it is really easy to get lost for young gun like Paddon or others.

At this point it could be beneficial for Paddon to switch to Citroen (if they are ready to commit long-term), of course risky, but current situation at Hyundai ain’t good for him.

[RS]

Would you wait on Skoda if you were Pontus? Tough question either way.

I'm sure Skoda (and probably Pontus) already know what Skoda are doing in the future, even if they say 'nothing has been decided yet'

It would still be a tough call for him though, especially as he is already knocking on a bit and Skoda have plenty of other drivers in stock.

[ESTR]

Looks like Ogier is trying to get him a better salary again playing by retirement or staying at M-Sport.