Which driver can realistically fight for the Championship?

[cali]

From Cali I believe. Not you this time.

Where do you see bashing? Everything I wrote is 100% a fact!

[cali]

You misunderstand me... I took them as examples of people that had relative pace on asphalt (none of them are blowing the championship away, I'm aware of that) with almost no asphalt experience.

Tänak, relative to the rest of the field, does not have good tarmac pace.

No. They have no proof whatsoever on the top league. Case closed.

[Sulland]

I like some of WRX races, this year Solberg had great performance in one of them (don't remember which, but it was amazing). The difference is in few kms of racing some things can go wrong (close battles, contacts, etc.), while in few hundreds of kms many things can go wrong, but the advantage is that You're on Yourself, nothing can disturb You, except the car's strength, and of course THE MILEAGE. So very different to compare.
In 80's & 90's true, there were some private drivers in wrc which made the difference in some events, but these were only local drivers and hardly made any difference in the overall picture. Solberg tried as a privateer and failed, and that is not because of the rules.

Not because of the rules direct, but because the manufacurers are not obliged to sell private teams their latest bits, but only 1 or 2 generations old.

If top two drivers in a brand counts in championship, works or private - then the outcome would not be given before the rally.

It would also be cool if one or two rallies could be more old endurance, and not flat out from start to finish, so drivers had to think and plan more!

[bluuford]

Nothing against any driver, but when you (swedes) start to praise your guys without any visible or waterproof proof, then it gets twisted, And I do not like that. They have done exactly nothing what comes to tarmac speed in WRC cars. Until they haven't proven themselves or even got the chance to prove themselves, it is just a speculation. Unlike Tänak, who has had the possibility to drive few seasons already, hence we can have something to say about his speed in the top league. But Tänak, Tidemand and Bergkvist does not even belong to the same league, so I just cannot understand how you can compare apples and turtle eggs.

yeah and if you compare the experience, Paddon and Tänak have both done less than 10 pure tarmac events. (8 and 9 if I am not mistaken). And total experience.. Paddon has 30 WRC events with WRC, Ott has 42 and for example Ogier has 90 events in WRC with WRC and Jari guess what, he has 144 events with WRC

[cali]

yeah and if you compare the experience, Paddon and Tänak have both done less than 10 pure tarmac events. (8 and 9 if I am not mistaken). And total experience.. Paddon has 30 WRC events with WRC, Ott has 42 and for example Ogier has 90 events in WRC with WRC and Jari guess what, he has 144 events with WRC

I guess you have problem with finnish drivers

[Fast Eddie WRC]

How is there 10 pages on 'Which driver can realistically fight for the Championship?'

Realistically none of the current drivers can until Ogier quits.

[seb_sh]

How is there 10 pages on 'Which driver can realistically fight for the Championship?'

Realistically none of the current drivers can until Ogier quits.

Indeed it's the most comical thread in years...

[smsgrafica]

It's not comical at all. Of course Ogier is the best on equal material, but how I see it, Neuville and perhaps Meeke & Mikkelsen could realistically fight for the crown, based on their speed on every surface.

So, if they end up having a quick car and Ogier doesn't, IMHO they could be contenders, whereas the other guys, even with a much better car, would still be unable to fight for the Championship.

[itix]

No. They have no proof whatsoever on the top league. Case closed.

You seemed to have taken this personally which was not the intention. Tänak is fast but like AL14 says if you want to beat Ogier, you need to be fast everywhere.

Like Sordo who still hasn't mastered gravel after 10 (or whatever it is) years in the championship, I don't believe that Tänak will fully master tarmac. Markko Märtin was a natural on tarmac, Tänak is not in my view.

Just forget I mentioned Tidemand and Bergkvist if you can not accept that analogy. Use Märtin as a very relevant analogy since they are both Estonian.

[cali]

You seemed to have taken this personally which was not the intention. Tänak is fast but like AL14 says if you want to beat Ogier, you need to be fast everywhere.

Like Sordo who still hasn't mastered gravel after 10 (or whatever it is) years in the championship, I don't believe that Tänak will fully master tarmac. Markko Märtin was a natural on tarmac, Tänak is not in my view.

Just forget I mentioned Tidemand and Bergkvist if you can not accept that analogy. Use Märtin as a very relevant analogy since they are both Estonian.

No other problem except:

1. Your analogy is totally twisted and not corresponding the situation at all. Like I said, apples and turtle eggs. Naturally talented guys (on both surface) in recent years have came from France.
2. Suggesting Lappi as "MAYBE" ... no comments

No estonian thing here, I know quite much about WRC to know who is who. I just do not like unreasonable comments.
Before this I actually thought you are a smart guy