FIA rally commission proposed changes

[DonJippo]

I do wonder why the FIA are doing it though, it will be good for the nature of the sport and it won't make costs go down at all...

For mixed surface they asked manufacture's opinion and the respond was that there is no significant cost impact in doing it.

Number of mechanics will be reduced down to 8 from the current 12 in the service so that will make cost go down a bit.

[Josti]

1. Sounds fair to me.

2. Increasing is good, but I still think 400 km of competitive distance ain't enough. It's a start though.

3. Now this I like. I wonder which kind of rallies come to mind then (old Sanremo perhaps?).

Also, losing some mechanics is good. Not only for costs, but also makes things a bit more difficult.

[MJW]

I guess the "new for 08" single asphalt tyre will help reduce costs of a mixed event. It would be very expensive if a full "old style" range of slicks, inters and wets had to be brought as well as gravel tyres. Mixed rallies would be good in my opinion, showing my age but old Portugal and San Remo were great events. However its the technical changes to the cars I am looking forward to or is that fear!

[Donney]

I won't believe it until I see it but this looks good.

[jonkka]

My first reaction is "one step ahead and two back". All three rules on post one are going back in time, as posters have noted.

As to technical regs, I agree with Donney - better wait until those come reality.

[A.F.F.]

It all sounds pretty good, especially technical rules but unfortunately two years is a looooooong time in the scale FIA use to wait

However, fingers and toes crossed

[N.O.T]

point 1 is retarded

point 2-3 are good....but they will raise the costs

2 out of 3 proposals made by the FIA are good...i am impressed

[AndyRAC]

It's not April Fools Day is it?
2 out of the 3 are good, but why should the Championship leader be punished running first on the road on the first day? Think they should rethink that one, as for the other two, YEAH, Bring it on, somebody has at least seen sense over the mileage, good news. And as for the Mixed surface, even better news, maybe San Remo will be back??
Will take these proposals with a pinch of salt, we've seen proposals before then disappear, hopefully not these.

[duff]

Aaaahhh not a return to the tactics of trying not to be first car on the road please!!!!

I had the misfortune of going to see rally Oz in 2000. It was 2 days of drivers going slow and 1 day of actual rallying. On three occasions we saw cars stop on the stage to avoid being first on the road the next day. Not good spectating!!!

The reverse start order on days 2 & 3 was the best rule change the FIA has come up with in years!

[jonkka]

Obviously, they want to stop the driving-to-the-splits mentality that rally leader can resort to nowadays. The intention is good but going back to normal running order (as opposed to reversed top-15 currently in use) has it's own downsides too. Either way, the system is not perfect.

For those who want San Remo back bear in mind that it was dropped because spectators were too numerous and stage cancellations were more of a norm than an exception. Funny that success of the event killed it, isn't it? They could have policed stages better but I think that Italians might be a bit too crazy for that. Or would "enthusiastic" be the more polically correct word...