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Thread: [WRC] News & Rumours 2021
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1st December 2020, 16:31 #111
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Dr. Frank Welsch, a member of the Volkswagen Board of Directors, announced the closure of the brand's racing department and the consequent transfer of 169 employees to the manufacturer's facilities in Wolfsburg to dedicate themselves to the development area. He pointed out that the Volkswagen brand as such is heading to become a reference in regards to the electricity market and hence they made the decision to dispense with their sports activities since there are no strengths that adapt to the new business vision.
This move within the Volkswagen Group means the end of the ID.R project, the electric prototype conceived for the 2018 Pikes Peak. Presumably all the technology involved in the car will be transferred to the brand's commercial cars. In the statement it can be read that the supply of spare parts for the Polo GTI R5 and the Golf GTI TCR will be assured in the long term, although the production of the Polo GTI R5 customer sports for rally will end this year. This announcement from Volkswagen was to be expected after the statement issued by Audi Sport yesterday regarding competing in the Dakar and facing the World Endurance Championship with an LMDh.
Last year, Volkswagen Group indicated that its sports division would focus on electric propulsion and months later they confirm that it will disappear, which suggests that the competition area will be defended by Audi, while the position regarding Porsche is awaited. With the closure of Volkswagen Motorsport a vacuum is created in terms of factory support in the categories of rally, rallycross and touring cars, in these cases we would also have to wait for the reactions of those involved in the programs.
In the words of Dr. Frank Welsch:
We have decided to discontinue our own motorsport activities. The deep technical expertise of the employees as well as the knowledge gained from the ID.R project will remain with the company and help us develop more efficient models. My sincere thanks to all employees for the many victories, titles and records around the world and their personal commitment.
https://www.diariomotor.com/competic...e-operaciones/
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1st December 2020, 16:42 #112
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1st December 2020, 17:36 #113
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So they worked hard to build a competitive car, found many buyers, many who wanted to buy one and after two years will finish the project and all the developments probably also? This car will soon fall behind.
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1st December 2020, 17:59 #114
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1st December 2020, 18:17 #115
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VW officially to fully become the soulless white goods division of VW Group. Thanks for the memories of glory days VW, have fun playing the Tesla game...
- Likes: Rally Power (1st December 2020)
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1st December 2020, 18:55 #116
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If i remember correctly, techincal solutions someway did, in VW WRX outfit.
Anyway, that is their minus, they opted for customer racing and those customers now have still quite new cars, chassis no. 1 being the oldest, dating back to 10.2018... not to be developed any further, opposition on the otherhand...Last edited by Tarmop; 1st December 2020 at 18:59.
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1st December 2020, 19:36 #117
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2nd December 2020, 17:08 #118
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Why Adamo gave Huttunen a second Hyundai chance
Hyundai Motorsport team principal details Jari Huttunen's current arrangement with the manufacturer
https://dirtfish.com/rally/wrc/why-a...yundai-chance/
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2nd December 2020, 17:54 #119
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"Second" chance? More like first. In 2017 he won the challenge and as a "reward" he got to drive the ( at that time) slowest and least reliable R5 ( on gravel at least, not counting DS3)
After struggling for a year they demoted him to testing and finally started developing it, but he only got to drive very few rallies.
It really seemed that when Adamo came his first actions were to get rid of all drivers signed by Nandan one way or another. (Paddon out and not even asked about Finland, Huttunen out of competition and to testing, Mikkelsen immediately reduced starts).
Following that start it later looked like he changed his mind a bit and started focusing on car changes and development, rather than kicking drivers. Good for Huttunen that he now get his first real chance.
Note that now for new R5, the first tests are by Tanak and Huttunen, rather than Neuville, who developed the WRC so that 3 drivers with 83 WRC wins among them all struggled with it.
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2nd December 2020, 19:02 #120
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Do you not like Neuville or something? A bit of a skewed way to describe it, when one of those drivers won 79 of those events and is past his best/ retired.
Tanak, Neuville, Sordo and Breen will all take it in turns to test the new R5, as has been reported.
The first tests in 2016 of the 17 spec wrc car, were done by Kevin Abbring. Then Sordo and Paddon started testing it (without Thierry). Neuville was the last Hyundai driver to test that car, as he was out of contract and didn't sign a new deal until later in 2016 (there was talk he was going to Citroen or wanted to leave). Hyundai only let him drive the car after he agreed a new contract for the following two years.
- Likes: dimviii (2nd December 2020),EstWRC (2nd December 2020)
When I go to WRC event, I want to see the best drivers as always. If I want to see some national drivers, I can go to some other less popular event.. Just simple.
[WRC] 80. Rally Poland 2024