Daniel Carlsson exluded for the rest of 2007

[grugsticles]

Shall this be some good news?! Is this nearly 100% certain that there will be another team next year inclu. Suzuki Motor Sport? So next year:

Citroen, Ford, SWRT, (Munchis? again FORD ), Suzuki, Abu Dhabi RT, & (Stobart? again FORD )

I want to see the whales back with OMV and any word on MMSP? And Garde, Galli, Bengue, Kresta, and who ever else is out there not competing or on limited program! (Dudu too )

Ah theres a positive thought - more team participation next year. A total of a possible 17 regualar competing WRCars is a step forward.


Question: why dont drivers who are struggling to get a full season together team up? Ie. if Galli, Carlsson, Gardemister and Kresta joined forces and split the driving duties for a 2 car team 50/50 so each driver competed in say 8 rallys each, or of they dont have the budget 5 rallys each. That way the team could be registered as an M2 team. There are a couple of Pug's and a couple of Mitsu's around wanting to be used.
Obviously you need someone to run the program, but Im sure Bozian or the like would be interested.

[GigiGalliNo1]

Sounds good grugsticles

wouldn't mind seeing that happened and was actually surprized with even just seeing the shakedown list from Italy!

1. Sordo 1:54,3
2. Hirvonen 1:54,4
3. Gronholm 1:54,6
4. Hänninen 1:55,3
5. Solberg P. 1:55,5
6. Loeb 1:55,7
7. Gardemeister 1:55,8
8. Atkinson 1:55,9
9. Solberg H. 1:56,8
=. Wilson 1:56,8
11. Latvala 1:57,0
12. Companc 1:57,2
13. Stohl 1:57,3
14. Kopecký 1:57,4
15. Villagra 1:58,8
=. MacHale 1:58,8
17. Ostberg 1:59,9
18. Carlsson 2:18,6

OooOOooO ahhh

all WRCars!!

Don't forget to add Gigi, Dudu, Pons, Kresta and who else!?!?!? Makes that 22!

[WRXedUSA]

I can see the justice in this. But this surely doesn't make it easier for privateers to make it to WRC.

Wasn't that the whole point of M2 anyways? I think there should be some flexibility given to the M2 teams given what they have to work with.

[Livewireshock]

You should not confuse M2 teams with regular privateer teams. The WRC concept of having an M2 team is to make up a higher level of privateer that is partially sponsored or supported from a factory.

M2 teams are a safety net to save pride for the factory in one sense. A source of potential points for the manufacturer. The amount of support & effort is determined by the factory teams in most ways. It is also makes up for the loss of the third works driver that could score points. The FIA made the rule that 10 events competed in to ensure that specialist teams for one off events, for example a tarmac only specialised team. Plus it looks better for the WRC. 10 rounds make up two thirds of the championship so it is alot less than a full season.

If a works team chooses not to have a M2 team, there is nothing to stop anyone else from entering, as long as they have a budget for what they want to do. For Fords case, they provide material support & maintenance for the M2 teams while their privateer budgets handle the majority of day to day expenses. If a M2 team wants a different pay driver for each of the 10 rounds then so be it. There is nothing to stop anyone else with a Ford WRC car from entering as well.

There is nothing to stop extra privateer teams to enter for individual rounds as their budgets allow. Some rounds will be always better than others. The cost of transport prevent alot of privateer WRC cars competiting on long haul events. It ebbs & flows, alot of privateers choose showcase or famous events, such as Finland or Monte. Ireland's love of WRC cars will see plenty at their home event this year. Plus WRC cars banned from many national & regional championships mean there are less cars than previous years in some regions.

[Livewireshock]

If you allowed M2 teams to be allowed to be entered for single or handful of events only, you would get a case of works supported specialists arrive. A privateer team that is a tarmac specialist or good in snow. A works team could flood an entry list with a large number on such specialists on an event to ensure they scored every single possible point. That also means that hardly anyone enters the other events that the manufacturer does not believe they are strong in.

This can be seen in motorcycling regularly. In World Superbikes & MotoGP, the wildcards entries, especially in Japan, are entered on supposed factory backed & supported "hand grenades" or are locals with intricate knowledge of the circuit. They can often upset the regular field & they take points away from opposing factory teams.

Not so long ago, Citroen acted the same way with their Kit cars on Tarmac events. Whilst being a proper works team, they only entered events they knew they would have an impact & took podiums away from the full time competing WRC drivers. If M2 teams could enter only a few events, you could then have Citroen set up Kronos or Bozian to enter 5 or 6 cars just for Corsica. A Citroen 1-2-3-4-5 or whatever would be good press & publcity. Plus maximum points for Citroen for a similar outlay for entering two M2 cars in several events. It would do nothing for the championship at all.

The ulitmate solution is the WRC 2012 initative. That will allow privateers to readily build a WRC car from a kit or convert an S2000 car to the higher spec for a cheaper cost.

[JAM]

You should not confuse M2 teams with regular privateer teams. The WRC concept of having an M2 team is to make up a higher level of privateer that is partially sponsored or supported from a factory.

M2 teams are a safety net to save pride for the factory in one sense. A source of potential points for the manufacturer. The amount of support & effort is determined by the factory teams in most ways. It is also makes up for the loss of the third works driver that could score points. The FIA made the rule that 10 events competed in to ensure that specialist teams for one off events, for example a tarmac only specialised team. Plus it looks better for the WRC. 10 rounds make up two thirds of the championship so it is alot less than a full season.

The M2 Teams (now MT) were created to save the pride of the championship, otherwise you had a championship with 3 entries (Ford Subaru and Kronos). In that way we had a championship with 6 entries.

The rule of 10 events was to assure that WRC has private teams, because this teams hadn't (and haven't) money to do the 16 events. Last year only Manfred Stohl, Malcon Wilson and Luis Perez Companc made the 16 events

This is the naked truth without flowers.

[COD]

BUT. Is Carlssons exlusion based on regulations? I mean, where does it say one has to take part on the recce? I can not find it. Whatever the real reason (quite obvious) of hm retiring the rally, he has done everything required by the regs.

[Simon Speichert]

This latest development plus recent strong words from Marc Van Dalen make me think there is a likely chance of Kronos ending up in IRC next year. If they brought Stohl along, I think they could have a great chance at wins.

I know Carlsson didn't have the budget for a full season, but this circumstance is beyond words. What the hell is he supposed to do for the rest of the season?

[Peugeot206WRC]

I cant understand why he get in there without a secure economy.

And I cant see what he done so badly and what catastrophe makes him excluded for the rest of the season.
I know rules are rules and if you dont follow them you will have to take the consequences, but I havent seen proof of the rule and the penalty looks very hard for the thing he done.
Then I think a microsupermillimeter thicker window should be a death penalty.
What if he got fever or headache before recce and then it returned on the startline.

[tmx]

This latest development plus recent strong words from Marc Van Dalen make me think there is a likely chance of Kronos ending up in IRC next year.

They already are, I read they're going to enter for Ypres with a Peugoet 207, which is in late June, and planning to run the whole 2008 season.