New Year, Same old FIA...

[Daniel]

Latest update to this news is in Autosport magazine today, and success-related weight penalties are on the table, similar to touring cars.

So, what do you all think about that??

Success ballast is the worst thing ever.

[sollitt]

I'm with NOT & JAM here. Silly idea.
Service parks are for servicing. Control points are for timing. There is already a penalty regime for lateness at controls.
I have no problem with it being a discussion point. I'd be very surprised if it were adopted.

[LeonBrooke]

Latest update to this news is in Autosport magazine today, and success-related weight penalties are on the table, similar to touring cars.

So, what do you all think about that??

It's a stupid idea and it doesn't even do the job properly. In my opinion it makes the racing worse.

No idea what effect it would have in rallying but it would either be bad or... well, bad.

[BDunnell]

Latest update to this news is in Autosport magazine today, and success-related weight penalties are on the table, similar to touring cars.

So, what do you all think about that??

An absurd idea. It's pointless in touring cars anyway, at least in Britain, because there have been plenty of times when drivers have won with full ballast. Over time, the teams get their cars to perform better with more weight, negating the effect of ballast on the spectacle (which is limited anyway, not to mention unfair).

I don't go in for a lot of the FIA-bashing that one reads in places like this, and we should remember that these are just ideas at this stage, but I do wonder when the realisation will come that further-reaching changes to the technical regulations are needed so that genuinely cheap-to-buy-and-run cars can once again become competitive. As I've said many times before, basic Group A regulations appear to be one answer.

[LeonBrooke]

I don't go in for a lot of the FIA-bashing that one reads in places like this, and we should remember that these are just ideas at this stage, but I do wonder when the realisation will come that further-reaching changes to the technical regulations are needed so that genuinely cheap-to-buy-and-run cars can once again become competitive. As I've said many times before, basic Group A regulations appear to be one answer.

The problem is that not enough manufacturers make a four-wheel-drive car in enough numbers to be homologated for Group A, and have the willingness to compete. Just Mitsubishi and Subaru. Not enough manufacturers are willing to devote the resources.

[kabouter]

Latest update to this news is in Autosport magazine today, and success-related weight penalties are on the table, similar to touring cars.

So, what do you all think about that??

As soon as weigth penalties are adopted, rallying will cease to be a sport and will just be a show. The World Rally Championship is meant to be the pinnacle of motorsport on the road. But how can you take a championship seriously that punishes success? Any World Championship should be about excellence. Achieving that excellence should not be penalized.

[BDunnell]

The problem is that not enough manufacturers make a four-wheel-drive car in enough numbers to be homologated for Group A, and have the willingness to compete. Just Mitsubishi and Subaru. Not enough manufacturers are willing to devote the resources.

That's the whole point. Two-wheel-drive cars would also be competitive. I think this is what's required to revive the championship.

[JAM]

As soon as weigth penalties are adopted, rallying will cease to be a sport and will just be a show. The World Rally Championship is meant to be the pinnacle of motorsport on the road. But how can you take a championship seriously that punishes success? Any World Championship should be about excellence. Achieving that excellence should not be penalized.

Citroen was ahed the pinacle of rallying and Sebastien Loeb was excellent on the last 3 years. And we will see if this won't happen in 2007 again.

Conclusion: WRC is in excelent shape.

I don't know if weight penalties are the better solution, but something must be donne to increase the interest in competition.

[LeonBrooke]

That's the whole point. Two-wheel-drive cars would also be competitive. I think this is what's required to revive the championship.

On loose surfaces 4wd cars have an inherent advantage over 2wd. The 4wd cars would have to be seriously penalised by weight limits to provide equity.

[amberie]

As soon as weigth penalties are adopted, rallying will cease to be a sport and will just be a show. The World Rally Championship is meant to be the pinnacle of motorsport on the road. But how can you take a championship seriously that punishes success? Any World Championship should be about excellence. Achieving that excellence should not be penalized.

Spot on. Cost-cutting is good to a certain extent. But if you cut out too much, you get a second-class sport. No one wants to watch a world championship that's (as we say here) ghetto.

Here's a guideline for the FIA: if a new rule makes people say, "what the hell?!" they should drop it. Success-related weight penalties...really? Dumb as heck.

Time penalties for legitimate service and maintenance? Everyone's right--rallies shouldn't be decided in service. What's the point of driving fast anymore? It's not purist fanaticism. It's just common sense.

Would there really be a cost savings in more durable parts? The teams would have to dedicate money to research and development, all to save a few spare parts. We'll never have indestructible parts that don't need replacing. If the teams could build a whole car with super-durable parts, they would have already. Subaru can't build some parts to last Petter one rally, let alone two or three.